Limping Chicken!

[Anna_b]

Most likely your Light Brahma has sprained or pulled a ligament or tendon. The main cause is hopping down from a high roost or other high place. It's worse for her because she is a heavy breed. You can lower roosts, eliminate places on your property where she can jump down from a high place, for example; a lawn chair, picnic table, trash can etc.

I recommend that you place her in crate or cage, provide her food and water, and away from the rest of your flock. She needs rest and relaxation in order for her leg to heal, not up and walking on it causing further injury that may take longer to heal or may not heal at all.
You can buy Vitamin B Complex at a drug store, crush a few tablets into powder and sprinkle the powder on her feed to eat. It may help speed up the healing process.
Leg problems take time to heal, I've dealt with enough of them over the years. They sometimes take a couple of weeks or several months to heal. I've had very good success with hens, not so good with roosters.
After 10 days, remove her from the cage and see if there's improvement, if not, put her back in the cage for another 10 days and continue with the Vitamin B Complex. In another 10 days, remove her from the cage and see if there's improvement.
If not, you will have to make the decision to continue her isolation in the cage, or return her to the flock, or cull. If you see a "some" improvement, my advice is NOT to put her back with the flock, she will reinjure her leg, guaranteed. Put her back in the cage and let it heal all the way, properly.
Remember; time heals.

Any advice on keeping a chicken as content/mentally well as possible while isolating them?

 

[dawg53]

Any advice on keeping a chicken as content/mentally well as possible while isolating them?

Content/mentally while in lock up recovering? Chickens are walking stomachs. Give her treats on occasion. Not too much though. Too much and you'll be cleaning up alot of diarrhea.

 

[Ccort]

Content/mentally while in lock up recovering? Chickens are walking stomachs. Give her treats on occasion. Not too much though. Too much and you'll be cleaning up alot of diarrhea.

You can use a kiddie pool or short Tupperware container and fill it with leaves...throw some treats in it so she can scratch for them. Also, you can add some soil and peat moss for dust bathing in it. Since it's mostly contained it didn't give me a big mess. You can use a cat treat dispenser for dried mealworms. Also, I found mine likes watching cartoons. I started putting her on my lap while I watched TV.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Most likely your Light Brahma has sprained or pulled a ligament or tendon. The main cause is hopping down from a high roost or other high place. It's worse for her because she is a heavy breed. You can lower roosts, eliminate places on your property where she can jump down from a high place, for example; a lawn chair, picnic table, trash can etc.

I recommend that you place her in crate or cage, provide her food and water, and away from the rest of your flock. She needs rest and relaxation in order for her leg to heal, not up and walking on it causing further injury that may take longer to heal or may not heal at all.
You can buy Vitamin B Complex at a drug store, crush a few tablets into powder and sprinkle the powder on her feed to eat. It may help speed up the healing process.
Leg problems take time to heal, I've dealt with enough of them over the years. They sometimes take a couple of weeks or several months to heal. I've had very good success with hens, not so good with roosters.
After 10 days, remove her from the cage and see if there's improvement, if not, put her back in the cage for another 10 days and continue with the Vitamin B Complex. In another 10 days, remove her from the cage and see if there's improvement.
If not, you will have to make the decision to continue her isolation in the cage, or return her to the flock, or cull. If you see a "some" improvement, my advice is NOT to put her back with the flock, she will reinjure her leg, guaranteed. Put her back in the cage and let it heal all the way, properly.
Remember; time heals.

I had 2 hens develop leg injuries one after another and i learned it was the two roosting bars and roost time antics. I put a large dog crate in the run with food and water. Each day she got better. At night i put the dog crate with the roosting hens so shes not alone. I think the #1 lesson i learned (beside not putting roost bars so close together), is to keep the said hen with the flock as much as possible. Especially if its an established flock. I would migrate the dog crate to whereever the flock was. Hen doesnt realize she needs to rest and recover. Said hen would act like a dumb dumb with her hurt leg if i let her out before better healing. Rest and recover. (Elevate and ice didnt work out too well)

 

[dawg53]

You dont want the hen walking around causing further injury, even caged. Keeping the hen isolated away from the flock is best. That way she doesnt get excited, ie; pacing in the cage, spilling food/water etc...

 

[Anna_b]

Content/mentally while in lock up recovering? Chickens are walking stomachs. Give her treats on occasion. Not too much though. Too much and you'll be cleaning up alot of diarrhea.

I just meant keep her from being stressed/worked up. She’s settled in her cage now.

 

[blondie55555]

I had 2 hens develop leg injuries one after another and i learned it was the two roosting bars and roost time antics. I put a large dog crate in the run with food and water. Each day she got better. At night i put the dog crate with the roosting hens so shes not alone. I think the #1 lesson i learned (beside not putting roost bars so close together), is to keep the said hen with the flock as much as possible. Especially if its an established flock. I would migrate the dog crate to whereever the flock was. Hen doesnt realize she needs to rest and recover. Said hen would act like a dumb dumb with her hurt leg if i let her out before better healing. Rest and recover. (Elevate and ice didnt work out too well)

What do you mean roosting bars too close together?

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

What do you mean roosting bars too close together?

Ignore the wheatgrass, but if you look in the window of the hen house.... picture seeing a roosting bar straight across. Then picture 2 bars. There was probably 10 inches in between the 2. Hens were leaping back and forth. Caused 2 injuries