Limping hen - arthritis?

[aart]

Do you think if it was a sprain, it would take this long to heal though?

Probably not.
It's really hard to say exactly what is wrong.... xray might tell the tale.
It might not even be her legs but a spine injury that never healed right,
might have happened while you were not around to observe it.

I'm thinking maybe because of the summer heat.

Heat stroke is a possibility, can screw up their brains...maybe the part the controls mobility.

Sorry, just thinking 'out loud'....not sure there's an absolute answer and cure.

As long as a bird can eat/drink/poop/move around enough to do those things,
I just let them carry on....but I'm not one to go to extremes in 'treating' a bird, other than occasional vitamin and/or electrolyte boost.

 

[NanaK]

I think you've been given excellent advice. Just wanted to throw another thought your way...

I have a Cream Legbar hen who is about who is about 6 years old. Every so often she will develop a limp which proceeds to her sitting around a lot. She seems healthy in every other way, stills lays well spring, summer, goes broody often and is a very good and attentive mother. She is also the friendliest of my flock and loves to sit in my lap, be held, etc.
She still walks when she gets like this but similar to your hen, acts uncomfortable like an old lady with hip/leg problems. In my hours and hours of reading hear at BYC, I came across several mentions of legs problems being resolved sometimes by adding certain vitamins. Nutritional deficiencies can cause problems with walking in chickens and other animals as well as humans if they get bad enough. Several of the B vitamins, Vit E and selenium can be involved in nerve function.

So...to try to shorten this long post...here is what I do when I first notice symptoms...

1/2 Vitamin B Complex Capsule (all the B Vits.)
1 scoop Rooster Booster Vitamins with electrolytes
1 gallon water
Mix and shake, shake, shake!

I give this for 3 days or so then give just the rooster booster mixed with water till she becomes more active, usually the rest of the week. This is her only water and she will drink it readily. I make fresh each morning.

I also give her just her complete feed with a little scrambled egg on the side as a treat. Eggs are a good food for them if they are not consuming enough feed, just not too often. The feed is best!
No other treats.

I read if they have been having symptoms a long while treatment will take a bit longer and if they've limped a really long time sometimes it does not help as nerve damage sometimes can be permanent.

So far this has helped Dixie 3 times. Each time 6-8 months apart.

Just something for you to consider.

 

[chickchickie]

Thanks all for the great advice! Will keep an eye on her to make sure she's not getting better or worse and play around with her feed and nutrition to see if anything sticks. Should nutritional supplements (such as rooster booster) be limited to just her, or is it fine to put in the general water source for both her and my roo?

 

[chickchickie]

I did a search of vitamin deficiencies in chickens and D3 deficiency seems to match match the description a bit? It says D3 deficiency can cause rickets, though mostly in growing birds. I don't know what is put into starter feeds but unless it has a D3 supplement, it is one of the only essential vitamins I see listed for chickens that is not readily available in the other types of foods she is eating. Would make sense the roo is unaffected as he is not expelling extra D3 through egg laying, and if she is not getting enough sun in the months I am away because she is left in a shaded coop. The supplement from the vet did not contain any D3 to my knowledge. Any thoughts on this? Also if anyone has info on the nutritional content in starter feeds, would greatly appreciate as well so I can see what she is getting on a daily basis. The store I get the feed from just gives it to me in a paper bag with no labels or info and the employees don't seem to know too much detail...

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ement-poultry/vitamin-deficiencies-in-poultry

 

[chickchickie]

Have been reading a whole bunch on bird nutrition. Most articles are abut songbirds and parrots kept as indoor pets but I imagine some of the same principles apply to chickens, especially ones that are becoming more sedentary in their old age. I am also reading that though birdseed has too much fat, starter feeds are actually too protein dense for adults chickens (but laying feeds are too calcium rich for nonlaying chickens such as roosters and older hens) and that vegetables can be a source of supplemental nutrition for parrots. The only feeds sold near me are starter, layer, and scratch so I'm thinking it honestly might be best for me to continue their current diet regimen with the mix of different types of food to break up what they are deficient in or getting too much of in one type of food another, and just don't let them eat too much every day and find a way to get them some more sunlight. They have access to compost inside the coop which they used to dig in a lot and I'm sure that was a source of nutrition for them but unfortunately, they rarely do that anymore now that they are so old, which might be exacerbating any nutritional deficiencies they have. Any feedback on this logic would be appreciated!

https://lafeber.com/vet/the-nutritional-content-of-pet-bird-diets/
https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/birds_need_more_than_seeds/
https://www.avianandanimal.com/bird-nutrition.html
https://hari.ca/hari/research-facility/hari-research-papers/avian-nutrition-trends-philosophies/
https://lafeber.com/vet/the-nutritional-content-of-pet-bird-diets/

 

[NanaK]

I would stick to a complete chicken feed with maybe a bit of egg on the side. I would not add anything else to their diet. Could cause more harm than good.
The rooster booster vitamins can be given to both your hen and rooster.
I would be extra careful adding in other supplements. B vitamins are water soluble, meaning the body will use what it needs but the rest will leave the system. Some vitamins can build up in the system and too much could cause harm.

Also I'd want an ingredients label for feed and the mill date is important too. Without knowing the maker who knows what is in there???

I hope your hen does well.