Roo limping do I put him down?

[MonkeyRoo]

Okay, so seems like a lot of people here and up having their favorite chicken hurt or sick. Well my favorite rooster has been limping for a while now..I've been hoping he would get better but his hock is hard and swollen and he hasn't been using his leg. He seems fine for the most part but he's the first go to bed and has a hard time getting comfortable due to difficulty bending his leg. It is hard to tell if he is in pain or not. Any suggestions on what his problem might be? I really don't want to put this lovely bird down as he is so sweet but I also don't want him living in pain...

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your rooster. Do you think he may have injured it, and has a sprain? A couple of things that can cause a swollen hock are a slipped tendon, viral arthritis, and mycoplasma synoviae or MS. MS can be treated with Tylan, but he would remain a carrier if that is the problem. Here are a few links about these problems:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/99/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-ms-infectious-synovitis
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/viral_arthritis/overview_of_viral_arthritis_in_poultry.html
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/220/slipped-tendon-perosis

 

[MonkeyRoo]

Thank you for the links! I'm not sure what happened, I came out one day and found him like this.... He was about 1 1/2 - 2 months at the time, and it has been about 2 weeks now. It seems he is using it (only for balance) less and less. Can roosters live a good life with only one useful leg?

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens can live with only one leg, but a rooster probably is going to have a tough time. Many say that roosters have a harder time healing from leg injuries than hens. Maybe if you could post a picture of his leg and of him standing, it might help. Mareks disease can cause paralysis in a leg or wing, but there isn't swelling in the hock as far as I know. Infection, sprain, or arthritis just seems to be popping to mind here. MS is treatable (not curable) with Tylan 50 injections 1 cc daily for 3 days given into the breast muscle. You can also have him tested for that. Maybe re-read those links, and it might give you some clue.

 

[MonkeyRoo]

Here is what I was able to get. He doesn't put any weight on it, only when he loses balance. Even then, it is as if his toes barely graze the ground.