Chicken with unexplained injured foot or leg; no longer walking - - NEED HELP!!

Hello,

I'm new here and this is my first post; been reading the forum for quite a while. Very interesting and helpful!

I am writing today because I have a bantam chicken with some type of injury to her right foot and I have no clue as to what is going on with her. On March 1st, I noticed that she was limping so I brought her in the house into a big plastic tote with straw as well as food and water and a lamp. As the days went by, I noticed that the toes on her right foot were drawn up into a ball (like a fist). My husband and I felt her leg and toes and she never really flinched in pain. We would straighten out the toes and they would go back into a ball.

She is still drinking, eating, and pooping. However, she just lays somewhat on her "good" side in the straw now. Her legs to her side rather than under her belly like normal.

I gave her a spot bath today as she is pooping on herself since she just lays there. Her injured foot now looks dead to me; her toes are extended straight out and the leg is a bit twisted and straight almost like rigamortis. Her bad toes do bend tho. The pads on her bad toes don't look fat/cushiony and normal; it's just awful.

Other than not walking and her foot messed up, she seems normal - what in world is going on?? Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Sorry this is long; I've tried to include all info. Let me know if more is needed.

Thank you!
Robin

This was when she stood on her good foot (left)



Doesn't she look normal? I just don't know what's going on...


This is her bad foot; can't tell it from the picture tho


This picture shows the toes on her left foot look normal and kind of bent but the toes on the right foot are just straight out; no life to them...



Here she is laying like she does now; on her side with legs out


Above and Below - not the greatest pics but her toes just aren't right...

How old is she? Unfortunately, those symptoms sound a lot like Marek's Disease. Marek's often first begins with a limp, then progresses to paralyzing the entire leg/side of body, or both legs. Birds with Marek's may exhibit leg problems without signs of injury. Other symptoms that may appear include greenish or loose droppings, crop problems, and enlarged feather shafts.

Marek's doesn't really have a known, 100% successful treatment, unfortunately. Some people have had some sucess with things like turmeric, colloidal silver,and St. Johns Wart (hypericum).Here are some links with information on Marek's Disease and possible treatments, if you want to try some:

Mareks

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mareks-disease-fact-site
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/90/mareks-disease
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/AG_Poultry_2013-01pr.pdf

"Treatments"

St. Johns Wart-- https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/135247/st-johns-wort
Colloidal Silver-- https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/566250/more-on-colloidal-silver-and-mareks

Thank you so much for replying! She is about 8 months old. She poops have been both normal looking and then runny. We have had other hens with issues that MAY be Mereks but never one with the limping like she had.

I read the articles you attached, thanks! I also saw on one of the links (page 10 I believe!) how some people made slings out of a sock to help keep the hen off her legs and give some relief. That was a good idea that I will try. How do you give the collodial silver? I didn't see anything on how to give it to the chicken.

Is "hypericum" from the GNC health store the same as "saint john's wort" from wal-mart??

Any and all help is SO appreciated!!!

Thank you,
Robin

Thank you!!

Hi There! Two days ago, I noticed my one-year old chicken limping. Yesterday, it got worse, and today, she's laying down as you discussed in your post -- her foot/leg is same position. How did the cures mentioned in the threads work? How is your chicken? Should I be concerned about the spread of this disease? Thanks for any input you have!!!