1 missing, 2 limping. Chicken mystery.

[Picklesandme]

We seem to have lost my fav chicken, Doodle, as of 24 hours ago, when she didn't come home to roost. Now, I have 2 other chickens that are limping, holding their legs up like flamingos. Both legs/feet look and feel perfectly fine and joints feel stable and not swollen. No sign of bumblefoot. I've separated them both into a dog kennel with warm hay, feed and water. I noticed yesterday, also, that they had clumps of moldy food in their feed bag (grr). Think they just helped fend off an attack and possibly strained their legs or is something else going on here?

 

[chicknmania]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Lameness can be caused by a lot of things, and when they "prance" like that, it is a sign that there's discomfort in walking. Did you feel any heat in the legs or feet? It's certainly possible that mold could be causing weird symptoms. Are they eating ok and are there any other symptoms? AT this point, with nothing else to go on, I would say you are doing exactly as you should do, provided that you have thrown away the moldy feed and substituted fresh feed. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they are still eating and drinking ok, and keep us posted about how they do. Also....look around for Doodle. It is possible that she is sick or broody, and in both of these cases she might be hiding somewhere. I would suspect that first, before a predator attack, especiallly if you don't see any feathers or signs of a struggle, although sometimes predators will carry one off without a trace. It's very important to watch your remaining birds though, and if they show any signs of declining, record the symptoms and let us know.

Do they free range or do you have them in a coop/ run?

 

[Picklesandme]

Thanks for your reply. We have a coop and run, but they free-range most of the day. They typically don't stray much out of the acre we own. I'll take a look in the wooded areas in the AM and make sure no sign of the missing hen. I've checked the yard and fields twice to no avail. Will keep you up-to-date.

 

[chicknmania]

OK, well, you might want to keep the others confined for a week or so, or keep a very close eye on them, because if it was a predator, it will be back. Good look, hope you find her.