3 week old overweight Cornish Rock - I believe has broken leg(s)

[LittlePsycho]

I looked all over her foot and there doesn't seem to be any cuts. I made a little ice pack out of plastic wrap and crushed ice, and that seemed to make the swelling go down a little bit, but it just swells up again if I take it off. So it looks like an injury that can maybe heal, not an issue with being too heavy?

 

[enola]

Weight problems do not pop up until much nearer butchering time.

There have been a lot of statements made concerning CornishX that just are not true.

1) CornishX hens do lay eggs starting at about 6 months of age, at the rate of 5 or so a week, and the eggs will hatch healthy fast growing chicks if the hen is properly taken care of.

2) you do have to restrict their diets since they will eat until they are grossly overweight. The diet I fed my hen consisted of 20% layer pellets and rolled oats plus a hard boiled egg every day. She had her own pen with deep litter and fresh water.

3) she shared her pen with the rooster one day a week. I hatched all of her eggs and sold the chicks to the Asian population in town.

I did not keep her over the winter, we ate her at Thanksgiving.

Probably the average chicken keeper would not be able to handle a project like this since the hen would probably convince her keeper that she is starving. Keeping a hen like this requires a weekly check of her body condition to make sure that she is not gaining/losing too much weight. But it can be done, I have proved it!

 

[conny63malies]

I believe I am having the same problem. I'll post some pictures on here just to make sure it is or isn't broken.



If it is unlikely that it will ever really walk again, I will kill it, but I will NOT kill it just because its a Cornish. I'll be sticking with this post closely to see if any more good advice is posted.

I had one just like that, seems to be a bad joint that gave out and is inflamed. We ended up dispatching it to ends its misery. Oddly enough it was one of the smaller ones , not the ones we call Godzilla.

 

[missmissi]

The left leg does look bruised under the joint. I wonder if you could use a strechy tape (like the kind they give you at a blood draw) to wrap it

I believe I am having the same problem. I'll post some pictures on here just to make sure it is or isn't broken.



If it is unlikely that it will ever really walk again, I will kill it, but I will NOT kill it just because its a Cornish. I'll be sticking with this post closely to see if any more good advice is posted.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

If you're seeing tiny improvements each day then you're slowly gradually heading in the right direction. Just be very patient.

 

[missmissi]

The left leg does look bruised under the joint. I wonder if you could use a strechy tape (like the kind they give you at a blood draw) to wrap it.

Do you think thin little strips of vet wrap would be ok to use? Ya know, that tape is the only **** thing I did not pick up for my pet first aid / emergency kit!

 

[missmissi]

They get meal worms and Baby Cake for treats, along with their chick feed. Not yet interested in fruits and vegetables.

Is limiting her feed, but allowing the treats ok, nutritionally, for bone health? I'm thinking the treats won't promote muscle growth like feed does, though keep her full so she won't eat her feathers, plus provide energy - you know, for running those suicide sprints to control her weight ;-)

 

[heartsizedfarm]

What about low fat yogurt for calcium? Might be messy. Yeah I can see vet wrap as support for that more feeble leg. Maybe with a bit of soft sponge or cloth underneath the vet wrap to prevent pressure points forming? I'd also change it each day to inspect what's going on.

 

[casportpony]

They get meal worms and Baby Cake for treats, along with their chick feed. Not yet interested in fruits and vegetables.

Is limiting her feed, but allowing the treats ok, nutritionally, for bone health? I'm thinking the treats won't promote muscle growth like feed does, though keep her full so she won't eat her feathers, plus provide energy - you know, for running those suicide sprints to control her weight ;-)

Meal worms are something like 50% protein, and too much protein will cause that too grow too fast.

-Kathy

 

[Gonetothebirds]

Some people asked for pics to help with recommendations.... a lot has happened since I first posted this Wednesday morning. I have her pain under control. I can decrease her food, but I wonder if, like humans, a high protein low carb diet would help reduce their weight? If it doesn't appear that there is any damage to her leg(s) help me develop a rehab program to make them stronger while I slow down her weight gain. Wednesday night: You can see here she is standing, though not for long, primarily on her left leg. She favors her right leg always, it seems a tiny bit 'turned in. She's trying to walk (please excuse the doody, it just happened when she stood up) but it's more like a hop. She doesn't want to straighten her right leg or apply much pressure to it. At peace Another symptom of the issues with her breed: She's barely gotten any feathers yet, her siblings same age have lost most of their down. Instead, she's putting all of her energy into producing muscle. The others are all mostly feathered now, my little dumpling here looks almost like a brand new baby! Except she's twice the others' size! Stretching the tender leg. She's constantly stretching. I assist her however I can. The tender leg at rest. BTW, that's chick feed, not poop. She lays on the tender leg too. Her left leg has issues of its own. Again, feed, not poop. She looks so normal here, like the healthy chick I brought home 2 weeks ago. Her breast is already huge. She's so sweet. The left/strong leg, the knee is swollen and appears a bit bruised. The right/tender leg will not straighten, again, a tiny bit turned in. I don't see any bruising on the right leg. It's a bit swollen, but much less than the left leg.

I'm sorry but to be blunt. It will die. They are bred to be killed at 18 weeks at the latest. Your putting your human feeling on a animal. Cull it