I'm the slice and dice type, so I would "explore", but I have all the supplies needed. I'd also do it knowing that I could make it much worse. If a vet is an option, I say don't mess with it. If it were on the footpad, or some other fleshy part, that would be much different, but this looks like the joint is involved.
I had a cock with an infection that started traveling up his leg. He got Exede injected into the breast, until the swelling dropped and a bubble surfaced that we could do something with. When the vet dug into the infection, there was the cheesy kernel, and about 6 or7 cheatgrass seed heads inside his leg. He got another Exede injection and he healed up well, just has a leg and foot that will permanently be bigger than the other. He's become quite the gentleman to the younger pullets, escorting them anytime the alphas are busy elsewhere and not harassing them. It's an off label use for Exede.
Excede is prescription only.
I actually gasped when the guy told me the price. Just to be sure we were on the same page, I reminded him we're talking about feed grade--not human food grade. I paid $40 a bag for the stuff I grind into flour and make bread with. He also wants astronomical prices for his mixed feeds. Its $10/bag in KY and $9 in AL.
Yup, same concept... they can compartmentalize pain much, much better than we can, so things like minor surgeries, treatable infections, etc are worth working through... but once legs 'blow out' that will always cause ongoing pain... not worth putting them through that, IMO, because you know they never will give up, just keep trying...
Indeed, Exede is, which may impede getting it. It's for cows tho, and the dose we gave was 0.1 mL
