Another broken/paralysed leg

Snicketysnoksnaksnik · Jul 2, 2022

Hello. I have a 8.6 month old hen who has a broken/paralysed leg. Seems to be happening a lot to one blood line of my chickens, could be the roosts (planning on a redesign of them).
Anyways, her leg started as a limp and didn’t seem to affect her really - she was getting around fine and had a full crop a lot. But around 2-3 weeks ago it got worse, I immediately put her in a little enclosure but she hated it and didn’t eat anything.
I put her in a larger one and she was happy in there, eating, drinking and foraging. Always got a full crop at night and managed to put herself away in a nest box.
She seemed to be recovering and gaining some more weight (she had lost some without me realising, not too much though)
Then I had to go on a trip since we had already planned and bought everything. I thought that the people who were taking care of my animals would put her back in the large cage since I had told them to
They didn’t, they put her in the small cage and now she is very skinny and her leg is terrible. She is also keeping it splayed
Her wings are fine and she can stand on her right leg, hard to tell if she can use it but she keeps it in normal positions

I’ve moved her into a small box for the day since I just got back yesterday, I fed her some lentils and papaya since she really needed to eat. I’ll try give her some feed and scrambled egg later, she isn’t too fond of feed but she might eat it

Any suggestions on how to treat her or anything?
I’ll get some pictures soon - I currently don’t have a device with a good camera, so I’m waiting to use someone else’s

azygous · Jul 2, 2022

Since you mentioned that others of this breed have come down with the same symptoms, there may be an avian virus involved. Did the other chickens with these symptoms die or have to be euthanized due to paralysis?

A few years ago, I lost three out of four pullets to similar symptoms. I had the third necropsied and found it was lymphoid leucosis. Here is my thread which covers all the treatments I tried. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...update-now-another-pullet-going-lame.1432738/

Snicketysnoksnaksnik · Jul 2, 2022

azygous said:
Since you mentioned that others of this breed have come down with the same symptoms, there may be an avian virus involved. Did the other chickens with these symptoms die or have to be euthanized due to paralysis?

A few years ago, I lost three out of four pullets to similar symptoms. I had the third necropsied and found it was lymphoid leucosis. Here is my thread which covers all the treatments I tried. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...update-now-another-pullet-going-lame.1432738/

Yes, all chickens that have had this have had to be euthanised due to them not eating and drinking (generally giving up on life) and fighting when I pick them up making it difficult to tube feed
I’ll read the thread now
And I just realised another of my chickens has a limp, not bad yet and she has a good weight but she has been separated. This other chicken also happens to be this chicken’s sister.
Every chicken I’ve had from my old cockerel have had the most issues (broken leg and organ failure mainly but also chicks hatching the wrong way)

Snicketysnoksnaksnik · Jul 2, 2022

Although my roosts are quite high up and from the bottom to the top they increase height quite steeply.
I have seen these chickens landing wrongly before, this could help.
I’ll change my roosts today, making them lower and a more similar height - any other recommended changes?

Aunt Angus · Jul 2, 2022

If you experience another loss, I would send the poor thing off for a necropsy, just to be sure what you're dealing with.

Snicketysnoksnaksnik · Jul 2, 2022

Aunt Angus said:
If you experience another loss, I would send the poor thing off for a necropsy, just to be sure what you're dealing with.

I’ll see if I can but I’m not sure if there is a place that does necropsy where I am
I could do a home necropsy but I wouldn’t know what to look for

Aunt Angus · Jul 2, 2022

Snicketysnoksnaksnik said:
I’ll see if I can but I’m not sure if there is a place that does necropsy where I am
I could do a home necropsy but I wouldn’t know what to look for

Where are you? I can see if I can find one. It's usually the state ag labs.

Snicketysnoksnaksnik · Jul 2, 2022

Aunt Angus said:
Where are you? I can see if I can find one. It's usually the state ag labs.

I’m in Costa Rica, not in the capital but I can go if there is a lab there that does necropsy

Snicketysnoksnaksnik · Jul 2, 2022

Should I try splint her and the other one‘s injured legs?
Both clearly have the same or similar leg issue so I did immediately think of a disease but she was originally staying in the enclosure that my ducklings and ducks are in. I find it odd that they wouldn’t of gotten whatever she has first, especially since her sister and the rest of my chickens haven’t been around her whatsoever.
I do know for a fact it isn’t my ducks that did this