Any last ditch efforts you have up your sleeves?? (9-3-11 update)

[savingpurple]

Have a 6 month old NHR, injured leg. Have no clue how it happend or when it really happened.

Short story.......

Started limping, had just redone the coop, so thought mybe something in the foot. Checked nothing obvious. Kept getting worse.

Moved her to isolation by suggestion on here. Gave her 1/2 apsirin every 12 hours as suggested on here. Seemed a tad bit better, and was eating and drinking fine.

Have tried Duramyicn, just in case an infection in her leg/foot was starting. Had her on that for 7 days. No inprovement.

After about a week, moved her back out to the coop and outdoor run, in the crate, to start the reintorduction process. Oh this was fun....

Four out of the 5 started after her, through the crate. She was bloody in the comb,and eye last night. Scabbed over and not too visiible this morning. Tried again.

Failure again. So, I listened to the members in "managing your flock" area, and put all the hens except the injured on in the coop, and let her have the outdoor run all day to herself.

Came home from work, and she is worse off. Limping very badly.

I am just so new to chickens, and have had a very rough 6 months as a newbie, that I and the hens just need some peace.

Is there anything I haven't tried. I will take her in to the processing place next Sunday, unless a miracle happens. Or an angel in my area wants to donate their medical background to help.....

Any other ideas to try? I will bring her back up to the house tomorrow, and make the infirmary again. She eats and drinks well, just hurt and must be in so much pain! I have done what I feel I could have.....out of ideas

 

[Noymira]

Have you checked for bumblefoot? I'd google it, or do a search on here. From what I understand kind of like a staph infection in the foot. Hopefully someone else can give a better description.

I'm not sure what else to offer, but good luck. Culling can be a difficult decision, but you are the one best to make the call about the quality of life the hen has.

 

[savingpurple]

Just looked up Marek's Disease and it mentioned pale comb and wattles....here is a part of my other post form last night..

After the attacks, and was suprised they could get that far in the crate to get to her, she was looking in shock, comb/wattles went pale pink, and her eyes kept shutting, I ran to get her eletorlytes (sp?), and over the last hour seemed better.

Could it be Mareks?

Will look up bumblefoot....doing it right now....​

 

[BHyder1]

Bumblefoot is a very easy fix... dont give up... and it isnt as hard as the info tells you..

 

[savingpurple]

Well I did find a band/guy named bumblefoot.....LOL

Okay seriously...I have checked her foot to see if anything is stuck in it. Did find a small teeny tiny scab, got it off, and felt around to see if anythig else felt funny. Of course I have no clue what to feel for, or what is correct?? The pad in the center felt like a water ballon squishy. Not hard, or swollen, but again, I have no clue what IS normal??

I am off tomorrow, so maybe I can have help, and take a pic or two to post?? This was just so out of the blue, but she is getting worse by the day.

 

[kidcody]

Poor girl

legg injury can be difficult to diagnois over the net. If she is just walking with a limp thats a good sign that it is probably not broke but more of a muscle/tissue injury. Since you haven't found any injury on the bottom/top/toenails foot. Does the foot feel colder then the other foot? Is there any swelling compared to the good legg? Does she respond to a gentle pinch of the toes (bad leg) compare to the good foot? If she was my chicken I would let her rest and heal. Chances are she will heal. Chickens are truly amazing on what they can over come. She may always have a slight limp but as long as you feel she is not suffering I would just let her be a chicken. Healing time may take up to a month. Place her in a dog crate inside the chicken pen. Don't isolate her by herself. She still needs to communicate with the others. I've seen many injured chicken leggs that have healed, even ones that have broke and healed by them selves. You will need to let her out of the crate after 4-5 days for light walking by herself. reinjury will happen if she is placed back to soon with the others. When you see improvement start by placing one chicken in with her and slowly after a few days add one more chicken etc., etc. If she can buddie up with about 5 chickens then she should be safe to place back in the main pen. Chickens behave strangely reintroducing, it seems like if one chicken starts the pecking pretty soon they all start pecking the one chicken. But if they have some buddies that like them. Then its like oh, she's Ok to be in this pen. I hope this helps!

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
I agree. I'd maybe observe a little more about the leg injury before going for processing. I know you don't want her to suffer, but it seems a shame to cull if it's not necessary.

 

[savingpurple]

I have felt both legs..both feel the same. I hate to lose her too..trust me....this 5 months has NOT been a good first expereince.

Will post pics tomorrow. Have all my boys here tomorrow to celebrate a birthday, and am off work, so if you all are willing, will share some photos to maybe help me in this effort??

I would let her rest and heal, and be with the others, but the big crate, doesn't move easily. The small crate is small enough they can get to her, (but moveable). And they have gotten to her. The big crate doesn't fit through the coop door, nor the run door. I had a lab, and it was his crate. So good size for one hen, but not in a 4 x 8 coop, nor can I move her in it. She has to be locked up at night due to critters here.

I am so confused. Will take pic tomorrow.....maybe something is obvious, to you all, that I have missed. PLEASE let it be something i have missed

Wish I had a mini tractor to move her in and out.

 

[savingpurple]

Here she is.....

Here is the one she limps on....her right foot....

Here are both feet.....

And here she is after the pics were taken. She stands on it, but has a horrible limp when she walk, and running is hoping.

Now is it my imagination or does the left foot look puffy and red? Could that be because she is favoring it SO much? I have watched and made sure it is in fact the right leg she won't use. She is always standing with the right leg up. ???

I am out of ideas !!!! Did give her 1/4 aspirin again and rubbed a small, very small amount of a mixture of liniment on her leg and joints.

 

[speckledhen]

It isn't Mareks, not from what you've said. Leg injuries sometimes take ages to heal and if there is permanent tendon damage, in the case of my rooster, Zane, they don't ever heal. The left leg does seem swollen in your pictures. Her hock joint may have been hurt, maybe hyperextended. Do you have a rooster? If you said so, I apologize, I skimmed and didn't see that. Roosters cause leg injuries to hens a lot.