Banti chicken with hurt leg

[sbsteph]

Hi All, yesterday my banti girl started showing signs of a problem with her left leg. She won't put any weight on it. We checked her out, squeezed and pulled and she didn't react to anything. I saw online that it may be frost bite but both legs are same temperature. This morning is she is the same way and we noticed that she won't let us go near the other leg, which is the one she is standing on..any thoughts on this??? I will say that she doesn't lay eggs, not sure why..maybe she is young?? Also, recently lost a chicken and replaced it with a new girl, but thus far have not seen any issues with the new family member. We did notice that we could see her vent a lot better than the other girls but she is also the only banti we have

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Is she holding the leg up or is she able to stand at all? Leg injuries are very common in chickens, and there could be a sprain or broken bone. Can she move her toes? Resting the leg in a crate or pen for 1-2 weeks may help her heal. Make sure that she has no swelling or a dark spot on her footpad which could be bumblefoot. Look for any swelling of the joints. Some poultry vitamins or BComplex in her water may also help. You might wait until night time when she is sleeping, and go into the coop with a flashlight or headlamp, where you can examine it. A picture may also help.

 

[sbsteph]

Hi there, thank you for the reply. She is holding her leg up, not using it at all. We checked her whole body and squeezed gently around her legs and she doesn't react to anything. She only cares when we try to touch the foot she is using to walk on. The other one she keeps off the ground. I just put apple cider vinegar in their water ( this was recommended to me by the person I got the chickens from)..the ramp into the coop is somewhat steep so we are going to try and make it less of an incline for her. The other chickens are rather large so it's not a problem for them to climb up and down. Today since we have to leave the house, I'm going to put her in our dogs crate and keep her inside so she won't be left out in the cold and not in the coop

 

[sbsteph]

She's hard to catch but is very easy to examine..no swelling or dark spots on foot..

 

[Eggcessive]

Some people use steps such as tree stumps of differing heights, or cinder blocks, so that they can jump to the next level. Since she is holding it up, I'll bet it is a sprain. Those can can a couple of weeks to heal with rest.

 

[sbsteph]

Update on my banti: she isn't any better since last Thursday..sometimes when she walks she drags her foot ..does this mean anything ?? It's almost as if the leg is dead..no feeling to it

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you know if she was vaccinated for Mareks disease? If not it could be that. Symptoms of Mareks may occur between 3 and 25 weeks of age on the average, but can occur later that that if they are exposed to a carrier bird several weeks before. Curled toe paralysis is another condition that can cause the toes to curl under, and is caused by a riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiency. I would try some poultry vitamins just in case. Are her toes and legs still normal color?

 

[sbsteph]

Her toes are not curling in..she doesn't care if I touch it or move it around..like I said, it like it is a dead leg, she just drags it when she walks..it doesn't seem like she has feeling it. It is the same color as other leg. I have no idea if she was vaccinated, I've had her since July and she hasent laid any eggs either..not sure how old she is

 

[sbsteph]

I only feed my birds crumble and scratch..I a thinking I need to add some other items into the mix??

 

[Eggcessive]

If her chick crumbles are 16% layer feed or chick grower, then she is getting all she needs in a balanced diet. Scratch has only 8% protein, is not really needed, and only should be used as a treat. Sometimes feed can sit on the shelf or be in use a long time, and it can lose vitamins. She could have injured or broken the leg causing nerve damage, but I would be watching for Mareks symptoms. It can cause paralysis of one or both legs, wings, the neck, and cause tumors internally and externally.