Barred Rock is limping

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

My Barred Rock hen, Big Rhonda, has been limping for about a week now and is often standing on one leg or laying down. I thought maybe she had bumblefoot, but after inspecting her foot and comparing it with the other, there is absolutely no wound, cut, or swelling.

I also noticed she was pointing her tail downward and laying down a lot, so I thought it was egg binding. However, she has laid 2-3 eggs this week, so that can't be it.

Is there any other condition I can check for and try to rule out? I'm new to chickens so those were the only things I thought of. Btw, her poops are normal and while she is large, she does not seem overweight at all.

I apologize that I don't have a picture of her feet, but I couldn't get one because I was using both hands to hold her. Here's a normal picture of her though (she's in the middle).

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Chickens are even harder to photograph than babies. I always need to waste six photos for every decent photo I get.

When there is no obvious sign of injury when you have a lame chicken, faint light green brusing on light colored legs or bumblefoot, it often involves the sciatic nerve which can get inflamed for a number of reasons, some very serious as in Marek's, others minor and triggered by bacteria or even stress.

The treatment is vitamin B complex and chewable 81 grain aspirin for pain and inflammation. I like the B-100 that you can get at any vitamin shop as it has the highest amounts of B-2, 6 and 12 necessary for healing nerve connections. Give one table directly into the beak once a day. Give one 81 grain aspirin two times a day in the same manner. Pry open the beak and shove in the pills.

This should produce improvement in about three weeks to a month unless it's being caused by an avian virus.

 

[azygous]

They no longer call it "baby aspirin" because we no longer give aspirin to children due to it causing Rye Syndrome. It's the small chewable that old folks now buy to take to prevent strokes.

The B vitamins in Nutri-drench are not therapeutic amounts. I suggest B-100 because of the high amounts of B-2, 6 and 12 which all work to repair nerves. It's cheap. Go buy some. It can't be overdosed because any excess is excreted in the urates.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I woke up with my Penciled Plymouth rock doing the same thing. Found this feed looking for posts for advice.

So sorry to hear that! Unfortunately this thread hasn't gotten much response, but I am gonna try the B vitamin thing. It does kind of seem like an injury to me though.

Make sure you check yours for signs of bumblefoot and egg binding to rule those out. Those were the first things I suspected.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I ended up taking her out of the infirmary and with the rest of the flock. she did good for about an hour. I just fed them some scratch all perimeters of my yard. She stayed in one place away from the flock. She is favoring the leg but not limping like before.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I think it is stressful when they are taken away, but still in sight of the flock. This was my case today. I have 8 baby chicks less than a week old in my inside brooder. Let her be with the flock. When she roosts make sure she is low and extra cushion under her. You may even get up extra early to lift her off the roost in the morning

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I suggest the rooster booster b-12

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Chickens are even harder to photograph than babies. I always need to waste six photos for every decent photo I get.

When there is no obvious sign of injury when you have a lame chicken, faint light green brusing on light colored legs or bumblefoot, it often involves the sciatic nerve which can get inflamed for a number of reasons, some very serious as in Marek's, others minor and triggered by bacteria or even stress.

The treatment is vitamin B complex and chewable 81 grain aspirin for pain and inflammation. I like the B-100 that you can get at any vitamin shop as it has the highest amounts of B-2, 6 and 12 necessary for healing nerve connections. Give one table directly into the beak once a day. Give one 81 grain aspirin two times a day in the same manner. Pry open the beak and shove in the pills.

This should produce improvement in about three weeks to a month unless it's being caused by an avian virus.

Thank you! I already have some "nutri drench" that I dilute in their water, but it can be given directly in the beak. It has B vitamins. Do you think I could use this or would you still suggest getting B-100?

And is the aspirin you describe "baby aspirin"? Just making sure I know what to ask for if I can't find it in the store.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

They no longer call it "baby aspirin" because we no longer give aspirin to children due to it causing Rye Syndrome. It's the small chewable that old folks now buy to take to prevent strokes.

The B vitamins in Nutri-drench are not therapeutic amounts. I suggest B-100 because of the high amounts of B-2, 6 and 12 which all work to repair nerves. It's cheap. Go buy some. It can't be overdosed because any excess is excreted in the urates.

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Should I be confining this hen to keep her from walking around so much? She still runs up to me when I go out back,and still climbs up the back steps. If she is injured do you think this could make it worse?

The only way I could really confine her is in a dog crate. Is that too small? The cage is big enough for my 65 lb. dog, not sure of the measurements.