The first thing you need to do is pick up this chicken and give it a thorough looking over.
Look for scabs and/or swelling on the bottoms of the feet. Look at the scales on legs and feet to see if they are flush with the legs and toes. Scales lifting up can indicate the presence of leg mites, which can be painful and cause limping.
Look at the toes and the nails. Are there any that are hanging and show bleeding from being broken?
Is this chicken eating? How about the eyes? Open and bright? Look at the tail. Is it erect or lying low and flat?
