Broken chicken leg

[landrath]

So my chickens leg got hurt and I believe it's broken. But I think it is broken way up near her body. At least that's where the injury appears to be.( turning colors and foot doesn't grip my finger leg just hangs there) Should I splint it?

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[ninjawesome]

You may want to splint her leg for extra support. I hope she gets feeling better!

 

[landrath]

Have you ever tried a sling?

 

[chickens r life]

Yes, you probably should splint it.

 

[trailrider330]

First of all, welcome to BYC!

Secondly, sorry to hear about your chicken. How sure are you that it is broken? For example, could it be a sprain or issue with a tendon? One of my hens clearly broke her leg earlier in the year and has almost completely recovered, so there is hope for your chicken. However, what is concerning about your situation is that the break is up near the body and the fact that the toes are turning color. Turning color generally means loss of blood supply. And, a break in this location is more difficult to splint, and thereby harder to get to heal.

Your first option would be to find an aviary vet in your area to see if they can assist.

If an aviary vet, or any vet for that matter, is not an option, there are some things you can do. Start by separating the bird from the flock. Be sure to disinfect the leg but do not use anything ending in "caine" as that can be fatal to chickens. Then you may want to cut back some feathers (but that is optional). Next, wrap it in gauze, splint it with something like popsicle sticks, and then wrap it in vet wrap. The key is to try and wrap the leg, being sure to include the joint above the break, as well as the joint below the break, to provide more stability. With a break that high, you may also have to consider vet wrapping her leg to her body to provide more stability. Some people also place a large cotton ball under the foot to prevent the toes from curling too much and then wrap that as well.

From there check regularly for change in color on the leg/toes, or a difference in temperature between the legs/toes. Initially, make sure you change the wrap/splint at least once per day but then you can start to go every 2-3 days.

From there, feeding your bird extra protein (and calcium) can help. You can also consider making a sling. (You can search that here on BYC and it should come up.)

I am no vet, but if you have any other questions about dealing with a broken leg, I would be happy to try and help you based on my experience and research. You can also search "broken leg" here on BYC for more input.

Best of luck to you and your chickens!

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope folks on the emergency thread can help you out.

 

[landrath]

Thank you for all of your good advise. I truly appreciate it. As an update for my chicken she is still hanging in there. Literally. My son made her a sling and I put a stint on her. The color in her leg is normal looking now. She continues to eat very good. My daughter catches bugs for her to eat. There is no movement in the leg yet, so I know that there is a break in it. I'm not sure how long to leave her in this sling. Or if it will even work.

 

[landrath]

Me too! Thank you.