BROKEN FEMUR

[9SpiceyChickens]

What are you keeping her in? Is she with other chickens & ducks? Does she try to walk around?

 

[aart]

Glad to hear that she is having some movement of her toes. Hopefully, you can get some help through the university. I would limit her walking around.

Ditto Dat^^^

 

[sandloaf]

Our yellow chicken Salt had jumped out of the coop from the top roost and broke her femur bone (10/22). We splinted it best we could being that it is super close to the hip.

Its been two days since. The foot on the broken leg is still warm which is awesome and we’ve been having to force her to drink water and food. Although, today she did take a couple pecks at the food. We’ve been giving her aspirin in the water to help cope with the pain. I feed her and wipe the poop off her butt everyday. But is it worth it?

Recently shes been panting a lot which I assume is from the pain. No eggs. But there is poop!! Which means her body is getting the food. It’s just sick poop, not the healthy lil mound you usually see. Its green and stinky.

Were aware she will never walk the same but is she going to get better?
It keeps me up at night knowing her life is practically been cut in half if we kill her. I feel horrible because I love my girl so much. What should we do?

Update: (10/24) Shes been slowing down with food and h20. But still pooping!! Which is great. Panting is her new big thing so I gave her some more meds to help with the pain. To get her to drink water since she gets mad when i try to open her beak, is I wait until she opens her beak then squirt a lil water in her mouth! Same with food. I wait until she opens her beak and stuff a little in there.

Update 10/30

Shes going good eating drinking and pooping. But shes so pale and panting so much. What does it mean?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Is she not eating her regular food at all? You may have said this and I missed it, but have you tried wetting or soaking it? That would also help get some liquid into her.

You asked about the bruising and I am going to throw this out there to see what everyone thinks .. witch hazel! Soak some gauze in it and wrap it around the bruised toes and leave it for about 10 - 15 minutes a couple of times a day. I can testify it's very soothing to HUMANS with bruised and broken toes! If it can't hurt a chicken, MAYBE it can help. For me, it brought the swelling down and eased the pain considerably. I'm not gonna tell you how I broke my toe, though, except to say there was a horse involved.

 

[aart]

But shes so pale and panting so much. What does it mean?

Panting can be from heat or stress or pain.

 

[sandloaf]

Is she not eating her regular food at all? You may have said this and I missed it, but have you tried wetting or soaking it? That would also help get some liquid into her.

You asked about the bruising and I am going to throw this out there to see what everyone thinks .. witch hazel! Soak some gauze in it and wrap it around the bruised toes and leave it for about 10 - 15 minutes a couple of times a day. I can testify it's very soothing to HUMANS with bruised and broken toes! If it can't hurt a chicken, MAYBE it can help. For me, it brought the swelling down and eased the pain considerably. I'm not gonna tell you how I broke my toe, though, except to say there was a horse involved.

AHH I hope ur toes okay. I will try that out, thank you!

All shes been eating is scrambled eggs. She refuses to eat anything else. I found a big juicy beetle and she looked at it and then ignored it. Her sister nugget gladly went over and ate it.

I bring her over to the chicken water bowl where everyone drinks. And she will drink by herself but only there. Stubborn little thing.

 

[sandloaf]

Panting can be from heat or stress or pain.

Okay. Oh man it could be any of those. Its 88 today and i gave her a baby aspirin today. She has been quite upset about not being able to walk around. But thank you.

Ur mind can sure wander when you dont know something! Mine went straight to the worse.

 

[Eggcessive]

Her comb sure is a lot more pale than the waddles, especially compared to last week’s picture. Cannyou check for any lice or especially mites? Hopefully, she is not bleeding into her leg from the fracture. Did you try calling University of Florida vet center for help?

How does her crop feel especially early in the morning before she has any food or water? A slow to empty crow or a crop problem might make her not want to eat. I would try offering some very watery chicken feed first, then some bits of egg or tuna later if she won’t have some. Do you have any Poultry NutriDrench or vitamins to give her? PND has some iron, and vitamins can help boost her appetite.

Have you thought of a chicken sling? I can’t remember if this was asked earlier. Here is a link with pictures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Are you taking her around the property during the day? That sounds really cute From my medical side it seems it would be more of a stressor because of how you have to pick them up.. I’m unsure how she acts but I know a lot of mine either stick their legs out straight or I have to firmly hold their legs against their body, which would hurt her some I’d think..

I agree with Eggscessive on trying the liquid feed!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks, @sandloaf, no worries, it was long ago and far away.