Broken leg or pulled muscle!!

[mpcardona]

I'm not sure what happened. I let my chickens out yesterday morning and one of my Austalorps hurt her leg somehow. She won't put any weight on it. So felt for any broken bones and I don't really feel anything. She did move her toes and she can move the leg, but not very much. She was sitting with it straight out in front of her, it was kinda freaky. So she is in the house now and I don't really know what else I can do for her. She is eating and drinking.

 

[mpcardona]

Here is a little bit more detail. She can draw her leg to her, if it is pretty close to her body. If her leg is straight out in front of her then that where she leaves it. And when she sits up to eat, she only sits on what I think is called the hock or elbow as I call it. Nothing seems to be swollen, but when I pick her up, her leg just hangs there. And when I set her down it does look like the hip part of her leg sticks out a little bit. Can anyone please help, even the smallest of help would be great. I have only owned chickens for 6 months now. I would hate to loose my chicken.

 

[mpcardona]

Okay well, here is an update. She is still the same, moving a little less. Still eating and drinking. Not walking at all and her poor little foot has curled up into a fist. I don't know if I should give her more time or just end her suffering.

 

[EggyErin]

I've had the same trouble with one of my chickens. Exact same symptoms. At first I put her in a cage in the coop, fed her and watered her there, occasionally picked her up (carefully!) and rubbed on her. When she started gimping around the cage a little, turning around more, standing more, I left the door partially ajar. Shortly after that she started hopping out into the coop. She, too, would stick her leg straight out, barely set it down, then hop onto the other leg. I would always put her back in the cage at night. This continued until one night I found her on the roost. Then she wanted to go outside with the others, still limping but not as badly. She would rest outside then gimp around when she felt like it. Now she still has a gimp but not nearly as bad, seems pretty comfortable, is scratching around some with it. It has taken probably eight weeks to get this far. I figure she'll either always limp or her leg will continue to improve. She seems to know what she needs. She's also back to laying. So don't give up on her yet. Maybe if you could isolate her for a while, make food within lounging reach so she doesn't have to move around to get it but can stand if she wants. I had the food at one end, water at the other but they were only 1-1/2 hen's length apart. Good luck!

 

[limpychick]

I too have a hen that just happened too. Actually, I was moving her chicken tractor and I think she got her leg caught and tried to pull it out. She walked fine, so I didn't think anything of it. A couple days later she was limping badly, trying to scratch at the feed, but couldn't really control that leg. I figured she may have pulled it as I didn't feel broken bones, either and everything seemed to be where it was supposed to. I put her in a small dog crate with hay as bedding, food and water with in reach. I put vitamins in her water and left her in there. Within about a week and a half, she was good enough to let her out. Was not really limping, but not scratching strongly. Now, she is fine.
Keep her confined, so she can't try to use that leg and injure it more. And make sure she is eating and drinking. Vitamins in the water won't hurt. Keep a close eye on her. To be sure this leg thing isn't just a symptom of something else.

 

[mpcardona]

Thanks guys. I have her in a large dog crate. What kind of vitamins do you use for chickens?

 

[jofoster]

Here is a little bit more detail. She can draw her leg to her, if it is pretty close to her body. If her leg is straight out in front of her then that where she leaves it. And when she sits up to eat, she only sits on what I think is called the hock or elbow as I call it. Nothing seems to be swollen, but when I pick her up, her leg just hangs there. And when I set her down it does look like the hip part of her leg sticks out a little bit. Can anyone please help, even the smallest of help would be great. I have only owned chickens for 6 months now. I would hate to loose my chicken.

 

[jimerjam]

I have a simaler problem, however I am beginning to become concerned as she is eating minamly or not at all. I separated her, but she will only eat when I am not looking, so I can almost never tell if she is drinking. She took a tumble down some of the deck stairs, only about 2 or three feet, but she rolled all the way. Her wings are fine and I can feel no broken bones. But she appears to have no balance. Please I don't know how to proceed or how to proceed