Broken leg

[darin367]

i've got 13 chicks in the brooder that are 3 weeks old..... Just noticed yesterday 1 of them has a broken leg that has already set/healed. The foot is turned sideways. It stands, makes it to the food/water.. But it hobbles on it when it walks..... I say cull it now but my wife says if it lives let it live,,, so then I say if it makes it to 17 weeks it's chicken soup............. anyone have a hobbled chicken that lived a good life... I don't see it making it up n down ramps, into nest boxes etc etc....

 

[Mum]

My friend used to rescue battery hens and a couple that she rescued had leg problems. One of them had a deformed leg and limped her way through life; the other had tendon problems and still managed to shuffle around without any apparent distress (and was a good layer too!).

My dh bought me an orpington last summer who, when we let her out, had a limp. No obvious sign of a break, toes all worked but a definate limp. She is still going strong and is an adorable character. She jumps up onto a perching bar (and down again) has no problems doing what chickens need to do; she just limps.

 

[Tripp16]

My friend had an EE who got in the way while he was throwing a cantaloupe at a post to bust it open for the chickens. It hit her on the leg and broke it. He made a splint and seperated her from the flock for a bit. Now she is about ready to go back with the flock and walks normal.

He may have caught hers in time but it sounds to me like yours is already in the healing process. She may make it and just learn to cope with it. His sure did.

Oh and BTW the name of that hen is Cantaloupe!

 

[jake1978]

I had a hen that got stepped on by a horse and suffered a broken leg. My daughter and I splinted the leg with popsicle sticks and vet wrap, sepperated the hen for 3 weeks and she healed fine. She had a limp for a while but recovered and lived a long, egg laying life. A little squabbling when she rejoined the flock but nothing major.I'm glad we saved her,it was very easy~

 

[centrarchid]

I have kept a few that were hobbled up from hatch. Quality of life is seriously degraded and they are much more vulnerable to predators when free ranged. Such birds have a hard time flying up to and staying on a roost. To compensate for roosting issues, a broad flat board is used for roosting. For me such birds do not put weight on well when free range. Broken leg is also prone to further damage when flying down from roost.