Can a chicken sprain it's leg?UPDATE

[terrilhb]

I have a 6 month old hen. She is limping on her right leg. There are no injuries. I checked her real good. Her leg will bend. If they can get a sprain what is the best treatment for her? She is eating, drinking and looking for bugs. So that is a good sign.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I would check the bottom of her feet for bumblefoot, it can cause limping. Chickens can and do get sprains, some are more serious than others...I've dealt with them. I recommend that you eliminate high places where they can jump down from, lower your roosts too. Heavy breeds are more susceptable to leg injury from jumping down from high places/roosts. It doesnt sound like it's too serious, eating and drinking is always a good sign. If there's swelling or worse limping, I'd cage her for about 5-7 days for rest and relaxation...giving time for the leg to heal rather than aggravating the injury by walking around. If you do this, provide her with feed and water. You could purchase vitamin B complex tablets at a pharmacy and crush a few tablets into powder and sprinkle it on her feed to eat. It might help speed up healing. After 5 days, release her and see if she's walking normal. If not, recage her another week using the vitamin B complex for a week, then completely stop using it altogether. Let her out again and see if she's walking normal. Sometimes these type injuries take a week to heal, sometimes longer, or never. If you seperate her, be aware that the others will treat her as a new hen and will peck/chase her if she's reintroduced with them, especially if she's still limping.

 

[savingpurple]

If you seperate her, be aware that the others will treat her as a new hen and will peck/chase her if she's reintroduced with them, especially if she's still limping.

This part I know 1st hand. Had mine seperated for 2 weeks, due to the same thing....limping, and it was her right leg. No sig of injury, eats, drinks, lays eggs, and she still limps. Took 2 weeks, well almost 2 weeks just to get her back into the flock. They still pick on her, but it is at least tolerable now. I fear she will never really be 100% accepted back in. She is out with them, but always by herself. They refuse, REFUSE, to allow her on the roost. She cries, and they just lean down and peck her. They growl if she attempts to get up.

Feel bad for her.....have no clue what to do for her. Have asked for help on here, with the meds I was hopeful would work, but no one is familiar with them, so I am doing it solo.

I am going to call a vet that was recommended to me. They told me she is a very down to earth type person, and cares more about the animals then the $$. Will see if we can work something out. Maybe eggs for a month?? LOL Or a payment plan.

Good luck with yours.....I really can feel what you are going through. Keep us posted!​

 

[MVchickens]

I think they can. I had a leghorn with a limp. There were no signs of injury so I just left it at that. After about a week she was back to normal.

 

[dawg53]

The longer they stay away from the others, it is much tougher to reintroduce them. I had a Black Star that never recovered from her injured leg and hobbled around on one leg. She was never accepted by the others and was constantly attacked. I placed her in a smaller pen by herself, provided feed and water for her, and she was as happy as could be hobbling around on one leg. I brought her in at night and put her in her cage in the garage. She always laid an egg in the cage for me each morning. A year later her good leg gave out, probably from too much weight or constant pressure on it. I had to put her down after 2 weeks. I was hoping she would recover and attempt to stand, but she never did. I still miss her, she was a good hen and quickly became one of my favorites.

 

[terrilhb]

Thank you all for your responses. I have checked her no Bumblefoot. So we made her a ramp. If she is not better in the next day or so I will bring her in the house for a time. But let me tell you I had on P _ ssed of Rooster. Always sweet to me not tonight. Tried to attack me in the dark. WOW.

 

[m2wandc]

I have a baby chick that I suspect has sprained a leg...

I have a very active flock of baby chicks...always running around eating, drinking and chasing one another for a tasty treat...but this lone little girl sleeps most of the time, I rarely see her eat or drink, so I take her out of the brooder every now and then and offer food and drink...then put her back in under the lamp and she goes back into the corner to rest more...

The other chicks seem to be very kind to her and snuggle up around her when they all decide to rest.

I don't thing total isolation is a option as we only have one heat lamp...and she cries for her friends...

Do you think a clear separation within the brooder is a good idea? Like a clear plastic box within the main brooder, so they can see one another, but not trample her when they are running around and she is resting.....

Do you think it can still heal if I'm pulling her out often enough to eat and drink without having to fight for it and then letting her rest in the brooder with others is good?

 

[Eggcessive]

I have a baby chick that I suspect has sprained a leg...

I have a very active flock of baby chicks...always running around eating, drinking and chasing one another for a tasty treat...but this lone little girl sleeps most of the time, I rarely see her eat or drink, so I take her out of the brooder every now and then and offer food and drink...then put her back in under the lamp and she goes back into the corner to rest more...

The other chicks seem to be very kind to her and snuggle up around her when they all decide to rest.

I don't thing total isolation is a option as we only have one heat lamp...and she cries for her friends...

Do you think a clear separation within the brooder is a good idea? Like a clear plastic box within the main brooder, so they can see one another, but not trample her when they are running around and she is resting.....

Do you think it can still heal if I'm pulling her out often enough to eat and drink without having to fight for it and then letting her rest in the brooder with others is good?

I would watch her stand and walk to make sure she doesn't have splay leg. If she is weak, she may need some electrolytes. Placing a divider in the brooder to keep her from being trampled is good, but if she doesn't become more active, I don't think she will make it. I would dip her beak into water often, make her some wet food (very small amount) and work with her all day. Sometimes starting your own new thread here will get you more replies: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/threads/add/forumId/10
Here is a link for splay leg treatment: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it.html

 

[RoadkillandBooks]

I too have hen with a limp. She's a RIR and I'm guessing she hurt herself jumping from the roost because it's too high. I'm going to lower it today. Is there anything I can do in the meantime? I have her in a box with some towels. The limp isn't too bad, but it's definitely there and easy to see, and she doesn't really want to put too much pressure on it. I was thinking a warm Epsom salt soak would be beneficial

 

[chitownhens]

Yes I had a hen that seemed to have sprained her foot/leg and couldn't get back into the coop which required an initial 5" jump. She was in the corner huddled up and kind of wimpering. Brought her in the house and in about 4 days she was able to walk normal again.