Can a chicken with a lame leg still lay eggs

[Growediblelandscape]

My 17 week chicken broke her leg a month ago. I took her to the vet and they placed her in a cast. The break is now healed, but she still has trouble using the leg (kind of hops and drags it behind her). I have been doing some range of motion movements twice a day as the vet recommended too! Will she still be able to lay eggs? She can’t get the formerly broken leg underneath her and lays with it straight out behind her. Help!

 

[TundraFang]

I think she'll still be able to lay but I'm not an expert

 

[All4Eggz]

She most likely will be able to lay, just not right after her injury. After she gets over the shock ( a couple of weeks), she should be getting back to laying - although it will be more painful for her.
I don't think she will stop laying completely, but she might slow down a bit.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

How long has she been out of the cast? I know it's not quite the same as people but my daughter broke her leg earlier this year and after the cast came off the Dr told us it's normal for her to not walk on it for up to 3 weeks because even though the bone is healed enough to bear weight, it still takes several months for it to fully heal so it could still be tender. Also after it's casted, it's stiff which is also tender to move plus the muscle is weak from not being used all that time. I'm sure it's similar with chickens (and animals) but different time frames for healing so if she's just come out of the cast I think this is fairly normal until she gets the strength and full range of motion back in that leg plus if she has any pain. If it's been a few weeks, my next thought would be nerve damage, in general that takes much longer to heal but still may never get back full function. Is she dragging it or trying to walk on it at all? She shouldn't have any issues laying eggs, though she'll have to learn to squat with 1 leg and may need the lame leg splinted to her if she's having trouble laying with it out behind her but if there was no internal damage from when she broke the leg there's no reason why she wouldn't lay eggs, just have to wait and see how she does and offer assistance if the leg is making it harder on her.

 

[Su Zee]

My chook broke her femur. Vets wanted to put her down. I didn't do it. I confined and nurtured her. 2 months later she laid an egg. We get one every second day. I'm slowly introducing her back to flock. She lift's her leg a lot and hobbles but she still enjoys food, digging for worms, lying in the sun etc. you can't always listen to your vet and my gut feelings prevailed