Chicken has a Injured Leg! Help

Mar 13, 2018
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My roo Brownie got attacked by a fox a week ago and cannot stand on it or even keep his balance. I brought him inside and made a chicken sling for him, and his neck was also hurt. BUT, it is better now, and he is able to keep it up. Just not high enough to crow like a real roo. It is more like a gurgle. He tries so hard to stand up to crow challenge! I am concerned that it may be broken. Should i start PT? He can move it, just not put any weight on it. What should i do?
 
Greetings Kailey the Animal Lover,

If the rooster had a break on the lower leg you would be able to feel it. However, detecting a break within the fleshy part of the leg, where the femur, fibula and tibia are located, is almost impossible. It would be best to have an x-ray done at a vets office. Then, you'll know for sure if it is broken.

If you cannot go to a vet for whatever reason, then, you have no choice but to let it heal on it's own. If the rooster can lift his leg, and the leg does not flop around, it may not be broken, and you don't need to stabilize it. However, it can have a hairline fracture, or sprained muscle, or even a damaged nerve in that leg. Then, it may be beneficial for him to sit in a chicken sling for part of the day. But, you will have to change his position to keep blood flow moving. He will let you know when he wants out of the sling. He most likely has a lot of inflammation in the leg and that is why he cannot stand on it now. These things require time to heal.

After a predator attack, there is a lot of trauma for the rooster to heal from. Psychological and physical trauma can cause a rooster to lose control of his legs. If your rooster is crowing, the psychological trauma is already healing. Anemia is another cause of weakness, it can develop after a predator attack. The shock from the attack can disrupt the body's internal functions, including red blood cell production. Of course, internal damage from being crushed in the predators jaws is another cause.

So, at this point I would administer a good blood builder like Pet-Tinic. It is sold at pet stores or online for dogs and cats, but works well on chickens. Just giving .5 mL orally, once a day for 5 days will help the rooster by stimulating appetite and giving him strength. You can also soak his legs in a warm bath with Epsom Salt, to improve circulation.

The rooster will definitely need physical therapy, but at the right time. When he can put light pressure on the leg, then you can start gentle physical therapy, for his stiff muscles. As long as he is eating, drinking, pooping and crowing, he will recover. But, it can take up 8 weeks for a good recovery, if, there are no deep wounds.

When my rooster was attacked by a coyote, he lost his legs for a few days, even though they weren't injured. All his wounds were on his back and around the vent. He was in such fear, he did not want to go outside. But, with time, good food, blood builder, and some TLC, he made a full recovery.

These are my thoughts on your rooster's injury. I am not a vet, just a keeper like you. My knowledge is based on research, experience, and learning from my wonderful vet.

Please consider advice from other members, as, there are many great healers, here on BYC.

God Bless you and your rooster. :)
 
Thank you!! I think his toe might be dislocated, because when i was moving his leg around, whenever i moved his toe, it popped. it is on his "injured" leg. Could this be the reason??
 

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