Chicken knee injury?

[LibertyChick]

Hi,

I was letting a couple chickens out of their run this evening before putting them to bed for the night and I noticed one of my 20 week old chicks, Heddy, limping. sad I don't know what happened or why she is limping. She allowed me to pick her up and I very gently felt her right leg and foot. I didn't feel anything wrong. My husband looked at her while I was holding her and said that her knee (I think that's a knee) seemed to be ever so slightly swollen and was warm to the touch. There did not appear to be any broken bones and she did not pull away when my husband was gently touching her leg.

I am new at this whole thing from the spring and am raising them organically. I gave her some Arnica Montana pellets in water and she drank it...I also have a homeopathic wound recovery that I can give her in the morning. I then put her in the coop ahead of the other chickens. She had jumped up on her roost and was sitting there when I closed the chicken door.

I'm not sure how she would have gotten injured. I have the run on wheels and move it around the yard every day. Sometimes, the chicks don't move and get close to the run walls as I'm moving it and squawk a little, but then just keep moving. The last couple days there was a chicken up on the roost as I was moving it (not sure which chicken it was as I didn't pay attention). Due to the ruts in the yard from them digging, it's pretty bumpy and she fell off. Could she have hurt herself from falling off the roost in the run that is about 15" off the ground? How about the roost in the coop that is about 15" also (with pine shavings of varying depths...because they are always moving the shavings around)?

I'm not sure what I should do at this point. Should I separate her from the others in the morning so that she doesn't hurt herself anymore by having to walk on it? I have a cat carrier at the moment and will try to borrow a large dog kennel on Thursday.

What would you recommend? idunno

Any help would be appreciated. thanks

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[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Whenever i have a sick or injured chicken i immediately bring it in the house, inside a cage with food and water, heat lamp if it's cold weather, just so i can observe. With a leg injury, you want her to rest it, so the isolation inside is a good idea. Sometimes all a chicken needs is a little time to rest and recoup. Provide lots of fresh water, with chicken vitamins, if possible. Mashed hard boiled eggs are good as the body needs protein to heal itself. Once she is inside you can more closely observe what the injury actually is. She could have sprained her leg. You will be able to tell if it's broken, but sounds like it isn't.

Check the bottom of her feet for injury or bumblefoot. That would cause limping. Be a detective, as that is what a vet would do. Watch her closely and you should be able to figure out exactly where the injury or weakness is. Let us know and we can help more. Nice that you are such a caring chicken mom.

 

[LibertyChick]

Thanks Colleen! I will put her in the cat carrier in the morning and will give her more Arnica, Wound Recovery and will also give her 911 Stress Control. Homeopathy is from Kingbio.com