Chicken Limping

[teira]

Hello, my 5 month old Buff Rock pullet started limping for awhile and while doing research my first thought and fear was Marek's disease, however her only symptom is limping and since she is a heavier bird, and our perch is quite high up, I'm thinking she jumped down and sprained her leg. I also checked for sores on her feet and nothing. She can bend her toes and everything still. She still walks around, eats, pecks for bugs, and is very lively so I wanted to know what I could do to help her? I heard aspirin could help her, should I bring her indoors and let her rest her leg? Anyone else had a chicken acting the same? Diagnosis? Thanks in advance!

 

[snow5164]

Yes I had a rir limping around the other day. I watched her foot to make sure she was stepping on it and it wasn’t curling under. I really think she just twisted because 2 days later she’s better,

 

[dawg53]

Hello, my 5 month old Buff Rock pullet started limping for awhile and while doing research my first thought and fear was Marek's disease, however her only symptom is limping and since she is a heavier bird, and our perch is quite high up, I'm thinking she jumped down and sprained her leg. I also checked for sores on her feet and nothing. She can bend her toes and everything still. She still walks around, eats, pecks for bugs, and is very lively so I wanted to know what I could do to help her? I heard aspirin could help her, should I bring her indoors and let her rest her leg? Anyone else had a chicken acting the same? Diagnosis? Thanks in advance!

I think your assessment is spot on.
I recommend lowering roosts and other places that are elevated. Put her in a cage or crate to limit movement and provide her food and water. Dont give her aspirin, you want her to feel pain. Aspirin masks pain, you dont want her up walking around which would cause further injury without her feeling pain. She needs rest and relaxation, and with these types of injuries it takes TIME to heal.
You can purchase vitamin B complex tablets at a pharmacy. Then crush a few tablets into powder and sprinkle it on her food to eat. Vitamin B complex may or may not help speed up healing depending on the severity of the injury.
Keep her caged for 5 days, then remove her from the cage and see if there's improvement.
If not, recage her and provide her the vitamin B complex for 7 more days. Then remove her from the cage and see if there's any improvement. If not, recage her and stop the vitamin B complex.
Like I mentioned, these types of injuries take time to heal. I've had birds hens heal in 10 days, sometimes a month up to 6 months. I've had better success with hens than roosters.
If she doesnt heal, there may come a time where you'll have to assess her quality of life and may have to cull her. Hopefully she'll recover nicely as mine have.

 

[teira]

I think your assessment is spot on.
I recommend lowering roosts and other places that are elevated. Put her in a cage or crate to limit movement and provide her food and water. Dont give her aspirin, you want her to feel pain. Aspirin masks pain, you dont want her up walking around which would cause further injury without her feeling pain. She needs rest and relaxation, and with these types of injuries it takes TIME to heal.
You can purchase vitamin B complex tablets at a pharmacy. Then crush a few tablets into powder and sprinkle it on her food to eat. Vitamin B complex may or may not help speed up healing depending on the severity of the injury.
Keep her caged for 5 days, then remove her from the cage and see if there's improvement.
If not, recage her and provide her the vitamin B complex for 7 more days. Then remove her from the cage and see if there's any improvement. If not, recage her and stop the vitamin B complex.
Like I mentioned, these types of injuries take time to heal. I've had birds hens heal in 10 days, sometimes a month up to 6 months. I've had better success with hens than roosters.
If she doesnt heal, there may come a time where you'll have to assess her quality of life and may have to cull her. Hopefully she'll recover nicely as mine have.

Thank you! I'll do just that

 

[fatmomolive]

I think your assessment is spot on.
I recommend lowering roosts and other places that are elevated. Put her in a cage or crate to limit movement and provide her food and water. Dont give her aspirin, you want her to feel pain. Aspirin masks pain, you dont want her up walking around which would cause further injury without her feeling pain. She needs rest and relaxation, and with these types of injuries it takes TIME to heal.
You can purchase vitamin B complex tablets at a pharmacy. Then crush a few tablets into powder and sprinkle it on her food to eat. Vitamin B complex may or may not help speed up healing depending on the severity of the injury.
Keep her caged for 5 days, then remove her from the cage and see if there's improvement.
If not, recage her and provide her the vitamin B complex for 7 more days. Then remove her from the cage and see if there's any improvement. If not, recage her and stop the vitamin B complex.
Like I mentioned, these types of injuries take time to heal. I've had birds hens heal in 10 days, sometimes a month up to 6 months. I've had better success with hens than roosters.
If she doesnt heal, there may come a time where you'll have to assess her quality of life and may have to cull her. Hopefully she'll recover nicely as mine have.

I have a rooster who is doing similar limping- the flock was vaccinated against mereck disease when I got them. They have taken to roosting in the rafters of our coop (shed like building) and the Roo will jump down from the top (even since limping) the foot is reddens but there is no black spot- I will start on epsom soaks tomorrow to see if one comes to the surface. I am very sad the Roo is a good boy and the leader of the pack- he does not take it easy though at any time...

 

[dawg53]

I have a rooster who is doing similar limping- the flock was vaccinated against mereck disease when I got them. They have taken to roosting in the rafters of our coop (shed like building) and the Roo will jump down from the top (even since limping) the foot is reddens but there is no black spot- I will start on epsom soaks tomorrow to see if one comes to the surface. I am very sad the Roo is a good boy and the leader of the pack- he does not take it easy though at any time...

That's the bad thing about roosters when it comes leg injuries. They are instinctively more concerned about their hens than themselves and dont want to be caged. It just makes the injury worse or takes longer to heal. The end result isnt good.
Too bad you cant somehow prevent him from roosting in the rafters.