Chicken limping

[gavlar]

Hi all.
Was wondering if some one good help.
Basically one of my 7 week old chicks has started limping .i managed to catch her and check her feet.there are no wounds cuts etc.but the pad of one foot looks swollen .is there anything I can do.
I'd rather leave the vets as last resort ,as every Time I take one of my chickens to the vet.there answer seems to be put them down .

 

[Stiggy]

vets are great like that.... to them its not a pet, just a farm animal, unless of course you have a good vet. if its hot/ warmer than it should be then its an infection. try bathing the area and rubbing some arnica or deep heat in then bandage so the chick cant eat/ peck at it, give it plenty of food and soft bedding. she/ he may have just sprained It or pulled a muscle . I hope this helps

 

[gavlar]

Will give that a go .thanks
Do you think I should keep her in the pen .as mine are free rage to walk around my garden and I'm backed on to some woods and they are often down there scratching about

 

[iwiw60]

It could also be the beginnings of what they call 'bumblefoot'. Is there like a 'dark spot' of sorts in that swollen area? Here's a page that has helped me with the problem. Hopefully it's not bumblefoot, but if it is this should help:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/07/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning.html

 

[gavlar]

Thanks.
Nope.
No marks ,no discolouring or anything.
Just a bit swollen .not solid.like fluid .
Thank you

 

[seminolewind]

Has her condition changed since you started this thread?

 

[gavlar]

Nope.shes still the same .

 

[gavlar]

Bad news.
Cam back today.she has gone.fox has got her and my favourite chicken.found the other chick dead.must of escaped and died .so now only two left.have fox trap set now though

 

[Stiggy]

Oh no that's awful

I hope you catch it. Is your coop/run not 100% fenced ?

 

[iwiw60]

Bad news.
Cam back today.she has gone.fox has got her and my favourite chicken.found the other chick dead.must of escaped and died .so now only two left.have fox trap set now though

So very sorry to hear this! If your place backs up to the woods and you have predators (such as fox, raccoon, coyotes, and worst of all hawks)....you need to make sure that their pen and coop are predator-proofed. Where I live we have all the predators. I'm building my coop and run like Fort Knox, using 1/2" hardware cloth, buried in the ground all the way around. And sadly, I will NOT be allowing my ladies to free-range...just too risky here. Wishing you all the best.