Chicken sprained leg?

[bone_daddy]

It’s been a week since I’ve found one of my chickens unable to put weight on one of her legs. When I did so I immediately brought her in. Since then she had some swelling in the leg and her foot that has all gone away except in her hock joint. I am assuming it is a sprain but would love some input. I’ve checked her for all I can think of. I haven’t felt any breaks in the leg and I’ve felt as high up as I can go. She is still able to move it herself especially when she is trying to keep me from touching it. I don’t believe her tendon has slipped because I’ve tried to feel for it as much as I can and haven’t been able to feel it out of place but it’s possible that’s due to the swelling still in the joint.

The swelling in the joint has also gone down over the week. The past day or two she has began preening again and foraging behaviors in the dog kennel she is in. She is also trying a lot harder to hobble around and though she still can’t exactly stand. Which is a huge change in behavior from the beginning of the week when she wasn’t preening, foraging, or really trying to move a ton. (The only time she was moving was when I was initially trying to grab her to crate her and then she stopped after being crated)

Any thoughts? Is it a good sign she is starting to exhibit these behaviors again and attempt to balance and move around more?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any pictures of the swelling? Was there any green bruising? It sounds like she may have sprained her leg, and it is good that you have limited her activity in the crate. Would it be possible to bring her crate out to the coop and run where she can see others ? It might be hard to get her back in the flock later if she is gone too long. Daily visits would keep them familiar with her. With her limping they may try to hurt her, so I would keep her inside the crate or hold her for visits. It can take several weeks for a sprain to heal. Chicken slings and chairs can be helpful to keep them off the bad leg initially to let it heal, but some chickens simply won’t tolerate them. Here is a link for future use, and posts 5, 11-14, and 31 are very good:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[bone_daddy]

Yes I have a separate crate outside for her to be in during the day so she doesn’t get depressed. This group is very close knit so after the first two days I’ve been taking her out every day and having her sleep inside at night since she can’t keep up with the others. They haven’t treated her any different so far and have been lying next to her kennel outside to be with her.
There was no bruising that I noticed. She had some blisters on the soft tissue parts of her legs at first, in between the toes and at the very top of her legs where her feathers begin, but I am almost 100% certain those are due to any bites since I had a mound pop up the same day she hurt her leg and struggled to move. I believe she got bites because she couldn’t get up very well.

This is what her hock joint looks like as of today. It is still swollen compared to her other leg but is less than it was at the beginning of the week. She has also began to show much more attitude again. First picture is of her uninjured leg for comparison. To keep things from becoming infected I’ve been giving her warm soaks with very diluted iodine so please excuse the slight yellow staining on some of the skin. All of the yellow coloration is are popped or deflated blusters that have been stained. I am also able to stretch her leg and her pull it away

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how she gets along. I think you are doing everything right, and giving her very good care. Permethrin spray from the feed store is safe for chickens around a coop for most insects once it dries in an hour.

 

[bone_daddy]

Thank you. I’m really hoping that the increase in activity, preening, and foraging is a good sign she will be up and walking again. This is the first time I’ve had to deal with anything with my chickens besides pasty butt as babies.

Here is her in a makeshift sling I made to give her a break from lying down.

 

[Eggcessive]

Looks good. They can spend time in the slings with food and water in front of them, and have breaks out of the slings to rest, stretch or sleep.