Chicken with black spots on knee

[TOTEMs]

Above are pics from our buff who can't walk on one leg.

She has two black spots on one side with yellow discoloration around the spot, The foot and leg a slightly swollen and it seems like she has a fever.

She has quit eating (mostly) but will drink water.

The pic about is after a cleaning and that is salt on the womb.

It has a foul smell.

Help.

 

[FarmTillURdead]

I have had a similar problem with a chicken - but it was on her keel - and MUCH worse. I'm almost certain it is a bacteria infection. ...and I have no idea what caused it on my bird. No other chickens contracted it. The smell was terrible!
I think you should get some medication in it's water. If you can't get any at least do a strong green tea or apple cider vinegar to raise the PH of her body to help fight it.
Good job with the salt! It does have a drying action. I found that using iodine helped my bird. I bought a bottle of the 7% or maybe 9%? can't remember but I took off the top and put a spray nozzle on it for easy application - kept me from getting stained up. I applied it once a day in a good soaking.
I would also consider a medicated feed when she starts eating again for 10 days. I used medicated "chick" feed. It still took 2 weeks but she did eventually heal up.
I would keep her seperated from your other chickens. Just in case it is contagious if other birds pick at it.
Hope that helps!

 

[FarmTillURdead]

...and I may be paranoid... but wash up REALLY good after touching your bird. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) IS contagious! ...and since you can't be too sure - it's better to be safe!!

 

[TOTEMs]

Thanks for the reply, that was really helpful. We will keep you posted on her recovery.

Yes we are using gloves as well, thanks for that.

 

[klmclain1]

@FarmTilURdead - would it help to soak daily in warm epsom salts as well for a few days???

 

[FarmTillURdead]

Like I said I'm no expert or a vet! so please disreguard my suggestion if it doesn't make sense to you or seems goofy. I would know a little more if I could poke on it!

If it is soft and mushy around the black part and the swelling is mushy I wouldn't soak it. I think I would want that to dry up and scab over to heal.

I wouldn't use heat on it either - it would cause even more swelling and pressure and could damage tissue. (I pulled a leg muscle once and couldn't walk at all and the doc said to never use heat without ice instantly following for that reason.)
If you wanted to go all out you could use a hot heating pad for 20 min and then an ice pack for 20 min. This gets circulation in and then ice moves fluids back out. But - I don't know how involved you are with your chicken. (I'm not that close with mine and the fight wouldn't be worth it.) It is important not to stress your chicken - it takes a lot out of them!

When the swelling goes down you could soak it to help heal it but not so long it losens the scab.

I have read you can make an epsom salt compress by saturating some water with epsoms salt until the salt stops disolving in the bottom of the jar and then putting gauze in the water and then wrapping the injury. - but since I would want to keep this dry - I would soak the gauze and cook it in the oven on a very clean cookie sheet wiped down with alcohol all laid out and unwrapped at 250 until the guaze drys out and then wrap the leg in it. It would pull the weep out of the leg (if it's oozy) - but I wouldn't leave it on longer than a day or two so you don't salt burn the leg.
Just some ideas.

I hope it's getting better today!

 

[FarmTillURdead]

Any news on how your chicky is doing? I have been wondering! Praying all is well!