Chicken won’t walk after laying her first egg

[Mary SL]

Are you sure she laid an egg? Was it a hard shelled egg?
I would get her hydrated, but also offer her some Calcium. 1 TUMS or 1 Caltrate Tablet.

I do have to wonder if she's trying to expel another egg and it's pressing on a nerve.

Yes, definitely a hard shelled egg: small and light brown, still warm. I checked her vent yesterday to see if there was another egg in there and went in about 2” but there was nothing there. Thank you for the suggestion on the calcium; I will get her some today. She is not a fan of oyster shells but will gobble up egg shells when I toss them outside

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you for asking! Still panting but not as much but still won’t stand on leg. I am thinking some kind of injury but I cannot identify anything wrong. She is eating, drinking and pooping like normal and still chatty. Tail feathers are up and she looks alert.

I am going to keep her inside with the a/c again today and let her take it easy in our chicken spa. Wish we had an avian vet in our area-I am not a confident diagnostician and I worry it is something more serious than heat stroke

Oh I was hoping for full recovery, poor girl. Panting can definitely be a sign of infection, however sick birds generally don't eat or look perky so if her appetite is not compromised infection is less likely. Glad she was clear of eggs however.

This is starting to sound more and more like an injury. Definitely keep her from trying to use her leg, keep her caged or in a small space with food and water very handy so she doesn't have to go far, letting the injury heal. However I wouldn't keep her away from the flock too awful long as reintegration could be difficult with lots of aggression. When I have sick birds, I try to take them out to the flock for a couple of hours so they see the bird and don't forget. If you have a wire dog crate or a place you can keep her separate but in their sight, this will satisfy her need for the flock and for the flock to remember her as well.

You might also give her a half baby aspirin this morning, the other half this evening

 

[Mary SL]

Oh I was hoping for full recovery, poor girl. Panting can definitely be a sign of infection, however sick birds generally don't eat or look perky so if her appetite is not compromised infection is less likely. Glad she was clear of eggs however.

This is starting to sound more and more like an injury. Definitely keep her from trying to use her leg, keep her caged or in a small space with food and water very handy so she doesn't have to go far, letting the injury heal. However I wouldn't keep her away from the flock too awful long as reintegration could be difficult with lots of aggression. When I have sick birds, I try to take them out to the flock for a couple of hours so they see the bird and don't forget. If you have a wire dog crate or a place you can keep her separate but in their sight, this will satisfy her need for the flock and for the flock to remember her as well.

You might also give her a half baby aspirin this morning, the other half this evening

We do have a large, wire dog crate I can put her in so I will do that. I don't want her getting pecked and injuring herself worse trying to get away. We will do outside time today. Thank you for all your suggestions!! Will update as she (hopefully) improves

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh and if this is a sprain of some sort, sprains can take a couple few weeks or more to heal depending on the severity and her not using the leg much. So if you begin to see improvement in a few days this is most likely what's going on.

 

[Lizzy733]

It does sound likely to be an injury - try to keep her settled as much as possible - she'll likely stress the other leg with keeping all her weight on that one, so best for her to just remain calm and comfy.

You should be able to get away with 3 or more days away from the flock without issue, but do take her out in favorable weather for a bit of monitored socializing and keep an eye out for bruising in the upcoming days around the leg and hip to see if you can ID where she's been injured.

Oh, is she a large breed? I have had issues with younger large breed birds having joint trouble - it was heavily influenced by bad genetics in mine, but they tend to do a bit better when offered additional protein to help support their growth.

 

[Mary SL]

It does sound likely to be an injury - try to keep her settled as much as possible - she'll likely stress the other leg with keeping all her weight on that one, so best for her to just remain calm and comfy.

You should be able to get away with 3 or more days away from the flock without issue, but do take her out in favorable weather for a bit of monitored socializing and keep an eye out for bruising in the upcoming days around the leg and hip to see if you can ID where she's been injured.

Oh, is she a large breed? I have had issues with younger large breed birds having joint trouble - it was heavily influenced by bad genetics in mine, but they tend to do a bit better when offered additional protein to help support their growth.

She is a sapphire gem about 13 weeks old. Found her this afternoon about ten ft from her inside bed with another egg behind her so she is not bound. Leg feels a little warm. Brought her outside to see her friends and they all came up to say hi. She has moved about seven ft total. Will give her a warm epsom salt soak tonight and bring her in at night and keep my fingers crossed that she heals well and I can see improvement in the next few days. Thank you for your insight!

 

[Lizzy733]

She is a sapphire gem about 13 weeks old. Found her this afternoon about ten ft from her inside bed with another egg behind her so she is not bound. Leg feels a little warm. Brought her outside to see her friends and they all came up to say hi. She has moved about seven ft total. Will give her a warm epsom salt soak tonight and bring her in at night and keep my fingers crossed that she heals well and I can see improvement in the next few days. Thank you for your insight!

Little warm may be nothing to worry about - they do run hotter than humans so will feel warmer than us in general, but if it is noticeably warmer than other areas, that may be the injury.
Epsom soaks are great and the birds love them! Just be ready with a blow-dryer when it's over. It can take ages to properly dry all that down.

 

[TwoCrows]

How is she doing this morning? How is her panting, is she trying to use the leg more?

 

[Mary SL]

How is she doing this morning? How is her panting, is she trying to use the leg more?

Thank you for asking! She is standing occasionally for short periods and using her wings for balance. Appetite still great. She goes out for short periods to visit with her friends but appears more submissive by lowering her head when they come around and acting like she is afraid of them. I stay nearby just in case.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you for asking! She is standing occasionally for short periods and using her wings for balance. Appetite still great. She goes out for short periods to visit with her friends but appears more submissive by lowering her head when they come around and acting like she is afraid of them. I stay nearby just in case.

Glad to hear she is improving! Definitely keep taking her out to be with the flock. If she isn't panting anymore you might rehabilitate her out in the coop with the flock, keeping her in a big cage much of the time, other times she can mingle. This way they will continue to see her and hopefully mixing her back in will be easy.