Dislocated Joint? (Please Help!)

[imomateo]

Hello Backyard Chicken People:

I have a five-month-old Blue Orpington hen named Shi-Yao. She is a lovely bird with a great temperament and is a good layer.

In the last few days, I’ve noticed that she is walking with a bit of a limp. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there seems to be a problem with her left leg. She still walks o.k.—albeit a bit clumsily—and does not appear to be in any obvious distress, but it is clear something is wrong.

Basically, her left leg seems to bend bend inward to the center of her body when she puts weight on it. Her right leg is straight, and she seems to keep most of her weight on her “good leg.” See pictures, below.

Has anyone dealt with similar issues? Could she have somehow dislocated one of the joints in her leg? What are my options?

Matt – Brooklyn

 

[Eggcessive]

Hello Backyard Chicken People:

I have a five-month-old Blue Orpington hen named Shi-Yao. She is a lovely bird with a great temperament and is a good layer.

In the last few days, I’ve noticed that she is walking with a bit of a limp. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there seems to be a problem with her left leg. She still walks o.k.—albeit a bit clumsily—and does not appear to be in any obvious distress, but it is clear something is wrong.

Basically, her left leg seems to bend bend inward to the center of her body when she puts weight on it. Her right leg is straight, and she seems to keep most of her weight on her “good leg.” See pictures, below.

Has anyone dealt with similar issues? Could she have somehow dislocated one of the joints in her leg? What are my options?

Matt – Brooklyn

She possible could have injured the leg or a tendon. There also could be a leg bone deformity that she was born with, and it has worsened. A slipped tendon sometimes can be helped by replacing it in the proper position and wrapping with vet wrap daily to keep it in place. The other problem could be a disease such as viral arthritis where the gastrocnemius tendon can rupture. The link: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry has a section about working on a slipped tendon in chicks, and I believe this can also happen in adults.

 

[Amiga]

I am a duck person, but a web page that has helped in the past is

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Epsom salt compresses are helpful as well, and vet wrap, as long as it's not too tight, may provide support while it heals.

 

[imomateo]

Here is the limp:

 

[imomateo]

Here is the limp:

 

[Eggcessive]

I wonder if it is not a Valgus-Varus deformity of the leg. These are common in meat chickens, but can also occur in layers. I would start your hen on a good poultry vitamin that also contains minerals: http://www.strombergschickens.com/product/vionate-2-pounds/Poultry-Vitamins-Supplements
Here are 2 good links, and be sure to click on each page of the first link for reading and pictures:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790586/
http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/79/7/982.full.pdf
http://www.agbiosecurity.ca/healthy...e/Valgus Varus Leg Deformities in Poultry.pdf