Dislocated joint?

ShinShien

Crowing
6 Years
Oct 1, 2013
7,668
67
256
Alabama
I have a brahma/marans X who doesn't seem to be able to walk. At first, I thought she was dust bathing, but when I approached, she didn't move, stand, run away...nothing. Her right leg is sticking out at an angle I don't think it should be able to, and it's...loose, floppy for lack of a better description.

She's isolated and has food and water within reach. Can joints be reset in a chicken, or is this a moment of she'll live or die, let nature decide?

Euthanize her?
 
Can you post some photos of her?
How old is she?
Is she eating/drinking on her own?
What does her poop look like?

It's hard to know, do you suspect injury - anything you can think of that she may have done - fell from a roost, got caught in fencing, etc.?

Chickens can have dislocations from injury - look at the skin on her thigh and legs for any telltale bruising (green/discolored skin).

Leg issues can arise from genetic/developmental disorders, vitamin/nutrition deficiencies and diseases like Marek's as well.

Do you best to keep her hydrated, offer B vitamins to her - crush a human B-Complex vitamin and add it to her feed.

Keep us posted.
 
She's over 2 years old and has been healthy until now. I suspect her leg got caught in the fence and wrenched while she was fleeing a bullying australorp hen. She can stand and hobble short distances, uses her left wing for balance, but mostly spends her time laying down. So far, she still eats, drinks, poops and seems to be alert. She stopped laying, of course. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.
 
She laid an egg at some point. Found it sitting beside her this morning.

Currently, we're waiting for the vet to see her, but he didn't promise anything.
 
A lot depends on the location of the injury. Sometimes tendons will be sprained causing swelling, and the tissue will can push the leg out of alignment. I would see if it could be xrayed if possible. Sprains or broken bones can mend in several weeks with rest, or sometimes splinting by an experienced person. If injuries are higher up in the leg or hip, though, there is less of a chance of recovery, at least from what I have heard of other's experience.
 
According to vet, her leg is fractured above the joint. He said keep her immobilized for three weeks then bring her back.

She has food and water close by. Her eyes are bright, and she's vocal ( at times).
 

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Chickens with a good clean fracture (no splinters, not exposed) do heal quickly with proper care. However, another concern is a slipped tendon in the elbow area. Often the trauma that caused the fracture will cause tendon to become misplaced and results in permanent lameness. Chickens can adapt to this and learn to peg-leg their way around. Good luck!
 

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