Five-month old Australorp suddenly lame. Update: Now another pullet going lame!

[TwoCrows]

Go May, GO!

 

[azygous]

The strength is coming back in her legs. Now it's obvious the nerves are reconnecting. Before, her leg would dangle like a loose thread, and now she's got a leg that works all the way to her foot. She only lacks endurance and balance.

And self confidence. Mustn't overlook that.

 

[aart]

I took May out of her roller chair

Has she ever 'pushed' the roller chair?

 

[azygous]

Not yet. But her right foot used to just hang limply, and now it's planted firmly on the ground. I imagine she's only just now regaining sensation in that foot. I don't know if she'll ever "push" the chair with her feet since she is able to escape it easily when she's tired of being in it.

 

[azygous]

I've kept the camera in the run for two days, snapping pics each time May tries to stand. I got three pics that really show off her progress.

 

[azygous]

 

[azygous]

That's May on the right.

 

[ValerieJ]

May is beautiful! So happy to see her getting up and moving!!! They are all beautiful hens!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Hi @azygous i have a question about your post earlier today, when u mentioned the difference between Jules & May. You said Jules would screech and cry when u handled her, & that she was "in a tremendous amount of pain." I think all of us following this thread understand that even as we cheer you and May on, the cause of her (& Jules) ailment is still a complete mystery. (Added to that, why did June begin to go lame and then suddenly reverse course and recover?) So your comment today did make me think "hmmm." Because while i dont have the extensive chicken wisdom you do, i do have a LOT of hens. (Approx. 300, give or take 40-50, for the past several years, lesser numbers before that.) I also have many different breeds. I spend a lot of time with them, & handle them as needed. While i treat them all with equal gentleness and kindness from the day they are born, they have huge ranges of temperments. Many follow me around like adoring puppies, others mostly go about their independent busy chicken lives, and some, well, that brings me to my question re the reactions of Jules and May. Because whenever i need to handle my feathered girls, as soon as i put my hands on Some of them, those hens will let out non-stop bloodcurling screams that i am certain the REAL predators clearly hear from miles away. And they dont stop unless i press their heads/beaks into my body to silence them. They will not be calmed, and they are clearly terrified my handling them is their demise. If i didnt know better, i would think my touching them caused those hens agonizing physical pain. Do you think its POssible Jules and May reacted differently when you handled them due to differences in their temperments? If you feel sure Jules was in pain i accept that fully, no need for further description or discussion. But as i said, the issue did make me stop and ponder. What IS for certain is 1) This is still an australorp mystery, & 2) You and May have many supporters hoping for a full recovery. Does May know shes famous? If not, You should tell her!

 

[azygous]

Boy, do you ever have a good point! Jules may have just been fiercely uncooperative and vocalized her rage. Yes, it's possible. However, she was three months old when she suddenly became paralyzed. From the time all four were a day old, I had been handling them regularly, and all were very, very calm and receptive to being cuddled and held. I recall being totally amazed at how super docile Australorps are, and wishing I had gotten this breed much sooner.

Jules wasn't reacting in such rage/agony at first. I remember laying her on my lap and she was calm while I manipulated her lame leg, stretching it and massaging it. No objections at all. Then as things progressed and she got worse, then she began screaming when I handled her. I'll have to go back and refresh my memory by reading the thread I made on her. See what you think. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...with-sprained-leg-not-getting-better.1422485/