Free ranging a bird with a possible sprained leg?

[PaisyQ]

One of my hens is limping. I have two small groups of chickens outside right now, one containing my two older hens, the other a young rooster and the two pullets he hatched with. They are seperate for now, though I hope to one day combine them. Yesterday, the rooster got out of his pen, and ended up on the side of the yard my older two girls free range on. When he noticed them, he went after them. I don't know if he was trying to attack them, or dominate them, or what, but there was a lot of trouble. After I managed to get him back into his pen, I realized that one of the hens is now limping. I've looked over her leg, and I can see no sign of injury of any kind. I don't think it is broken. She was walking fine before the chase/attack, so I'm pretty sure it was injured during the scuffle. I'm hoping it is just sprained

I was considering bringing her inside, and keeping her in the dog crate for a few days, but that would leave my other hen alone. I wasn't sure that was a good idea. So I thought I'd leave them both locked in their run for a few days, and see if that was enough of a rest for her. But they both know they get to come out when I get home, and they are both running back and forth right now, making a racket, wanting out. Would it be better just to let them both out for a couple hours maybe? Or should I go ahead and bring 'limpy' inside? Any suggestions.

She doesn't seem to be in pain, though she has an obvious limp, and does seem to want to favor the leg when standing still. She is eating and drinking, and going after treats as she normally does.

 

[dawg53]

Here's a link for you regarding a leg problem for a rooster. The same treatment applies to hens. Please read post #4 in this link:
Make sure your hen has feed and water while caged.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/865271/my-rooster-is-injured

 

[PaisyQ]

Here's a link for you regarding a leg problem for a rooster. The same treatment applies to hens. Please read post #4 in this link:
Make sure your hen has feed and water while caged.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/865271/my-rooster-is-injured

So, I'll have to seperate the two girls then? I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that. Thank you for the reply. I'll go see about getting the dog crate ready.

 

[PaisyQ]

I just realized my largest cat carrier is large enough to hold her and a food and water bowl, but small enough to fit in the run. So I'm keeping her in that, inside the run, with the other girl. Hopefully that'll keep them both from getting lonely, or deciding they don't like eachother anymore once I can free her up again. I'll still have to bring her into the house at night.

She does not like the cat carrier right now, and is doing a lot of pacing in the room she has. If she doesn't settle down, what should I do? Leave her in, or let her out?

 

[dawg53]

I just realized my largest cat carrier is large enough to hold her and a food and water bowl, but small enough to fit in the run. So I'm keeping her in that, inside the run, with the other girl. Hopefully that'll keep them both from getting lonely, or deciding they don't like eachother anymore once I can free her up again. I'll still have to bring her into the house at night.

She does not like the cat carrier right now, and is doing a lot of pacing in the room she has. If she doesn't settle down, what should I do? Leave her in, or let her out?

Give her some scrambled egg mixed with buttermilk (not yogurt) for a couple of days (add the vitamin B complex to it if you wish) eating that mixture should distract her and it'll help build her immune system and strengthen her.
The idea is to keep her from further injuring her bum leg, limiting her movement is best.

 

[PaisyQ]

 Give her some scrambled egg mixed with buttermilk (not yogurt) for a couple of days (add the vitamin B complex to it if you wish) eating that mixture should distract her and it'll help build her immune system and strengthen her.
The idea is to keep her from further injuring her bum leg, limiting her movement is best.

Thanks again for the reply. She really liked mixture of scrambled eggs. She's settled down quite nicely now, so. Now I have to ask, is that normal? She's normally a very inquisitive, attentive bird. Now she just seems sad. She is still eating and drinking though. I'm busy worrying about everything here, right now.

Also, I'm curious why you don't use yogurt? I give the girls a treat of it a couple times a week, and they really like it. Is it not good for them? I was told it was.

 

[dawg53]

Thanks again for the reply. She really liked mixture of scrambled eggs. She's settled down quite nicely now, so. Now I have to ask, is that normal? She's normally a very inquisitive, attentive bird. Now she just seems sad. She is still eating and drinking though. I'm busy worrying about everything here, right now.

Also, I'm curious why you don't use yogurt? I give the girls a treat of it a couple times a week, and they really like it. Is it not good for them? I was told it was.
Yogurt has a tendency to quickly pass through their digestive tract whereas buttermilk is easily absorbed and coats the intestinal lining. It will slow the effects of cocci infection.

 

[PaisyQ]

Just an update, and another question.

She has been in the cat carrier now for a few days. When the weather is nice, the carrier is in the run with her friend, when not nice, and at night, it is in the house. Things seem to be going well. She is no longer favoring the bad leg, but still has a slight limp, as far as I can tell. We have til wednesday before we do a check.

She won't lay her egg in the cat carrier. I hope this isn't a problem, but the last two days I've gotten her out, and set her in the coop and let her walk into the nest box to take care of that duty. I wasn't going to yesterday, but she's like clockwork for her egg laying schedule. She was 4 hours past time for egg laying, and getting very agitated, so I let her into the nest box to deal with that. It was the quickest I've ever seen one of my hens lay. They normally make such a production about it. I think today will be a skip day for her. Not sure how this may have effected her cycle, but she's not acting like she needs to lay, and it is getting pretty late here.

She has a diarrhea today. Not too bad, but I don't want it to get bad either. Not sure why; could the vitamins be doing this? She's getting a crushed B-50 complex in her food, and for about a day she was also getting a vitamin-electrolite mix in her water. We stopped the mix yesterday, since it didn't seem she was drinking it well. I've also been giving her Aspirin, 1 crushed low dose mixed into a quart of water. She has been eating and drinking well, actually, I can't keep her with enough food and water. Filling both multiple times a day, but they are small bowls. Oh, and the scrambled egg-buttermilk mixture, though we skipped that yesterday. Any of that sound like it could give her diarrhea?

 

[dawg53]

Dont give her aspirin. Aspirin will mask the pain when the injury hasnt healed. You want her to feel pain so she wont walk, letting the injury properly heal.
Go ahead and stop the buttermilk and eggs mixture and give her regular feed and water. Dont give her extra vitamins, electrolytes, etc...only give her the vitamin B complex in her feed.

 

[PaisyQ]

Dont give her aspirin. Aspirin will mask the pain when the injury hasnt healed. You want her to feel pain so she wont walk, letting the injury properly heal.
Go ahead and stop the buttermilk and eggs mixture and give her regular feed and water. Dont give her extra vitamins, electrolytes, etc...only give her the vitamin B complex in her feed.

I took her off the aspirin last night. She does not seem well at all this morning. She ate and drank all her food and water again overnight. She was panting, or gasping when I went to check this morning. The room I had her in does get warmer than the rest of the house, the temperature was reading 73 this morning in there. I'm hoping that is the issue, and she'll be looking better when I get home later today. I've moved her carrier to a cooler room for the rest of the day. She still has diarrhea.