Help chicken walking weird. Today I noticed she seems like her knee is going out in a weird way. Does anyone know what this is called so I can look it

[Presnell5]

 

[nuthatched]

She looks bow legged or something, I've never seen that before.

 

[azygous]

Rickets.

Rickets is prevented by feeding a nutritionally balanced feed with adequate calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D3.

Treatment requires changing the feed, supplementing the diet with free-choice limestone or oyster shell, and providing three times the recommended vitamin D3 requirement for two weeks.

 

[Presnell5]

Rickets.

Rickets is prevented by feeding a nutritionally balanced feed with adequate calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D3.

Treatment requires changing the feed, supplementing the diet with free-choice limestone or oyster shell, and providing three times the recommended vitamin D3 requirement for two weeks.

I’m feeding nutrena grower/starter. I feel like that’s a pretty good feed.... I think she may have been injured somehow, maybe by landing funny. I’m really not sure what to do for her

 

[azygous]

Ya know, vitamins can't hurt, and wouldn't it be simply splendid if they actually cured her? Got a better idea?

 

[Presnell5]

Yes so Ive started to give nutra-drench in her water and oyster shell... I really don’t think it could be the food unless it’s a bad batch...? I got her as a coop ready chicken and she was absolutely fine. Very active and beautiful and one day I went out and she was all bowed out and having trouble walking. She is able to jump up to roost (I lowered them all in case it was from a fall) I don’t want to separate her but will if I have to. I do wet there food and let it sit overnight usually... could there be a nutrient deficiency because of that?

 

[azygous]

Ascites (water belly) can cause a fat abdomen that can push the legs apart, causing the hen to waddle when walking. The cause of ascites is liver disease, and there's no treatment.

To determine if ascites is the cause of the spread legs, view the hen from behind. Is her belly so swollen it is hanging down much lower than the other chickens? It would feel like a water balloon.

 

[Presnell5]

No her belly is definitely not swollen. She looks really good except her legs have always (since I’ve had her for a month) looked a smidge wider set to me. But I’ve never had this breed and simply thought that was how she looked. And since she has always acted normal....? When she walks it definitely looks like the knee joint is pushing out and her legs are trembling... either from pain or weakness? If I treat for rickets and it’s a dislocated knee or something do you think it would still help?

 

[Banana01]

No her belly is definitely not swollen. She looks really good except her legs have always (since I’ve had her for a month) looked a smidge wider set to me. But I’ve never had this breed and simply thought that was how she looked. And since she has always acted normal....? When she walks it definitely looks like the knee joint is pushing out and her legs are trembling... either from pain or weakness? If I treat for rickets and it’s a dislocated knee or something do you think it would still help?

My first rescue chicken had this condition. It never really went away, and you are feeding way better food than mine was getting.

A calcium supplement and vitamin supplement is your best try to treat it. Maybe put a powdered calcium pill in her food one day a week and see if it improves.

 

[azygous]

Here's more info on rickets in poultry. If this hen is still under a year, she may be treatable. Over a year, maybe not. https://en.engormix.com/poultry-industry/articles/rickets-metabolic-bone-disease-t40357.htm