HELP!!! Hen ill

[A Chicken Owner]

I have a 14 month old leghorn hen who looks ill. She looks unbalanced when she is walking and looks weak too. She is eating and drinking a little less than usual. Her feces look healthy. Please Help!!!

 

[A Chicken Owner]

I just noticed that she is limping. She is trying to avoid using her left leg. Could it be broken? Please Help!!!

 

[hrhta812]

Maybe it's just a tendon pull and not a break. If you can pick her up with one hand around her side and supporting her underneath, supporting her against your hip & leaving her legs hanging down, you should be able to get a good look. Just last night, my older roo got his legs caught in some chicken wire when he jumped up to heckle another roo who is in a raised coop, and he was hanging by his legs flapping & sqwaking. He's pulled something but not broken.

When I examined him, I held him the way I described and I could see the one leg was more limp, but he did curl his toes when I pressed my fingertip on the underside of the center of his foot. He is up and hopping about on one leg today, and seems to have a good chance to recover. He's old, though, so I am a bit worried. Tomorrow, I will examine him again and see if I can do some very gentle exercise on the leg for him, like making him curl his toes, and also pressing upward with his foot placed in my palm, to make him flex the leg a little.

I would suggest doing an Epsom salt soak on your bird and that may help as well. A little spa treatment is always nice for them and seems to perk them up, no matter what is wrong.

http://hencam.com/faq/the-spa-treatment/

 

[A Chicken Owner]

I examined her leg just and hour ago and nothing is broken or misshapen so its probably a tendon pull

 

[hrhta812]

That's great news! How is she doing today?

 

[A Chicken Owner]

Same. She is eating normally but still limping

 

[birdbrainbub]

a leg injury takes forever to heal, give her plenty of vitamins and attention you will see results in a few weeks maybe

 

[hrhta812]

Mine is doing very slightly better each day - the progress is small, but it's there. I was thinking I might try holding him and rubbing VetRx on his leg and gently flexing it, kind of doing chicken physical therapy. LOL

Hang in there

 

[A Chicken Owner]

She is a bit worse today but I'm happy as long as she is eating and drinking