Help!!!! Hen limping

[Annalyse]

Let the flock out this morning and my one PR is limping. I think I made it worse because I thought it was her nail so I tried clipping the tip off but I think the pressure hurt her and so I didn’t go through with it and stopped she started limping more and is now laying down to take pressure off. I only have one cage and right now I have a broody hen I’m trying to break but I tried to put her in the cage instead and it just stressed her out. Should I put her in the cage and bring her inside? So it’s quiet and away from the flock. She’s eating and drinking it’s just she doesn’t like walking on it. The third picture you can see she’s not putting weight on that foot.

 

[Eggcessive]

It looks like she has some scaly leg mites, and maybe has been pecking her legs. An injury or sprain could also be causing problems. Soak her legs in warm soapy water or Epsom salts water for about 15 minutes. An old toothbrush used gently can rough up her scales and get the soapy water into them. Dry her well, and then apply a thick oil, such as vaseline twice a week, rubbing it in well. If she still seems to be limping, you can repeat the soaks. Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is found in the first aid aisles for foot soaks. It can be soothing and healing. Limiting jumping and running around may help if she is injured.

 

[Annalyse]

It looks like she has some scaly leg mites, and maybe has been pecking her legs. An injury or sprain could also be causing problems. Soak her legs in warm soapy water or Epsom salts water for about 15 minutes. An old toothbrush used gently can rough up her scales and get the soapy water into them. Dry her well, and then apply a thick oil, such as vaseline twice a week, rubbing it in well. If she still seems to be limping, you can repeat the soaks. Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is found in the first aid aisles for foot soaks. It can be soothing and healing. Limiting jumping and running around may help if she is injured.

At night there’s lots of pecking feet so those raised scales are from other hens. I’ve never delt with scales leg mites. Wouldn’t the other hens have the same issues? Should I bring her inside? I think it might be a sprain. She was walking fine but had some limp to it and when I messed with her foot she started limping more and laying down.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can have just hen who shows signs scaly leg mites. Raised scales are the sign, and those mites cannot be seen without a microscope. In my experience with a few with leg mites, they also may not scratch enough in the dirt to wear down their toenails. They also may not be dustbathing, which can help them keep cleaner.

If you need to separate her, I would use a wire dog crate and keep her with her flock day and night where she will feel more comfortable. That would keep her from jumping up and down to the roost. Or you could place her on the roost in the evening, and be there early enough pin morning to take her off. Pecking during roost time is one of those things that chickens do.

 

[Annalyse]

You can have just hen who shows signs scaly leg mites. Raised scales are the sign, and those mites cannot be seen without a microscope. In my experience with a few with leg mites, they also may not scratch enough in the dirt to wear down their toenails. They also may not be dustbathing, which can help them keep cleaner.

If you need to separate her, I would use a wire dog crate and keep her with her flock day and night where she will feel more comfortable. That would keep her from jumping up and down to the roost. Or you could place her on the roost in the evening, and be there early enough pin morning to take her off. Pecking during roost time is one of those things that chickens do.

The flock dustbathes a lot. There nails are long though. Most my hens and rooster have raised scales but there always filled with dirt so I figured it was normal. My rooster grew up with raised scales I thought it was just his breed. Should I soak all of they is Espon salt? I also had her in the cage for a couple minutes but she was getting too stressed and the rest of the flock was stressing her out because she was in the cage. My rooster wanted her out.

 

[Annalyse]

Update: she had a salt bath yesterday she kept jumping out of the container which I think made her worse because she kept jumping. I got her to stay in as long as I could. Last night and today she had been in the cage mostly laying down. How do I know if she is getting better? I’m not Sure if she’s eating or drinking right now. She’s laying pretty close to her food and water so maybe she’s just reaching over but she wa sticking at her food last night.

 

[Eggcessive]

The table salt may have irritated her if it was stronger than 2 tsp per quart of water. That is normal saline. I would use plain warm soapy water or Epsom salts water. Or is that what you used? Some chickens do not tolerate long soaks in water. It can take weeks for healthy new scales to come in.

 

[Annalyse]

The table salt may have irritated her if it was stronger than 2 tsp per quart of water. That is normal saline. I would use plain warm soapy water or Epsom salts water. Or is that what you used? Some chickens do not tolerate long soaks in water. It can take weeks for healthy new scales to come in.

I used the espon salt. Sorry . Yeah she wasn’t a fan of the water. I had to blow dry her on low for a bit because it was raining outside and kind of cold. But she was okay. My one hen is keeping her company right now she won’t leave her side. Should I see how well she walks before bed?

 

[Annalyse]

Is it normal for her not to be laying eggs? It’s getting colder so I don’t know if that has to do anything with it but before this she was laying eggs. She’s still limping but she was better but she’s hopping. Not putting weight on the one leg. Anything else I can do to help her?

 

[Annalyse]

Update: She’s not eating idk if she’s drinking. Her crop is empty. She’ll eat treats. I mixed some mealworms in with her feed and she ate the food as well.