Help, hen was stuck in the door all day UPDATE #53doing well

[threehorses]

Are you certain that her leg isn't broken or dislocated at the joint? I'd give her another day or two there - let her rest. That's very good to hear that the droppings are more normal. SOmetimes my hens will baby a leg for 2 days and then want to stand on it. But in such cases it's best to have them in a safe place, like she is, where they don't have to move - everything's there for them (Food, water, shelter).

 

[ams3651]

I cant be sure of anything except that I dont feel a break, one side feels pretty much like the other. If it is a break there really isnt anything I can do for her. I will give her a little more time as I can.

 

[ams3651]

thanks everyone for your help but i think we are going to have to let her go. When i picked her up this morning I noticed her breast bone is very prominent and a ridge runs down her abdomen, like she is in a V shape, I think she does have some type of crushing injury. I took her out to see her friends who came over to check her out and cluck hello. I will take her outside later for some sun before her time comes later today. THanks again.

 

[AHappychick]

Unless she seems like she is in pain I would give her some time to heal. They can be very resilient. I had a chook who injured its leg while freeraning, took 2 weeks but he is as good as new now, but at first i thought for sure he would not make it since he could not stand up on his own.

Good luck either way. So sorry.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Actually, that's just her breastbone. That's normal - she's just thin. They're not fat like broilers. I'd give her three days at minimum for just stress like this, seriously.

 

[ams3651]

I guess I will have to, my son couldnt come for her today. I just dont want to put so much time into her and be emotionally upset if I cant get her well, not to mention I really dont know what else to do to help her. In the leg it appears to be a problem at the joint, in the yard today she tried to move it but couldnt get the foot under her. Im just at a loss. The leg just doesnt seem to get any better.

 

[obe10]

poor thing

just give her time, nothing heals overnight... i am sorry

 

[sred98]

I agree. It sounds like she is just thin from the stress and not eating well. I got a hen from someone like that and she fattened up with a little TLC, which you are doing for her, anyway. I also think that maybe you are noticing her breastbone more because you are trying to find out what is wrong with her, so was brought to your attention. You are probably handling her a lot more than your other hens, because of her injuries. I bet if you grabbed one of them and poked around, they would be similar.

As far as the joint goes, it just won't heal overnight. My son's horse got into my chicken barn and stepped on one of my roos. His leg swelled up and he didn't use it for a week. I thought it was broken. He would hop around on one leg. I couldn't feel a break, and he got around great, so I let him be. After several days, the swelling went down, and after that, he started putting weight on it.

When we butchered him a few weeks ago, I specifically checked his leg to see if there was an old injury, there wasn't. I should have been able to see something, since it was only a few weeks earlier.

It sounds like her attitude is good, and she is getting better. Unless you just want her to go, it sounds like she will be fine. You are taking excellent care of her!

Shelly

 

[threehorses]

Seriously! And this last 3 weeks our rooster has had lameness that was obviously from some pain that we couldn't for the life of us find. His leg was totally strong, his feet showed no evidence of bumblefoot or anything inside (the beginning of bumblefoot starting with an interior bruise) - nothing. Three weeks, getting worse on the last week's few days then boom - he's perfectly fine.

These things, like human tears and strains, take a long time. If we keep that analogy in mind it helps when we know for sure there was injury, and in this case there was (thankfully? Better illness than contagion).

 

[barredrockmama]

Poor baby! I'll send a prayer your way!