help - my chicken's leg isn't working

[70schick]

Got up this morning to find one of my chickens has lost the use of her left leg! She's a bantam wyandotte about a year old.

She was OK last night, nothing seems to have got into the coop over night and my other birds are all OK.

She seems bright enough, is feeding and trying to get around (was even a bit difficult to catch) but her left leg is just hanging useless and limp and she can't put any weight on it.

I picked her up to have look. When holding her upright the leg just hung down. When I turned her over the leg flopped straight and her toes didn't curl up. When I pressed the foot pad the toes didn't curl up either - usually they grip your finger.

The leg, hock & foot don't feel hot to the touch. There's no sign of any wound or any swelling. I couldn't feel any thing out of place and it did move OK when I manipulated it with my hand, except for the toes not curling.

I'm a bit mystified - does anyone have any ideas what could be wrong? Should I try a vet?

I've isolated her in an old guinea pig hutch with some food and water so she doesn't have to struggle to get around and the others won't bully her but she is quite upset at being there and wants to be back in the flock.

 

[Far North Queenslander]

Sounds dislocated at the socket...think shoulder on a person. If she got a fright at night she may have caught it taking off or something. No toe reaction suggests the nerves are pinched off or damaged. I suggest the vet.

PS. check for a tick.