Help! Rooster w/ leg injury.

[MontmorenciCoop]

My apologies for trying to explain a possible lack of response. It wo

Can you take a video of him walking, upload it to youtube or vimeo then copy & paste the link here.

I don't see anything wrong with his legs. If dry, rub a bit of vaseline into them.
He's a Silkie. Could be the issue is Marek's disease.
You can try offering supportive care with Vitamin B-Complex. His size, I would give 1/2 tablet daily for a couple of weeks.

edited by me.
Sorry that you feel it's rude not to get an answer straightaway. Unfortunately, there are really no answers to be given. All you can do is try a few things to see if he improves. Do consider his quality of life, if it's non-existent, then consider putting him out of his misery. He's lovely cockerel and I'm really sorry that you are struggling with this. Even if he recovers and you keep him, I would not use him for breeding.

There is no way to know exactly what's wrong with him unless you lose him and have a necropsy performed.

Can the rooster walk at all? If it’s mareks he’ll get worse pretty quickly if not he’ll most likely get better. A rooster can kick at another bird and slightly injure itself resulting in a limp for a few days too. The fact that you have another bird that walks on her hocks is evident of poor breeding. Either inbred beyond recognition or incubator issues are the main causes of weak and screwy chickens.
If he doesn’t get better soon put him down and either change your incubator ways or don’t buy birds from the same place.

I don't see anything wrong with his legs. If dry, rub a bit of vaseline into them.
He's a Silkie. Could be the issue is Marek's disease.
You can try offering supportive care with Vitamin B-Complex. His size, I would give 1/2 tablet daily for a couple of weeks.

edited by me.
Sorry that you feel it's rude not to get an answer straightaway. Unfortunately, there are really no answers to be given. All you can do is try a few things to see if he improves. Do consider his quality of life, if it's non-existent, then consider putting him out of his misery. He's lovely cockerel and I'm really sorry that you are struggling with this. Even if he recovers and you keep him, I would not use him for breeding.

There is no way to know exactly what's wrong with him unless you lose him and have a necropsy performed.

I don’t plan on breeding any of them, I’m really hoping he recovers but with the other one walking on her hocks since about a few days after we got her I think it is poor breeding/genetics. I got them at tractor supply.

Are silkies prone to Mareks more so than others? I love my silkies. I really don’t think it’s mareks but again, I’m no pro.

Also, is there a large difference in B12 and B complex? Does he need the Riboflavin in the complex? I saw different things for that.

 

[casportpony]

Are silkies prone to Mareks more so than others? I love my silkies. I really don’t think it’s mareks but again, I’m no pro.

I think they are.

 

[MontmorenciCoop]

Can the rooster walk at all? If it’s mareks he’ll get worse pretty quickly if not he’ll most likely get better. A rooster can kick at another bird and slightly injure itself resulting in a limp for a few days too. The fact that you have another bird that walks on her hocks is evident of poor breeding. Either inbred beyond recognition or incubator issues are the main causes of weak and screwy chickens.
If he doesn’t get better soon put him down and either change your incubator ways or don’t buy birds from the same place.

he seems to actually be getting better with the antibiotics, it’s no longer hot to the touch, and he’s coming out of the coop a lot more and running around. I guess this will teach me not to purchase “silkies” from tractor supply. This is my first go at a flock, and I just feel like I’m failing miserably.
He can walk really good! I just don’t want him to get bad like the girl I have that walks on her hock. It hurts my heart but she gets around really well and I can’t see culling her if she’s thriving. She actually stands her ground if someone bullies her, which thankfully is rare.

 

[MontmorenciCoop]

I think they are.

Oh poop. I love my silkies. I have 3 pure bred ones that are so friendly and sweet.

 

[roosterhavoc]

he seems to actually be getting better with the antibiotics, it’s no longer hot to the touch, and he’s coming out of the coop a lot more and running around. I guess this will teach me not to purchase “silkies” from tractor supply. This is my first go at a flock, and I just feel like I’m failing miserably.
He can walk really good! I just don’t want him to get bad like the girl I have that walks on her hock. It hurts my heart but she gets around really well and I can’t see culling her if she’s thriving. She actually stands her ground if someone bullies her, which thankfully is rare.

That rooster looks to be getting around just fine so it’s probably just a slight injury or something. Mareks will usually get worse to the point where he’ll lose a lot of weight super fast and become paralyzed in one leg or both.
You’re not doing anything wrong. Big hatcheries are in the business of selling chicks. They’re not always from the best stock and many are just weak from incubator problems, shipping to tractor supply etc..
When picking out chicks pick the ones that are hard to catch. If a chick just stands there and you can catch it easily grab a different one.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Here’s the set up I’m referring to that I made for him, lol. And a photo of my handsome boy. I can take photos of the swollen hock tomorrow if anyone wants to help identify that too... it’s very hot to the touch.

He's a silkie.

Yes pictures of the area would help.

 

[MysteryChicken]

he seems to actually be getting better with the antibiotics, it’s no longer hot to the touch, and he’s coming out of the coop a lot more and running around. I guess this will teach me not to purchase “silkies” from tractor supply. This is my first go at a flock, and I just feel like I’m failing miserably.
He can walk really good! I just don’t want him to get bad like the girl I have that walks on her hock. It hurts my heart but she gets around really well and I can’t see culling her if she’s thriving. She actually stands her ground if someone bullies her, which thankfully is rare.

My original silkies are from TSC, & I haven't had problems with mine. I only had 1 case of slipped tendon, but that was years ago.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Here’s some photos for you guys/gals...
also, could mites be doing this? His feet looks very dry! But I don’t see anything on his skin, and his nails are super long...

I see only alittle swelling.

He could have just had a sprain. Those usually resolve on their own. I have had a couple sprains in my flocks.

 

[MontmorenciCoop]

That rooster looks to be getting around just fine so it’s probably just a slight injury or something. Mareks will usually get worse to the point where he’ll lose a lot of weight super fast and become paralyzed in one leg or both.
You’re not doing anything wrong. Big hatcheries are in the business of selling chicks. They’re not always from the best stock and many are just weak from incubator problems, shipping to tractor supply etc..
When picking out chicks pick the ones that are hard to catch. If a chick just stands there and you can catch it easily grab a different one.

The people at tractor supply grabbed these suckers for me, lol. But the other chicks I picked out and I will admit I did pick some that I considered “friendly” because they didn’t move lol, good advice and I appreciate it! I really hope he improves. I didn’t want any roosters but I’m fond of him now. He’s a big sweet boy!

 

[MontmorenciCoop]

He's a silkie.

Yes pictures of the area would help.

I did post some photos of the hock but it’s hard to tell. I can tell by touching it and then touching the other because I thought it was a slipped tendon and tried to fix it. My girl DEFINITELY had a slipped tendon and I couldn’t fix it because she had the flat look to her hock. But she seems to be ok... it kills me to see her walking on her hock.