Yesterday I went out to check the chickens and realized one of my 25-week-old pellets was walking weird. Upon further inspection I realized that she was walking on a Loosely curled foot and could not flatten it to walk. I picked her up and examined her leg, it was completely limp and just hanging there when I held her. I bent her leg at the hock and her toes did not curl. She was acting otherwise completely normal, eating and walking around with her sister but in a limpy sort of way on her limp foot. I decided to bring her to the "chicken hospital" aka a dog crate in my bathroom and keep her in here so I can keep an eye on her and she doesn't injure herself or get pecked out in the coop. She is eating and drinking and tries to stand but her leg would slip out in front of her or slip out behind her and it was hard for her. This morning she is doing better and has her foot flat on the floor but the back toe that usually faces backwards is facing Ford with the rest of her toes and her leg is still extremely weak and almost limp. She can hobble around better today in the crate but she now holds her foot up when she stands. It's only limp from the Hock Down, she can hold the foot up. My first thought was Mareks but it was such a sudden thing with only one leg affected and no other signs of weakness, I am thinking she may have injured herself, I have mini blinds in the coop and I'm wondering if she got tangled in them and injured her leg trying to get out or got a nail stuck in the hard work cloth in the Run and pulled on her leg too much. When I bent her leg at the hawk today the toes curled a little bit like they should . She is also eating and drinking well I have vitamins and electrolytes in her water and she ate some scrambled egg this morning as well as some of her feed. any of you ever experienced this, I think her leg hurts. Suggestions greatly appreciated
her leg slips in front of her alot but she is doing her best to stand and walk. She can get around. I am concerned that she wont ever heal and may be permanently disabled.....if she is ill do my best to give her a good life
