Hen holding leg up

[Erin80]

About 3 days ago my BA hen (hatched in May this year) was holding her leg up and won’t put any weight on it. She limps really badly if she tries to put weight on it and usually just hops on the one good leg right now. I checked her over and her leg looked ok, no visible injuries, but her middle toe looked swollen. Today, she is bleeding from one spot on her leg and one spot on her foot. I thought about scaly leg mites, but it came on so suddenly and everyone else’s legs look perfectly fine, as does her other leg. What would cause this sudden lameness and bleeding? Any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

It is hard to tell what is going on, but the first pic looks like an injury. Are the others pecking her? Watch their behavior with her while they are outside. Can you soak her feet in warm Epsom salts or water with Betadine or Hibiclens to clean them up and soften them? You could then apply plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment to the wounds, and keep her on a clean towel or puppy pad in a dog crate. Repeat the soak for 20-30 minutes a day. It might make them feel better. If she got her leg or foot caught and injured, it could be sprained or broken. If so the foot should be rested.

 

[Erin80]

 

[Erin80]

Her feathers are wet because she’d just had an Epsom soak and some vetericyn spray.

 

[aesch]

That doesn't look like scarlet mites to me. Looks like a bite or she got her foot caught in something. You can wrap it with gauze and self sticking tape to protect it from the flies and pecking hens.

 

[Erin80]

Now her other foot has a bleeding cut between her toes in one spot. This poor hen.

 

[aesch]

Does she venture into places other hens don't dare to go? If both feet are injured you need to wrap them both and separate her from the rest until they've healed.

 

[Erin80]

They are mostly in their coop and run as our 9 month old Vizsla puppy is not chicken trained yet (though it is going well!). She could have injured it jumping down from the roosts, or one of my kids might have caught her leg in the coop door when she closed it (the hens swarm when you come in or out. Friendly is an understatement with our girls!). My 8 yr old daughter did say someone squawked when she shut the door the other day, but so many were around her that she couldn’t tell who it was......so maybe it was our BA Florence.

I did an epsom soak today as well as this amazing spray I got from the vet that healed our other hens head when she’d been pecked to the bone. Florence is near the top of the pecking order, so I don’t know if she’s being picked on too badly, but maybe.
Thanks!!