Hen Limping and has a Swollen Joint. Advice Needed. *PICTURES*

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Black Australorp, 2 years old, not sure on weight. She has always been more petite then the others, but that is just the way she is built.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She has been limping for a couple months now. She will walk around a little bit and then lay down in the middle of the yard. I have soaked her feet before and that did seem to help a little. But I don't think her feet are the problem because today I noticed one of her joints is double the size of the other, and also I hear a clicking sound everytime she walks.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
A couple months she has been limping.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
One other bird lays around a lot, but doesn't appear to have anything else wrong with her.

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Nothing that I am aware of.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Appetite is normal. She is on Dumor Layer Pellets, Drinks well, and treats occasionally.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I saw her poop today, it was a little runny, but she had just had water and it is warm today, so I am not too concerned.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Soaking her foot in sea salt occasionally.

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Not many bird vets around here. I intend to treat her at home as best I can.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
She lives in a large coop with seven other chickens (one sebright rooster). I use pine shavings as bedding.


Here is some pictures taken today (click photo for larger version). The leg on the right appears to be a little swollen at the joint:








She has had crooked toes for a while now (ever since a chick) I didn't discover them until she was 8 week old, so I didn't treat them.


Thank you in advance.

 

[TATTOOJOSH]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Black Australorp, 2 years old, not sure on weight. She has always been more petite then the others, but that is just the way she is built.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She has been limping for a couple months now. She will walk around a little bit and then lay down in the middle of the yard. I have soaked her feet before and that did seem to help a little. But I don't think her feet are the problem because today I noticed one of her joints is double the size of the other, and also I hear a clicking sound everytime she walks.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
A couple months she has been limping.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
One other bird lays around a lot, but doesn't appear to have anything else wrong with her.

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Nothing that I am aware of.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Appetite is normal. She is on Dumor Layer Pellets, Drinks well, and treats occasionally.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I saw her poop today, it was a little runny, but she had just had water and it is warm today, so I am not too concerned.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Soaking her foot in sea salt occasionally.

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Not many bird vets around here. I intend to treat her at home as best I can.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
She lives in a large coop with seven other chickens (one sebright rooster). I use pine shavings as bedding.


Here is some pictures taken today (click photo for larger version). The leg on the right appears to be a little swollen at the joint:








She has had crooked toes for a while now (ever since a chick) I didn't discover them until she was 8 week old, so I didn't treat them.


Thank you in advance.

this happened to one of my cheickens once. she was trying to flyout of the coop and caught one of her legs and bent it backwards a bit. it swelled up and never really got better. i tried even holding her and putting a warm wet cloth around it... an old fella told me to crush up an asprin and give it to her but i never tried it cause i wasn't sure if that was a good idea...i ended up just proccessing her and eating her for dinner...hated to do it but it was the better option rather than watch her in pain.