Hen Limping for no Apparent Reason

[Kale Chips]

Hi there! So about 3 days ago I was watching my chickens and I noticed my 17 week old Silver Laced Wyandotte hen was limping. She is the most skittish out of everyone so it took forever to catch her but once I did, I found she had a glob of dried poo and feathers stuck to the bottom of her foot. I thought that was funny, and quickly brushed the clump off. But its 3 days later and she is still limping! She is always standing in one place or on the roosting bar, and only moves if absolutely necessary. She doesn't limp ALL the time, and can still sprint when all the chickens are having rowdy time, but she just seems sad.

I checked her over yesterday: Her foot is a lovely yellow color, and there is no apparent reason to her limp. When I massage one of her feet, she is totally chill and receives it. When I touch the other one, she clenches her toes to make a fist. She doesn't seem super distressed, only slightly uncomfortable.

Should I try putting Save-a-Chick electrolytes in the water just for the heck of it (for vitamin deficiency? IDK) ?? Could it just be bruised somehow and will resolve itself? Is 3 days concerning?

Thank you for any help If pictures would help, let me know and I will try to wrangle her again!

 

[Abriana]

Could it be bumblefoot? Can you get some pics of the leg and the bottom of the foot?

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Pictures would be helpful. The bottom and top of her foot. If there are no obvious signs of injury I would think a bruise or sprain. Sometimes jumping from the roosting bar they can land wrong and injure themselves.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

A short video might help more than pics... using vimeo or you tube to upload.

Can you feel any heat? Extra blood flow to repair an area we might not SEE or detect an injury can be a good clue.

Was she vaccinated against Marek's? At this age... limping ALWAYS raises the Marek's alarm. The suspected discomfort in the one leg is a good indicator against it though as Marek's does not cause pain, it is just a tumor pressing on the nerve causing lameness.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

How high is your roost? Do they jump down? What is the landing?

 

[townchicks]

Can you administer some kind of pain/anti-imflamatoy medication? Aspirin, ibuprofen, meloxicam, carprofen are all able to be given in the right dosage (sorry I don't know those but they are posted here somewhere) If it goes away with that, it may point to something more like a sprain, and may even resolve it. If it comes back when medication is discontinued it would point to a more serious problem. Of course, I'd always recommend a vet visit if that is an option.

 

[Kale Chips]

Ok, so I didn't get a video but I was able to get some pictures. Here is the top of her foot:

And here is the bottom:

It feels warm, but not necessarily hot, and both feet are comparable in temperature. I got her at Ace hardware so I have no clue about Mareks vaccination. We have one small roost outside that is probably 2-3 feet off the ground, and then we have a roost in the coop about 5 feet tall and the floor is cement with pine shavings. She is also super skittish and many times trips over feeders, branches, and other chickens in a grand rush to escape non-existent threats so many she twisted her ankle. But it just seems like the discomfort is on the bottom of her foot, not the ankle.....hmmm...

 

[Kale Chips]

So this was on Ace's facebook page for chick days...so it looks like she was likely vaccinated.