Hen limping

[Hennysmother]

Today discovered another of my Aracauna hen limping and in pain. ... beak open and squawking when she moved. ... She can just weight bear, so i am hoping not a break ... She is an older hen but still in lay up until Autumn - i have put her in an Ark coup with another old Grannie, buddy . Has anyone got any ideas on what could be wrong - cant see anything obvious & she had eaten as crop was fullish .

 

[puppy45]

i may be late in posting this, but i learned on another forum that the first reason for limping, especially in the summer, is lack of vitamin b...
it was suggested to add chicken vitamins to the drinking water for 3-4 days...if the limping goes away, then that is the answer.... bumble foot is also a posibility...but do the simplest thing first, and add vitamin b to their water... i actually hope the problem is better, since you posted this a while ago...
sharon

 

[BantamLover21]

Today discovered another of my Aracauna hen limping and in pain. ... beak open and squawking when she moved. ... She can just weight bear, so i am hoping not a break ... She is an older hen but still in lay up until Autumn - i have put her in an Ark coup with another old Grannie, buddy . Has anyone got any ideas on what could be wrong - cant see anything obvious & she had eaten as crop was fullish .

Run your fingers along the leg and check for any swellings, excessive heat, bumps, or fractures. Also, check the bottom of the feet for any swelling and/or black scabs. Because your hen is acting as if she is in pain, I don't think that it is Marek's disease, as paralysis doesn't cause much, if any, pain. If I had to guess, I would say that your hen has sprained or slightly fractured her leg, either by jumping down from a roost, or being attacked by a predator. It might be a good idea to separate her from the flock. Given enough time, the leg will probably heal on its own.

 

[Hennysmother]

Thank you for answers .... Is vit B human type capsules - how to add to water ??? Or do i get from vet ?? Thanks everyone will check her leg and try vits - she has been flying out of a tree roost mornings ... My hens are being re educated to a hen house with proper perches!

 

[puppy45]

the vit b i use on my chickens is from the local farmer's co-op and i know the tractor supply company carries them...let us know how she does...
sharon

 

[Eggcessive]

You can use vitamin B tablets and dissolve them in water, then either add it to the water or put a few drops on feed. It is hard to overdose on B vitamins because they go out in the urine. PolyViSol baby vitamins are also good, are a multivitamin, and 2 drops a day is good. Separate her in a crate or cage to rest the leg. Give vitamins, get her out in a few days to see how she walks, then if still having trouble, put her back in for a couple more days. I like to keep them in the coop and run with buddies to keep their place in the flock.

 

[Hennysmother]

My lovely lavender Araucana hen is doing ok after a two days resting ... still limping slightly but much better ..... She was very anxious to get back to her flock and just went with the others into her new house last night and settled on the floor on pine needles and straw instead if trying the perches! So intelligent these girls are !!

 

[Eggcessive]

Good to hear!