Hen not using left foot

[alicebaxter]

I have a hen who has been in my kitchen now for about 4 weeks. She stopped walking and was getting bullied by the other hens. I brought her inside and started trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She has no visible injuries, sores, or wounds. She eats and poops quite regularly. She is quite thin, and is growing new feathers so she looks rather homely. I have treated her for leg mites, she is on medication for worms, and has B12 supplements. When I first began the B12, she perked up and used her foot and even ran around the yard, but a few days later she is back to just curling her foot up and laying down most of the time. If she does stand, she stands on the curled-up foot. I have tried almost everything I can think of, and have not seen anyone post a similar problem without an obvious solution, like bumble foot or the like. She is over 2 years old.

Any ideas would be much appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Peaches Lee]

The only thing I can think of is injury, she started feeling better and ran around, re injured and is now back to hurting again. Does she free range? If she does, who knows what could have happened to her (originally).

Maybe more crate rest?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello! Since you said she perked up with B12, I would switch to b complex, it's cheap at your local pharmacy or Wal Mart/ target. After she's better she may need to be wormed. Do you have any pictures of her poop?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a hen who has been in my kitchen now for about 4 weeks. She stopped walking and was getting bullied by the other hens. I brought her inside and started trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She has no visible injuries, sores, or wounds. She eats and poops quite regularly. She is quite thin, and is growing new feathers so she looks rather homely. I have treated her for leg mites, she is on medication for worms, and has B12 supplements. When I first began the B12, she perked up and used her foot and even ran around the yard, but a few days later she is back to just curling her foot up and laying down most of the time. If she does stand, she stands on the curled-up foot. I have tried almost everything I can think of, and have not seen anyone post a similar problem without an obvious solution, like bumble foot or the like. She is over 2 years old.

Any ideas would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Welcome To BYC

Can you please post photos of her and her poop?

When was her last egg?
She's molting?
What are you deworming her with?
Any bloat or fluid in the abdomen?

B12 is Cobalamin, I would get B-Complex as suggested, you want B2(Riboflavin) for leg health, the complex contains that and other essential B vitamins. Give her 1/4 tablet daily.

Could be coincidental that she improved once she was removed from the flock. She was being bullied, so she may have not been getting to eat well and you saw initial improvement just because she was eating/drinking.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Does she look similar to this? If so I think Reaper is having a similar issue which I still haven’t found a treatment for. Though my hens aren’t picking on her and she still hobbles around she just fully drags her foot.
If it does look the same I think I’ll try the treatments people recommend

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Does she look similar to this? If so I think Reaper is having a similar issue which I still haven’t found a treatment for. Though my hens aren’t picking on her and she still hobbles around she just fully drags her foot.
If it does look the same I think I’ll try the treatments people recommend

Read Post#2 and #6 of your thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-limp-is-getting-worse.1552866/

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Read Post#2 and #6 of your thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-limp-is-getting-worse.1552866/

I did check those out but she scales aren’t actually raised, there’s nothing that seems wrong with her foot she just can’t move it, and last time she had something like Mereks she couldn’t move at all… it’s also too cold to give her a bath, if I was to put her back out even slightly damp her feathers would freeze so that’s a fear of mine, I also can’t do long treatments because I won’t be around for a couple weeks here soon… I do think she’ll be fine while I am gone but she can’t get out of the coop by herself anymore, getting in she’s fine but not out.
I also have not been able to find B12 supplements… I’ll have to check Walgreens

Oh and I finally found an old toothbrush while cleaning so I can maybe brush her leg but I’m worried about getting her too wet

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I also have not been able to find B12 supplements… I’ll have to check Walgreens

You want B-Complex, not B12. You should be able to find it in stores like Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon.
Give her 1/4 tablet daily until you have to leave. Then resume when you get back.


You're just cleaning her feet, not her whole body, so you can soak the feet in a couple of inches of water, get some soapy water and scrub the gung and debris out of her feathers and from the bottom of the feet. Use a hair dryer to dry her feathers well before putting her back out.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

You want B-Complex, not B12. You should be able to find it in stores like Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon.
Give her 1/4 tablet daily until you have to leave. Then resume when you get back.


You're just cleaning her feet, not her whole body, so you can soak the feet in a couple of inches of water, get some soapy water and scrub the gung and debris out of her feathers and from the bottom of the feet. Use a hair dryer to dry her feathers well before putting her back out.



View attachment 3302869

Okay, thank you! Reaper loves hairdryers, most my chickens do, hates baths though, but she’ll survive. I don’t think we have CVS here anymore other then in target or Fred’s (Alaska’s Krogers) but we do have those other ones nearby