I noticed in the coop today that one of my girls was limping on her left leg. I picked her up and held her on her back like a baby in my arms (luckily she loves this). I checked both feet for injuries, swelling, discoloration etc. and found none. Then I checked her knees for movement and those felt ok; the left was tighter than the right. The main thing I noticed is that her left thigh is swollen and felt warmer than the right. I didn't see any external signs of injury. She is molting so I thought maybe she was uncomfortable. The limp is so bad that at times it looks like she might fall over. She's less than two years old and one of my best layers. I don't want any of my hens to hurt! Has anyone else seen this? Since I didn't see any immediate sign of injury I just sat with her in the coop. I let her fall asleep in my arms for a bit. I hate worrying about my girls!
People sprain ankles. It is entirely possible for chicken to land wrong and do internal injury to their joints. I have had chickens limp in the past but not severely . Some were due to small cuts to bottom of foot. From scratching thru rocks. Other limps were from their toes breaking I suspect from calcium deficiencies. The one that has no toes left, but is doing well and healthy I named her COTTON as Hanks dad in the show, King of the hill.
Definitely keep an eye on her. It could be anything at this point. Maybe bumblefoot, maybe a sprain,vitamin deficiency, or could be something more serious like Marek's disease. I have a hen in the house right now that I *think* injured her back/leg by being pounced on by an overly eager cockerel. It has been 4 weeks and she is improving ever-so-slowly, but I still have not ruled out Marek's. The important thing is to make sure she isn't getting worse. Also make sure she is getting proper nutrition. It would be a good idea to weigh her to make sure she isn't losing weight. If the other chickens start to pick on her, or if she shows other signs of illness, be sure to isolate her right away. Best of luck!
Please read post #15 in this link for treatment: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/881607/hen-with-severe-limp/10
Thanks for the replies! I think I'll pick up vitamins to add to the water. I'm sure it would be helpful to all the girls! She still has grip in her foot. She was very cooperative with letting look at it. All my girls are friendly and are fine with being handled.
