My husband convinced me to share this in case someone else went through this. It is a long text, but it’s step-by-step. 
It worked. It took a long time, but our favorite hen is back in working order! The vet said this type of injury is fairly common and usually they end up having to be put down.
One of our hens was mauled by a large stray dog this year who somehow got through our fence. She was nearly killed and she was one of the few lucky we had left). She was left completely unable to walk. She is my children’s absolute favorite (the kind who randomly comes over and hops in your lap for a nap… or to lay an egg), so We took her to the vet and nothing was broken, but she had severe nerve damage. The vet was not sure she would be able to walk again. We went home with ant inflammatory meds.
So, we brought her inside and let her rest and heal for two weeks in a Guinea pig cage (don’t judge, it’s all I had for this situation). At the end of the two weeks, her foot was very atrophied and bent. At this point, She could not un curl her toes and she could not walk. She couldn’t even extend her leg.
So, I bought a chicken purse sling thing online on Amazon. I tied it to a stepladder (it was the only thing I had the right height) so it hung underneath and I would put her in it and gently pull her leg out and stretch her toes daily for about 5 to 10 minutes, at least at first. I gradually increased this. I also made walking motions with both of her feet. After about two weeks of this, she could stretch them out without tension,as long as I was holding them. At this point, I would hook her toenails over the edge of the step ladder step and let her pull herself back back-and-forth kind of like she was swinging for a few minutes at a time. She could now put her leg down, but her toes and foot were still curled up, like she was walking on her ankle.
So then I made a splint out of cardboard, foam, and stretchy tape. I put the foam under her foot between it and the cardboard so that it gave her some padding and held her foot up a little at first so it was not stretched out all the way. I let her nails hangover and hold her foot out. I made her wear this during the day for several hours at a time, then transitioned to all day, then transitioned to 24 hours a day. I’ve been took the foam out and basically did the same thing. She would use it like a shoe. This took a few weeks. She literally looked like she had a little shoe on. Then we removed the cast. at first we had to put it back on because her toes curled back up. About two days after we took it off.The second time we took it off, however it had worked! She could walk again. She would get sort of tired so we would bring her in after she had been out a while but eventually, we didn’t have to.
and she is now back outside again with her flock.
I am sharing bc this worked. I also did this with a mystic onyx recently who had curled back toes (like the “heel” toe was curled and he walked on it). He was developing sores where he was walking on them. At 4 weeks, I basically did the same thing with her and it worked with her too!!!
I have pics of the first hen here. hope this helps someone!
It worked. It took a long time, but our favorite hen is back in working order! The vet said this type of injury is fairly common and usually they end up having to be put down. One of our hens was mauled by a large stray dog this year who somehow got through our fence. She was nearly killed and she was one of the few lucky we had left). She was left completely unable to walk. She is my children’s absolute favorite (the kind who randomly comes over and hops in your lap for a nap… or to lay an egg), so We took her to the vet and nothing was broken, but she had severe nerve damage. The vet was not sure she would be able to walk again. We went home with ant inflammatory meds.
So, we brought her inside and let her rest and heal for two weeks in a Guinea pig cage (don’t judge, it’s all I had for this situation). At the end of the two weeks, her foot was very atrophied and bent. At this point, She could not un curl her toes and she could not walk. She couldn’t even extend her leg.
So, I bought a chicken purse sling thing online on Amazon. I tied it to a stepladder (it was the only thing I had the right height) so it hung underneath and I would put her in it and gently pull her leg out and stretch her toes daily for about 5 to 10 minutes, at least at first. I gradually increased this. I also made walking motions with both of her feet. After about two weeks of this, she could stretch them out without tension,as long as I was holding them. At this point, I would hook her toenails over the edge of the step ladder step and let her pull herself back back-and-forth kind of like she was swinging for a few minutes at a time. She could now put her leg down, but her toes and foot were still curled up, like she was walking on her ankle.
So then I made a splint out of cardboard, foam, and stretchy tape. I put the foam under her foot between it and the cardboard so that it gave her some padding and held her foot up a little at first so it was not stretched out all the way. I let her nails hangover and hold her foot out. I made her wear this during the day for several hours at a time, then transitioned to all day, then transitioned to 24 hours a day. I’ve been took the foam out and basically did the same thing. She would use it like a shoe. This took a few weeks. She literally looked like she had a little shoe on. Then we removed the cast. at first we had to put it back on because her toes curled back up. About two days after we took it off.The second time we took it off, however it had worked! She could walk again. She would get sort of tired so we would bring her in after she had been out a while but eventually, we didn’t have to.
I am sharing bc this worked. I also did this with a mystic onyx recently who had curled back toes (like the “heel” toe was curled and he walked on it). He was developing sores where he was walking on them. At 4 weeks, I basically did the same thing with her and it worked with her too!!!
I have pics of the first hen here.
hope this helps someone!
