- Sep 12, 2012
- 108
- 8
- 81
Hi all--
When I left for work this morning, my flock was fine and happily running around the yard. Tonight, I noticed Marlow--one of my most active hens--sitting quietly in the coop. This is her favorite time of day to hunt for bugs and graze, so I knew something was wrong. When I approached her, she stood up, but I immediately saw that she was only standing on one leg. I picked her up and took a look at the lame leg. Her foot is REALLY swollen and pink. It also feels hot to the touch. I really don't think it's bumblefoot. The sole of her foot looks totally clean and healthy--and the symptoms came on all of the sudden, like I said. She was perfectly fine when I went home to lunch around 2, and now, five hours later, her foot is swollen and she can't walk.
I didn't see any wounds, so I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm guessing she might have caught it and wrenched it on something--maybe like a sprain.
Other than keeping her still and quiet (I think I'll move her into a crate on the mud porch), what should I do? Should I soak her leg in epsom salts? Would it hurt to give her a shot of penicillin in case this is some sort of infection? She seems perfectly healthy, otherwise. Maybe she was stung by something?
It's frustrating not knowing what happened, so I'm just wondering if there's any good way to treat this, or if I should just let time heal her. I'd like to bring down the swelling, but I'm not sure how!
When I left for work this morning, my flock was fine and happily running around the yard. Tonight, I noticed Marlow--one of my most active hens--sitting quietly in the coop. This is her favorite time of day to hunt for bugs and graze, so I knew something was wrong. When I approached her, she stood up, but I immediately saw that she was only standing on one leg. I picked her up and took a look at the lame leg. Her foot is REALLY swollen and pink. It also feels hot to the touch. I really don't think it's bumblefoot. The sole of her foot looks totally clean and healthy--and the symptoms came on all of the sudden, like I said. She was perfectly fine when I went home to lunch around 2, and now, five hours later, her foot is swollen and she can't walk.
I didn't see any wounds, so I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm guessing she might have caught it and wrenched it on something--maybe like a sprain.
Other than keeping her still and quiet (I think I'll move her into a crate on the mud porch), what should I do? Should I soak her leg in epsom salts? Would it hurt to give her a shot of penicillin in case this is some sort of infection? She seems perfectly healthy, otherwise. Maybe she was stung by something?
It's frustrating not knowing what happened, so I'm just wondering if there's any good way to treat this, or if I should just let time heal her. I'd like to bring down the swelling, but I'm not sure how!
