Injured chicken with crossed legs

[member 129538]

My favorite 10 week old polish went missing a few days ago. There wasn't any blood in the coop so I looked everywhere for her. I finally accepted that a predator took her. Yesterday we found her crammed between some plywood and the fence. She got herself stuck in there and couldn't get out.

I think she was like that for 3 days! Over the last 28 hours I've been nursing her back to health. I made electrolyte water to help her with dehydration and now she eats and drinks on her own.

She can't walk very well and I'm not sure if I should interfere. Her legs are crossed now making it difficult to walk. She can stand and take a few steps but then she falls over. Her legs don't seem broken or severely injured. My husband thinks she's just regaining her strength but I'm worried that her legs got twisted when she was stuck. Should I make something to straighten out her legs? Should I be doing gentle physical therapy with her? I just don't want to wait until it's too late.

 

[Whittni]

That's great that she lived. She just needs time, you do need to set her legs for her, that will be painful as the muscles cramp* when left in one position for a long time. I had a wyandotte hen get caught between a shed and wall for a day her legs are all messed up too, but I helped her stretch them out for a couple days and she was good as new, but she kept a little bit of a limp. Anyway, she should be fine, just bring her inside for a while until she walk on her own.


Thanks for posting on BYC too, so you can get direct advice. Some people wait too long.

 

[member 129538]

Thanks for the fast response! I feel SO relieved that my little chicken survived. Right now she's in her own crate so the other chickens won't trample or pick on her. I take her out often and let her try to walk around the yard and eat grass/weeds (she mostly sits since walking is very difficult right now). I've seen tons of articles on how to correct splayed leg but not for the opposite. How do I set her legs?

 

[fobesy]

My chick did that too! Yours should be ok.
But sorry I have no clue about her legs... I'm guessing just to let her rest for a while. That's what I did for mine And now she's good as new.

 

[Whittni]

Setting her legs: When she's in her cage/box inside take something like an ankle wrap and wrap it around her body and her legs, as if she were roosting.