Injured guinea

[Lsox]

One of my guinea fowl, about seven weeks old, all of a sudden wouldn't get up or move. It will eat if food is right in front, otherwise doesn't really move to a food or water source. I tried bringing him inside to the pen they'd been in for the first six weeks or so but it still just sat there looking unhappy. Looks like its left leg is injured somehow. I can't feel a break but maybe the hip joint feels different to the right. Any ideas on what I can do?

Thanks in advance,
Luke

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for the circumstances. I'd put the bird in a small pen where others can not bother it. Hopefully it is a strain or bruise rather than a break.

 

[Lsox]

Thanks, have put it in a separate area of the hen house with its own food and water. Still doesn't want to move at all but maybe had a little more muscle tone in its toes. Hoping for a miraculous recovery! Wondered whether there was some kind of splinting I could do to help it get around a bit but it didn't seem too upset about behind immobile (apart from lying in its own poop)

 

[Lsox]

Quick update. Nearly three weeks on, and it's been getting very slowly better. Last few days, it's been standing mostly on one leg and limping short distances towards food or away from me. Has been getting some soluble aspirin and vitamins in its water. It can't walk up or down the ladder to the coop (it falls/rolls down and in the evening hid in the corner on the ground when the others went to roost). The bad leg looks to have atrophied quite a bit and there is a lump behind its "knee" that feels more like a torn muscle. Hopefully it's a partial tear (if a tear at all) that will recover more over time and with some more TLC, it'll be back to go down with the rest of the flock instead of up on its own!

Has anyone else experienced something like this and have an idea of prognosis?

Thanks, Luke