Injured hen limping

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

First make sure it is an injury. Give her an 81mg Aspirin. NOT a child's Aspirin, they are sweetened with aspartame, which is toxic to chickens.

If the limp lessens or goes away, it is an injury and you would follow that protocol.

You can also give 400mg of Tumeric for a similar test.

If the limp persist, you're looking at a neurological issue. First off...start vitamin supplements and start investigating the cause. Most neurological ailments are caused by nutritional deficiency. A nutritional deficiency can be caused by poor diet, a virus or a parasite. You gotta play the blame game.

And look at her poop. It's a factor in diagnosis.

 

[Galisteo]

Poultry cell by Rooster Booster. Is this OK?

 

[Galisteo]

First make sure it is an injury. Give her an 81mg Aspirin. NOT a child's Aspirin, they are sweetened with aspartame, which is toxic to chickens.

If the limp lessens or goes away, it is an injury and you would follow that protocol.

You can also give 400mg of Tumeric for a similar test.

If the limp persist, you're looking at a neurological issue. First off...start vitamin supplements and start investigating the cause. Most neurological ailments are caused by nutritional deficiency. A nutritional deficiency can be caused by poor diet, a virus or a parasite. You gotta play the blame game.

And look at her poop. It's a factor in diagnosis.

Thank you! I will try the aspirin.

 

[Galisteo]

Thank you! I will try the aspirin
Is this one crushed pill?

Her poop looks normal, but less of it than normal.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Her poop looks normal, but less of it than normal.

Not a concern. Yet.

It's not green? There's no undigested feed in it?

 

[Galisteo]

Not a concern. Yet.

It's not green? There's no undigested feed in it?

No, nothing unusual. At this point!?!

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

No, nothing unusual. At this point!?!

That helps rule out any parasites causing a nutritional imbalance. They can affect the liver causing green poops or impair the digestive tract causing food to pass through undigested.

It wouldn't happen after the limp, it would start before the limp. So it's looking like an injury.

You said the toe was swollen. Check to make sure it's not broken. Wiggle it, roll it, curl it. If you're sure it's not broken, she likely caught it in something and sprained it.

You can wrap it lightly with pet wrap or tape to give it some support. Aspirin 2X a day to help with inflammation. You can put Tumeric, Ginger and black pepper in her feed. Combined, it is an excellent pain killer and anti-inflammatory and will help with the stress of being confined.

Also note: A really hard peck to the chest can cause a limp. If there's a hen that harrasses her, it could be a peck injury.