injured leg anyone with any advice....please?

[bangor777]

I have a 5 week old mille fleur rooster with a lame leg. The injury occured while in the brooder, it wasn't witnessed (although some little girls had been over visiting the babies that day, and may have inadvertently hurt this one) The poor thing has had the injury for 3 weeks now, it is no better, no worse. He can walk very awkwardly for a short distance,it's a wide legged waddle kind of walk, if startled or if he tries to run he falls over on his side. he doesn't seem to be in any pain. i can see no obvious injury (sore or cut) but when i lay him on his back in my palm that leg will extend out abnormallly (almost like its dislocated). he has stayed with his littermates who are always kind to him, no fighting no pecking. he spends most of his time laying down. my plan is to wait and see, he eats well, he's able to stay clean. As he gets bigger will he get worse? i guess my plan is to keep him with the other mille fleur hen, separated from the other chickens, for as long as he lives. Does anyone else have a lame chicken that has managed to survive? Thanks in advance.

 

[hinkjc]

Sounds like it could be a slipped tendon. I have no idea how to reset it, so hopefully someone can advise.

Jody

 

[Joy1]

I have the same problem Band aids have not worked. Leg stretched out, looks like a hip problem.

 

[verthandi]

I have been treating an injuried hen for most of the summer. If you lay it on it's back does the leg stick straight out with the toes also straight and close together?

 

[bangor777]

I know the leg extends, I think the toes stay close together....have you had any luck treating?

 

[verthandi]

Quote:
Depends on the type of leg problem. Does it look turned out at the hip (not technically correct term)? Both of mine had no obvious injury. One started at about the same age as your chick. The one that was turned out I tried using vet wrap to keep the legs closer together, it never really corrected itself. But he is over a year old and hops with the good leg , the other one still turns out to the side. He's a happy camper, just looks odd.

The second one is a year old hen that just became mysteriously gimpy. After really watching her try to walk for several days it became apparent that the hock was not holding her weight. I vet wrapped the entire leg and changed the wrap once a week. It took 6+ weeks for her to improve. Both were eating well and didn't seem to be in any discomfort, but the older hen I gave a baby aspirin in her water for about a week in case it was a trauma injury.

So it depends on the type of injury. Can you post a picture of how he holds his leg?

 

[Cetawin]

Oh poor thing.

Ask speckledhen...she has been through the leg stuff with Zane, she may have some answers.

do a search for slipped tendon...someone on here posted about fixing that.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I am unable to picture in my mind the "injury" (Mareks for instance typically presents with one leg forward and one leg back and there is no treatment for it... spraddleleg from injury could also be entirely possible... a slipped tendon on the other hand usually occurs in only one leg)
A very general advice which cannot hurt and very well might help is to separate and treat for spraddle leg (do a search>there are several threads on that) and also give three drops of POLYVISOL Enfamil formulation once a day for a week then taper off the next... often there is a vitamin deficiency involved. (Polyvisol is a liquid childrens A-B-D3 supplement)