Injured leg

[TejanaMama]

I found my chicken at the bottom of the ramp leading to the coop. Her leg was splayed out and she was not mobile. I’ve separated her and she is eating and drinking, but can’t put any weight on her leg or move around. I see no misshapen bones, her leg isn’t crooked; she just can’t seem to bend it at the knee, where the feathered part meets the bare leg. I’ve felt around and she doesn’t seem to be in pain, nor do I feel anything out of the ordinary. Does anyone have any experience with something like this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old? Legs straight out can be from Mareks.

 

[TejanaMama]

How old? Legs straight out can be from Mareks.

She's about 2 years old. I'll research Mareks.

 

[Lizzy733]

Definitely look into Marek's, though I think age-wise, she's out of the danger zone. Have a good look under her feathers for any signs of bruising. I have one in for a leg injury at the moment that isn't fully feathered out and I was really worried it might be viral until I found a wound and bruising around the tail on the affected side - it was really hard to find and I had to flip the chick on its side to get a better look. Chickens bruise green, but if its fresh, the area may still be red.
Have you checked to make sure it's not a slipped tendon? When you bend the leg, the toes should curl as the tendon shortens - this would be indicative of a healthy tendon.

 

[TejanaMama]

Definitely look into Marek's, though I think age-wise, she's out of the danger zone. Have a good look under her feathers for any signs of bruising. I have one in for a leg injury at the moment that isn't fully feathered out and I was really worried it might be viral until I found a wound and bruising around the tail on the affected side - it was really hard to find and I had to flip the chick on its side to get a better look. Chickens bruise green, but if its fresh, the area may still be red.
Have you checked to make sure it's not a slipped tendon? When you bend the leg, the toes should curl as the tendon shortens - this would be indicative of a healthy tendon.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you added any new birds to your flock recently? Have any other hens or a rooster been bullying her? She looks pretty large, so it could be an injury to her hip, leg, or foot. Look over the entire leg and hip for swelling, green bruising, redness. I would place her on some nonslip bedding near food and water that she can reach. Many things can look like Mareks. Here is some reading about Mareks:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext...Preventing Mareks Disease in Small Flocks.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[TejanaMama]

I was wondering about slipped tendon, but didn’t know what to look for. I’ll try your suggestion. Thank you.

 

[TejanaMama]

Have you added any new birds to your flock recently? Have any other hens or a rooster been bullying her? She looks pretty large, so it could be an injury to her hip, leg, or foot. Look over the entire leg and hip for swelling, green bruising, redness. I would place her on some nonslip bedding near food and water that she can reach. Many things can look like Mareks. Here is some reading about Mareks:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/poultry/FS-1007 Recognizing and Preventing Mareks Disease in Small Flocks.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

No new chickens. This just appeared a few days ago. I checked on chickens around 5pm and all was well. The next morning I found her at the bottom of the ramp. I thought maybe her leg was stuck, but that wasn't the case - she just had no use of her right leg. I believe it is somehow injured, I just don't know how or where.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you try to get her hip and leg xrayed by a local vet? That way you would know if splinting might help, or if if there is a chance of rest helping. Can she move her toes or bend her leg? Could you get any pictures of how she is laying or sitting today? I would place some non-slip bedding under her, such as a towel or pine shavings. A chicken sling might help to get her upright if she will tolerate it. Here are some examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!
Can you post some close up pictures of both legs?