Is this a badly healed broken foot? Is she in pain? Help!

[KaseySnow]

I don't know. I asked but no one really seemed to be sure, it's just been a while. My guess is a year since I seem to remember noticing her limp long before I started volunteering there.

So you don't think that thing in her foot is a thorn or an infection or something?

 

[Kiki]

I don't know. I asked but no one really seemed to be sure, it's just been a while. My guess is a year since I seem to remember noticing her limp long before I started volunteering there.

So you don't think that thing in her foot is a thorn or an infection or something?

The thing?
The black on her toe is an infection but it's so little it would not be causing her to walk like that.
I think her leg was once broken and it healed wrong.

 

[KaseySnow]

Okay. For now I will try soaking anyway to help with the infection or whatever it is, and give her a gradual nail trim over the next few weeks so I don't cut the quick and hurt her. Maybe between getting those two things taken care of she will at least be more comfortable and possibly better able to walk.

Do you think she is in pain? She doesn't act like she is as far as I can tell, but if it is more humane to put her down I will recommend that they do that, as sad as it would make me. She's such a sweet chicken.

 

[Kiki]

If she is eating well and drinking then I am going to say she is NOT in pain.
If she has been walking like this for a year already she is used to it.

It is up to you to make the decision to put her down but I am going to have to say I personally would think you are a little off it you put her down because of this walk.

Sorry...I think that is quite extreme.

 

[KaseySnow]

I agree, I do not want to put her down, I do not think it is needed. The owners were suggesting it.

It is not my chicken.

That's why I'm here getting advice, I'm trying to inform the museum that owns the flock and advise them on what to do. I am just a volunteer.

I do not know if it has been a year, that is just my guess. The museum program director does not know how long she's been like this. I can try asking again.

 

[Kiki]

I agree, I do not want to put her down, I do not think it is needed. The owners were suggesting it.

It is not my chicken.

That's why I'm here getting advice, I'm trying to inform the museum that owns the flock and advise them on what to do. I am just a volunteer.

I do not know if it has been a year, that is just my guess. The museum program director does not know how long she's been like this. I can try asking again.

Oh Ok.
Tell the owners she should be fine.
Tell them when she quits eating and drinking to then think about putting her down, not now.

 

[KaseySnow]

Okay, I went and looked at her again this morning--the spot on her foot is gone?? So maybe it was just dirt or something and not an infection at all.

I was wondering if it might be gout? But I felt her feet and they were both the same temperature, not hot, not cold. The bad foot didn't feel any more or less firm than the other foot. Felt her comb too and it didn't feel particularly hot, just a steady body temperature.

I added some apple cider vinegar to the water in case there is anything inside that needs cleansing. I'm also going to dust the coop with some DE just in case there is a mite issue causing extra foot problems.

I did notice when she sat down that it looked like possibly she was getting pecked around her anus, I've never seen that before? But maybe it's just attracting attention because it's so red so the others are picking at it. Here's a picture of how it looks when she's sitting normally and when she's stretching:

I'm going to go ahead and give her the epsom bath soaks for her feet anyway, but is there anything I can do for her butt, or is that normal in older hens?

Also: Added another short video of her moving around that I took this morning, much easier to see/evaluate. You can also clearly hear her noise she makes.

 

[Kiki]

DE will do nothing to get rid of or kill bugs.
If you think there is a mite problem you need to use something that works.
Permethrin.
Go ahead and soak her feet but I see no point in stressing her out to do so when I am almost 100% positive it will do nothing.

You really should trim her long nails first to see if that will help her walk better.

 

[KaseySnow]

Yeah, I will trim when I can. I am waiting on the museum coordinator to buy the nail clippers. The DE is more of a precaution...also I have a 10lb bag I need to get rid of, haha.

The warm epsom salt is supposed to help in case there is gout I thought. At the very least it may soften up her nails a bit to make for easier trimming, haha. I thought it was supposed to help with mites as well? I was just going off of the treatment for foot issues thing that the FAQs on this forum links to. Here it is for reference:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

It recommends those things. Since I don't have access to other stuff like Permethrin, I figured it was worth a shot. I might coat them in Neosporin after the soak too, as the article recommends.

 

[Kiki]

Stressing chickens in general is not a good idea.
Stress alone (itself) can cause problems.

Yeah, I will trim when I can. I am waiting on the museum coordinator to buy the nail clippers. The DE is more of a precaution.

The warm epsom salt is supposed to help in case there is gout I thought. At the very least it may soften up her nails a bit to make for easier trimming, haha. I thought it was supposed to help with mites as well? I was just going off of the treatment for foot issues thing that the FAQs on this forum links to. Here it is for reference:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

It recommends those things. Since I don't have access to other stuff like Permethrin, I figured it was worth a shot. I might coat them in Neosporin after the soak too, as the article recommends.

I think you are way over thinking things, sorry.
Permethrin can be bought at almost all feed stores and even Walmart.
It's cheap.
DE will not prevent anything and it may actually cause more problems if the birds dust bathe in it and inhale it.
The dollar store sells cheap human toe nail clippers.