Lame chicken

[Erika]

Well, I have a chicken in my bathtub again! She is about 1 1/2 to 2 months old, Silkie/Cornish cross. A couple days ago I saw one of our guineas chasing her and pecking and she just kept trying to hide. Now for 2 days she'd been laying in a secluded spot--I protected her from the guinea, and yesterday from any of the other chickens too, just so she could rest. Finally brought her in this evening because she wasn't looking any better. We can find no outward evidence of injury but she is laying with one leg stretched out with the toes all kind of curled in. When we try to help her stand she does exert some force with the leg but she just cannot stand. We cannot feel any kind of break in the leg. I am worrying a little about disease, but I guess that is unlikely with the very sudden onset of this behavior right after I witnessed that attack. Any ideas on what sort of injury could be causing this and what I can do to help her? Thanks

 

[Blue_Myst]

I suppose she could have sprained it? Does she act like it hurts to put weight on it, or she can't put weight on it period?

Another thing that comes to mind is that the guinea and other chickens have kept her away from the food, and she has a vitamin deficiency. I'd try to give her some plain yogurt and maybe some scrambled egg for protein.

Best of luck with her!

 

[genabeana]

I have a chicken with a lame foot also. It is from fighting for it's life with a fox, an winning. I'm thinking that I just have to let it heal and hopefully it will (heal).

If I hear any different from my post about my chicken, I'll add to yours!

 

[Erika]

Never thought of a sprained leg--I suppose that is possible. She does try to put some weight on it but then flops down very quickly. I cooked up one of her own mama's eggs for her and she started right in on it. My husband said he thought she felt kind of thin to him, so the others may have been keeping her from the food. I'll have to try to pick up some yogurt. She's peeping quite a bit now, kind of flopping around from time to time. I feel so bad for the 2 days she was outside by herself.

 

[Erika]

Quote:
I had a Silkie roo living in the bathtub for a week last November from a fight with a fox--took a large chunk out of his back. It about made me faint to look at him but I had to help him. A lot of TLC and neosporin and he recovered, still can hardly believe it.

 

[emvickrey]

I know what you mean. They heal fast. I have one that just went back outside today. She has been in my brooder for a week from haivng the skin ripped from her neck. It was pretty gross but with neosporin and TLC she is almost healed completely. She had less flesh than she had flesh covering her neck and it was hanging. I cleaned it all real good and payed the skin back over to cover as much as I could and packed it with neosporin and wrapped it up and the next day the dressing was stuck to where it drained. It took 2 days to pick it all out and she was the perfect patient. She should be able to g back with her buddies in a few days I suspect.

I would think that your poor baby is vitamin deficient and could have also sprained her leg or foot from getting chased around. I would keep her as still as I could until I could get her vitamins in her. You can also give her Poly Vi Sol vitamins for kids and electro lites in her water, yogurt and scrambled eggs.

I've never had to boost one as of yet anyway but i've read alot of posts about it. That is every thing I can remember I read to boost ones vitamin defienciency and to help healing.

 

[Silkie-lover33]

my polish doesn't eat anything but corn and cucumber seeds and has little pinprick dots on her throat, the little white one eats quite a lot but doesn't grow very much. It has crooked legs that are kind of chubby in the middle, better at walking but doesn't seem to be growing very well.



P.S. All the other sisters and brothers of the polish died mysteriously.