Lame Pullet Failure to Thrive

[Johannanoel]

Hello. I have a 3 month old White Leghorn pullet that I am raising with 4 Barred Rocks of the same age, and an older flock of 14 hens and one rooster. They all free roam, are fed commercial lay pellets and scratch and retire to a nesting coop at night. I bought them as peeps at a feed store.The White Leghorn has had a failure to thrive, sits on her haunches to eat, drink and rest. When she walks she "acts" as if her legs hurt, walking stiff legged with a side to side gait, and hunching her body. Her legs, the part between the "ankle" and where the feathers start are yellow, the scales are tight, but the entire leg appears to be swollen, or thick. Much thicker than her peers. This condition is the whole length of the leg and does not appear to be in the joint, just the leg. I feed her separately so that she is sure to eat. She can not scratch so can eat only what I provide her. She stays close to the coop, sitting or squatting unless she has to walk. No injury or trauma, poop normal but often stuck to her feathers as she doesn't stand often, doesn't appear to be in pain except when she walks. She is alert, friendly but I guess my question is, is this a poultry abnormality? Specific to her breed? Should I put her down or continue to let her struggle? Thanks for any help, advice or observations! Most appreciative! Johannanoel

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

If she's struggling, I would put her down, but that's what I WOULD DO. Go with what you think is best & good luck.

 

[chookchick]

I would get her some poly-vi-sol at a drug store and begin giving her drops by beak twice a day. I did this with my lame chick (1 drop per day) and it helped tremendously. There are several leg conditions caused by deficiencies. Also make sure her diet otherwise is very good--no scratch or high carb treats, adequate protein, some fresh greens etc...and of course plenty of water that she can reach. I'm not sure how much poly-vi-sol one would give an older pullet--does anyone know that amount?

 

[Johannanoel]

Thank you. I will try the drops. I would like to give her a good chance at making it before I take the next step. She is like a little puppy....stays by my feet waiting to be lifted to her food but I can see that getting from spot to spot is difficult for her and I don't want her to suffer. This is a wonderful forum! I'm glad to have discovered it and know it will be a constant resource for me. Thank you.