leg broken and dangley...what can I do for her?

[AdrieeC]

I am so frustrated with my chickens...they keep getting into accidents!

While dh was outside working in the yard he saw our rooster run up and mount one of the hens. She protested loudly and tried to get away but was not able to. I guess DH was not able to stop the encounter in time... The chicken is otherwise fine. She does not seem to be in any pain at all. Eating and drinking. Her right leg is completely limp and dangley and doesn't respond to any stimulation. She's not able to move around well. the non-feathered portion of her leg is separated from the feathered portion.

I have her inside right now, hanging out with my other injured chicken.

Is there anything I should be worried about in terms of the chickens health and the condition of the leg...would it rot off or something?

With 4 dogs and a cat it is not very practical to have a house chicken... My injured chickens are confined to cages in the bathroom...And I am pretty sure that life would suck for her. I am going to propose a small chicken tractor for the two of them.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Well, is the skin broken at all? If you can see bone, she is at high risk for infection - not just surface infection, but it could get into her bloodstream - that is not what you want to happen. I had 2 of my favorite silkies each get 1 leg mangled from something getting into the pen. My DH hates doing it, but he put them to sleep for me. I would have kept them in the house forever if I knew it was practical, and they would have been comfortable, but I can't imagine the pain they must've been in, so I made the decision. She is your girl, but sometimes they need us to help them in ways we don't always want to help.

If her leg is broken (without penetrating the skin) or dislocated, it can heal, and she can live a good life. If broken, make a splint for her and wrap so that the leg will stay in a natural position. Antibiotics don't hurt as a preventative either. If the joint is dislocated, you'll need to pop it back into the correct position. If it is a tendon issue (which it could be since it's just dangling) keep her confined and limit her walking. I had a rooster that either tore or slipped a tendon, and I confined him to the horse trailer (best place I had for him at the time). I put his food and water right in front of him so he didn't need to get up, and he did heal very well on his own. Once he was able to use his leg again, he had a limp, but after a while I couldn't even tell he was ever hurt.

Good luck with your girl, I hope things turn out alright!

 

[MotherJean]

Personally, I'd send that roo to freezer camp. I have no time or patience for a rooster that abuses his hens. They aren't all like that and I don't need that kind of strife in my flock. As to treating your hen, separating her and keeping her in a confined space is a sensible first step. Does it look like the bone is fractured or does it appear dislocated at the joint? You can give her a baby aspirin dissolved in a couple cups of her drinking water to help with the pain and swelling while you assess your options.

 

[AdrieeC]

Thankfully the skin is not broken. it is either a joint issue or a tendon issue, and I am actually leaning toward the joint first. The leg does not seem to be connected to the body. I will see if dh can locate the joint and perhaps he can pop it back in. It seems like it would be difficult to put a splint on this because even if I did there doesn't seem to be a way to keep it attached at the body. We have discussed the possibility of putting Wally in the freezer, but I don't know if dh has made the choice yet. She is in a 2x2x18 ish cage with food and water and the other injured hen. neither of them should really move around much, and they seem content to be together. This is why we discussed the smaller chicken tractor, but they will stay in the pen for now.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Quote:
Well, that is a good outlook for her then! If he can pop it back in, just keeping her confined and in a normal sitting position should work for healing purposes. If her hip is out of joint I don't know that a split would do much of anything... poor girl would be totally wrapped up in vet wrap just to keep it on and in position!

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Quote:
You got that right! The only thing worse than a flogging roo is one that is rough with the girls. My last roo and alpha hen were relentless at abusing the two girls at the bottom of the pecking order. The whole flock got stressed due to this and quit laying. They were removed from the flock so fast they didn't know what happened. The flock settled down and all got along great after that. They were back laying within a couple of days. Too many gentlemen roos out there to put up with that mess.

 

[Jeeper1540]

this is why i never got roosters. i didnt want the stress on the hens like that.