Leg deformity: 10 week old hen

LongevityKitchn

In the Brooder
May 20, 2015
24
2
44
NW Indiana
Hi,
We hatched 15 chickens for the first time, and raising them for eggs. We are doing this solely as a hobby and for fresh food. We have a girl with what seemed like a broken leg. We saw her constantly on the move, and she didn't seem to be in much pain. It continued to get worse, and now both legs are crooked from compensating. Finally the other birds started picking on her...just as everyone suggested. We separated her from the flock, and has her own large cage and food/water.
Everyone says we should kill her. But we are wondering if she is in pain? How do we know if she is suffering? We are not doing this for profit and want to give her a good life. She seems content. Anyone have pointers or understand signs of chicken suffering?
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Some vitamin deficiencies in parent stock can cause leg deformities from hatch, and also they can be hereditary. Slipped tendon, varus-valgus deformity, and tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) are some of them. Most of those get worse with the growing of the chicken where the hock tendons can rupture. I would give her a daily vitamin/mineral supplement such as Rooster Booster Poultry Booster on top of her feed to hopefully stop further damage. Most backyard chicken people will try to help these chickens live as good a life as possible, and when it becomes clear that they are suffering or in pain, put them down. To keep her part of the flock, I would place her in a pen with food and water, always near the other chickens, or separate her with a friend or two for company. Here is a little information about leg bone deformity and a thread about a lady (Ciqala) with a similar chicken she has raised and has let her just be a chicken:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790586/
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1051/leg-health-in-large-broilers/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/881786/cleopatra-my-easter-egger-who-walks-like-an-egyptian
 
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