limping chicken - getting worse

[flockmomma]

My crossbeaked EE pullet, the one on my head in my avatar, is limping this morning. I can find one spot that looks like it is peeling on the underside of her foot, but not bleeding, bloody, or raw looking at all. As far as I can tell there is no breakage. But when she runs she is running really off, and when she comes to a stop she has that foot off the ground or barely resting on the ground. Lucy is very spoiled, and lets us carry her around all the time.

Here is her gimping it up in her house. Top pic shows about how much weight she will put on it.

 

[flockmomma]

Any thoughts as to what is going on with her foot?

 

[Egg Yolk]

The EXACT same thing happened to my little hen today she wont put pressure on her right leg. I don't know what to do either...

 

[Eggcessive]

She may have sprained her leg which should get better within a few weeks. Make sure that she can eat, drink, and can get on a short roost. If she isn't getting around very well, she could be rested in a crate, but it would be best if she is left free to move about.

 

[Wyandottes7]

How old is she? And is she vaccinated for Marek's Disease? If she is younger than a year or so of age, Marek's Disease is a possibility. Limping can be one of the first signs of Mareks. Hopefully, this isn't the case.

It might just be a sprain, so isolate her in a cage/crate with soft bedding and a low roost.

 

[flockmomma]

She is 18 weeks. There is a spot where the skin is tougher under that peeling location. No blood, just tougher there. She is eating her mash fine (hence the gunk in her muff). This wasn't something that came on slowly. Yesterday she was running to keep up with me and get her mash. Today she was keeping out of the way under the nest boxes. We do have baby dairy goats who may have stepped on her foot. And three children. And a BBB turkey. It is obviously related to her left foot. She is bearing all weight on the right foot when she walks, touching her toes down. She is not unbalanced any more than any other limping bird would be for a foot injury. I can probably put her in my daughter's old rabbit hutch or something.

 

[flockmomma]

I've let Lucy sleep in the garage last night. That kept her away from other chickens and she found herself a spot on the loose, sandy dirt to lay down. I put the remainder of her mash near her should she want to eat it.

 

[flockmomma]

She just limps around after me, but is taking it easy. If food is involved she hobbles after me, and gobbles it down. She has a buddy up here near the house, a RSL who is determined to lay her eggs up here. They are hanging in the garage. Lucy is tracking everything with her head, and manages to groom her backside while gimpy, so I am sure this is a physical injury. She has not lost any coordination (ie, not losing her balance at all).

 

[Eggcessive]

You might try her back in with the rest of the girls or put her in a crate at night in the coop for safety, just so she keep her position in the flock and doesn't have to be reintroduced.

 

[flockmomma]

She keeps on having some of the bigger hens visit her up here. Right now she is sleeping on top of a box in the garage. I have the door shut there, so it is as secure as the chicken coop. She has also been pooping like normal, just to throw that info in there.