limping chicken - getting worse

[junecleavage]

One of my little girls just started limping today. They have free range all day so there is no telling what she did to it. Like yours there is no sign of any kind of injury or anything. She hops around still but all on her left leg. I took her to the coop and set her by the food and water. She ate some and then laid down. I put her in one of the laying boxes so she'd be out of the other chicks' way, but still with the others. Please keep posting anything that you find that helps.

 

[flockmomma]

Well, we are a week into this and she is not getting better. Worse actually. Still able to stand, but due to the lack of fat/muscle stores on her, she is really weak. Using her wings and tail to keep herself propped up.

 

[flockmomma]

Am I crazy to be considering coccidiosis at this point? Or am I just grasping at straws? I have only had experience with cecal coccidiosis before. With really young chicks on non medicated feed about 13-14 years ago. I only am able to get ahold of Corid (Amprolium) in cow dosages.

When laying down, her feathers are pretty fluffed up, and often she is laying slightly on her side, with both feet in their usual laying down position (not one foot extended or pulled back). She dips her head too to balance herself. She is not taking as much food today.

I am keeping my eye on the rest of the flock, but so far, well, knock on wood....

 

[junecleavage]

Sorry she is not getting better. I am hopeful today that my little girls lameness in her leg was indeed just an injury. She has not shown any sign of weakness. As a matter of fact she got mad about being in her quarantine box and flew right out of it yesterday when I opened the lid to give her fresh water. It appears as though she is even trying to start putting some weight on it. I am trying her out running around in the coop today while everyone else is out and about in the yard. Hope she does well since I need the quarantine box for another girl who got attacked by a hawk yesterday.

 

[flockmomma]

Well, We had to put Lucy out of her misery tonight. We were gone most of today, but when we came back, she had passed a large amount of stool that was attached to her feathers, and she had maggots on her back end. She hadn't looked like that at all yesterday when I looked at her. A slight bit of stool of her feathers, but not like that. Her eyes still looked normal, her stool was hard and grain colored, aside from some vibrant green streaks in it. While she was alert, those maggots weren't helping her at all. She had lost what little weight she had on her, and it just wasn't right to let her suffer any more.

 

[junecleavage]

Sorry you had to put her out of her misery. We had to do the same for our girl who got attacked by the hawk.

 

[flockmomma]

Thanks. I am still worried about the rest of the flock. I am going to put them on CoRid for a while I think in case it had anything to do with going off medicated feed. Lucy was obviously immune-compromised due to the crossbeak and low weight there.

 

[vthokie]

I think putting the flock on Corid was a good call. My six day old Light Brahma had the same symptoms with the lame leg [it came on overnight]. She also wasn't eating or drinking at first and runny poop. Put her and the rest of the flock on Corid for five days and she is doing much better now. It could have just been a vitamin deficiency, but if she had Cocci, then the vitamins weren't getting through [as they have been on vitamins since day one].

She still has a little bit of trouble with her one leg, but she will at least eat and drink on her own now. She also has been standing and running around a lot more than she did. I think the Corid saved her life. Make sure the flock is not getting any supplemental vitamins while on Corid and give vitamins [Sav-A-Chick Electrolytes or Poultry Nutri-Drench] and probiotics after the 5 day stint of Corid.

 

[cageykgb]

We have an Ameraucana hen that is about 18 weeks old. Three days ago she had a slight limp and started laying down most of the time. It progressively got worse and today she can hardly walk or put any weight on her right leg. She has fallen over several times while trying to get back and forth to the feeder. I also noticed today that her right wing is now drooping down slightly, as though it's painful to hold it up in place. I checked her out and I did not find any abnormalities and she does not wince at all when I rubbed her leg and wing. Her foot pad and nails are all fine. I'm at a loss other than possibly a sprain that is getting worse??