Limping chicken with weird poop

[Whistlinghill]

A couple other things I noticed while observing her. When she walks and stands, she droops her right wing down and sometimes both wings will droop. When she lays down she lays on her right side, never straight up and down.

 

[Whistlinghill]

Thanks for all of your responses! I feel better about her droppings now, they look really normal, the only thing I’m worried about is her limp. I do think she just sprained it jumping off the roost because she has no evidence of bumblefoot and has been vaccinated as a chick for Mareks. I’ve been giving her aspirin for the pain but I think I’m underdosing because it doesn’t seem to do much. How much aspirin is safe to give her?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you check with your vet to see if they could do a fecal float on her to look for worms and coccidiosis, and also they could prescribe meloxicam for pain and inflammation? Aspirin can cause bleeding in the GI tract if used more than a couple of days.

 

[Whistlinghill]

Can you check with your vet to see if they could do a fecal float on her to look for worms and coccidiosis, and also they could prescribe meloxicam for pain and inflammation? Aspirin can cause bleeding in the GI tract if used more than a couple of days.

Thanks I’ll check. That’s good to know about the aspirin. I had seen other people use it on this site but I’ll for sure talk to the vet about meloxicam.

 

[aart]

If limp is really bothering them by inhibiting their normal activities too much, I will isolate them in a crate to 'force' rest for a day or two. Letting them out late in day, an hour before roost time, to give them a stretch and evaluate their mobility, then decide if they need another day and put them back in crate off roost after dark. Repeat stretch and eval the next day until they are better. Keep crate in coop so bird can remain 'with' the flock.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[Whistlinghill]

If limp is really bothering them by inhibiting their normal activities too much, I will isolate them in a crate to 'force' rest for a day or two. Letting them out late in day, an hour before roost time, to give them a stretch and evaluate their mobility, then decide if they need another day and put them back in crate off roost after dark. Repeat stretch and eval the next day until they are better. Keep crate in coop so bird can remain 'with' the flock.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

thanks for the suggestion! I am for sure putting her back in with the rest of the flock (separated though) tomorrow.

 

[Whistlinghill]

She also laid an egg today and then a shell less egg about two hours later. Not much change in her behaviour otherwise.

 

[PDXJULES]

She also laid an egg today and then a shell less egg about two hours later. Not much change in her behavior otherwise.

This is helpful to me. I wondered if any egg anomalies, and if she has been laying, as the pic looked like a broken yolk to me. Can you increase her access to calcium and treat her as if egg bound if she puffs up or just hunches down? The walking funny may have been from a malformed or double egg in the Egg sac near the vent. Sometimes a malformed shell might be stuck in the vent, so try to look.

The blood may be from the oviduct shedding, or a rupture in the system. If she is very young as a layer, coming into sick bay in a darkened area to slow ovulation may help her sleep and heal. A little ACV in water can reduce bacterial load, and a tablespoon of yogurt mixed in her layer food may help good bacteria fight an infection if that us happening. Oregano and garlic can also be added to her layer feed. Good Luck!

 

[Whistlinghill]

This is helpful to me. I wondered if any egg anomalies, and if she has been laying, as the pic looked like a broken yolk to me. Can you increase her access to calcium and treat her as if egg bound if she puffs up or just hunches down? The walking funny may have been from a malformed or double egg in the Egg sac near the vent. Sometimes a malformed shell might be stuck in the vent, so try to look.

The blood may be from the oviduct shedding, or a rupture in the system. If she is very young as a layer, coming into sick bay in a darkened area to slow ovulation may help her sleep and heal. A little ACV in water can reduce bacterial load, and a tablespoon of yogurt mixed in her layer food may help good bacteria fight an infection if that us happening. Oregano and garlic can also be added to her layer feed. Good Luck!

Thanks! They’re all supplemented with free choice limestone, but when I brought her in I forgot to bring some with her so that might be why I ended up with the shell less egg. She laid another sometime last night but it was mixed in with droppings which seemed unusual to me. I put her back in with the rest of the pullets today in a separate cage and she started dust bathing which seemed like a good sign. She seems to be a little more mobile but still has a limp.

 

[Whistlinghill]

Hi all! It’s been a few weeks and I thought I’d update that Griffin is 100% better. No limp and has joined back into the flock happily. Thanks for everyone’s help! I think she just twisted it jumping off the roost and it took a while to heal. Her droppings are also normal.