Limping chicken Worse, please help

[KaelaM]

I noticed a couple of days ago that one of my chickens was limping. It was a small limp, barely noticeable. Yesterday it was worse, but she would put it down sometimes, her and my other pullet were both free ranging and she sometimes would stay with the other one but most the time she would stay in one spot or lay down. This morning I went out to check on them and I found her laying down in the run, she got up when I came next to her and she now keeps her foot up and will not put it down unless she has to take a step. I have looked at her leg and foot and did not notice anything at all, my mom looked at her while I held her and couldn't feel anything weird with the leg, but neither of us know what a chicken leg and foot is supposed to look and feel like. They have both just started laying and roosting, and are about 4 1/2 months old.

 

[BellaBokBok]

Check if there is anything stuck in her foot like a thorn or something
here is a chart of normal and un-normal chicken poo's that could help you figure out if there's anything wrong with her poo or if it's just normal (warning: it's gross!)
http://pluckandfeather.com/chicken-poo-chart-graphic.html

 

[KaelaM]

Check if there is anything stuck in her foot like a thorn or something
here is a chart of normal and un-normal chicken poo's that could help you figure out if there's anything wrong with her poo or if it's just normal (warning: it's gross!)
http://pluckandfeather.com/chicken-poo-chart-graphic.html

Thanks for the chart! I checked both feet and did not see anything abnormal.

 

[chickngal98]

Are her feet swollen in any area?

 

[KaelaM]

Are her feet swollen in any area?

Not that I noticed

 

[KaelaM]

I talked to someone and they said it could be a sprain. Does this sound right? Should I take her to a vet if she doesn't improve?

 

[dawg53]

Most likely she has pulled a ligament or tendon. I recommend you put her in a cage for rest and relaxation limiting her movement, seperated from the others. Provide her with feed and water. You dont want her standing up and moving around getting excited which will aggravate the injury and possibly make it worse. You can purchase vitamin B complex tablets and crush a few of them into powder and sprinkle the powder onto her feed to eat. Vitamin B complex may help speed up recovery, continue this treatment for 5 days. After the 5th day, release her and see if there's improvement. If not, put her back in the cage and continue the R&R for a week, provide the vitamin B complex in her feed again. After 7 days release her again. If she hasnt healed, recage her and stop the vitamin B complex treatment. These type of injuries take time to heal. It can take anywhere from a week, a month or never. Hopefully she'll have a speedy recovery, have patience with her and give her time to heal. In the meantime look for high places where birds can jump down from and eliminate them. Lower roosts as necessary to eliminate future foot/leg problems.

 

[KaelaM]

Most likely she has pulled a ligament or tendon. I recommend you put her in a cage for rest and relaxation limiting her movement, seperated from the others. Provide her with feed and water. You dont want her standing up and moving around getting excited which will aggravate the injury and possibly make it worse. You can purchase vitamin B complex tablets and crush a few of them into powder and sprinkle the powder onto her feed to eat. Vitamin B complex may help speed up recovery, continue this treatment for 5 days. After the 5th day, release her and see if there's improvement. If not, put her back in the cage and continue the R&R for a week, provide the vitamin B complex in her feed again. After 7 days release her again. If she hasnt healed, recage her and stop the vitamin B complex treatment. These type of injuries take time to heal. It can take anywhere from a week, a month or never. Hopefully she'll have a speedy recovery, have patience with her and give her time to heal. In the meantime look for high places where birds can jump down from and eliminate them. Lower roosts as necessary to eliminate future foot/leg problems.

Okay, thanks. I only have two and they do not like to be separated. When they are they call for each other. Would they get used to being apart?

 

[Judy]

With only two, I would not try to separate them. I would do what I could to limit their activity, such as temporarily removing the roost, and follow Dawg 53's other recommendations. Often when a chicken is isolated from a flock for healing, another is put with her for company. They will probably not do well alone.

 

[KaelaM]

With only two, I would not try to separate them. I would do what I could to limit their activity, such as temporarily removing the roost, and follow Dawg 53's other recommendations. Often when a chicken is isolated from a flock for healing, another is put with her for company. They will probably not do well alone.

Thanks