I've got a chicken, Leggy (as she's a brown leghorn, not because she's limping) who has been limping for about 4 days.
It began on Saturday after a possible Hawk attack/encounter. (I didn't see it, my dog was inside and went wild at the back door and when I let her out and went outside, there were 7 hawks circling or perched on a tree overlooking my yard and my girls were under a pool deck.) I got them into their enclosure and Leggy was hopping on one leg. I was able to pick her up and didn't see any blood or obvious injuries - although she wasn't a cooperative patient and jumped down so I could easily have missed something.
I've kept the girls cooped up in their enclosure for the most part since then. Now, this is a 10x20 enclosure with a raised 8x4 coop.
Leggy would hop around, limping, but mostly hung out underneath the coop. One afternoon I did open up the enclosure and let the chickens out, all but Leggy and my crooked beak left. Now, it's normal for crooked beak to stay back and eat her food as I filled it right before they all left. It's not normal for Leggy to remain behind. However, about 15 - 30 minutes later, Leggy was limping around with the other chickens.
I was hoping that this would just go away on it's own, but this is the 4th day and she's still limping. She does leave the coop and go in the enclosure, but doesn't chase the treats I toss into the enclosure. She is back up on the roost at night.
Also, she's difficult to catch and doesn't like being held.
I'm going to have to grab her tomorrow and check for bramble foot. I'm planning on not letting them out of their enclosure, but she will still have room to roam around.
Should I get a small cage/dog cage and make her a little home to rest, keeping her inside?
If I do, what kind of issues will she have going back to the flock? (I've got 6 hens, she seems to be the lowest or pretty low in the pecking order) Is there a time frame where she can be let back with the flock as if she'd never left?
Irrelevant information, but just in case it's not, all of the chickens are molting and none are producing any eggs. Leggy had been the last to stop laying an egg and she hasn't laid in about 2 weeks. The chickens are about 1 1/2 years.
It began on Saturday after a possible Hawk attack/encounter. (I didn't see it, my dog was inside and went wild at the back door and when I let her out and went outside, there were 7 hawks circling or perched on a tree overlooking my yard and my girls were under a pool deck.) I got them into their enclosure and Leggy was hopping on one leg. I was able to pick her up and didn't see any blood or obvious injuries - although she wasn't a cooperative patient and jumped down so I could easily have missed something.
I've kept the girls cooped up in their enclosure for the most part since then. Now, this is a 10x20 enclosure with a raised 8x4 coop.
Leggy would hop around, limping, but mostly hung out underneath the coop. One afternoon I did open up the enclosure and let the chickens out, all but Leggy and my crooked beak left. Now, it's normal for crooked beak to stay back and eat her food as I filled it right before they all left. It's not normal for Leggy to remain behind. However, about 15 - 30 minutes later, Leggy was limping around with the other chickens.
I was hoping that this would just go away on it's own, but this is the 4th day and she's still limping. She does leave the coop and go in the enclosure, but doesn't chase the treats I toss into the enclosure. She is back up on the roost at night.
Also, she's difficult to catch and doesn't like being held.
I'm going to have to grab her tomorrow and check for bramble foot. I'm planning on not letting them out of their enclosure, but she will still have room to roam around.
Should I get a small cage/dog cage and make her a little home to rest, keeping her inside?
If I do, what kind of issues will she have going back to the flock? (I've got 6 hens, she seems to be the lowest or pretty low in the pecking order) Is there a time frame where she can be let back with the flock as if she'd never left?
Irrelevant information, but just in case it's not, all of the chickens are molting and none are producing any eggs. Leggy had been the last to stop laying an egg and she hasn't laid in about 2 weeks. The chickens are about 1 1/2 years.
