Limping Hen - Need Some Help! Pics included

[akf93]

Miss Mary here is an 8 month old Silkie that’s been laying for a couple months now. I noticed her limping a couple days ago when I let them out. Yesterday, I never saw her leave the nest. This morning, I set her out in the run with the others and she can get around but cannot put weight on her foot. The others were picking on her pretty badly so I put her back on her nest. She’s also acting broody - clucking and fluffing her feathers when I put her out today. I just noticed some swelling in the hock(? - not up on my bird anatomy) area. But I didn’t see any scabby spots or any open sores. Any thoughts? I want the best for my birds but I’m generally pretty hands off. Not bringing birds in my house to rehab and my hands are quite full with human littles. she seems pretty happy and safe in her box but will have to come out for food and drink. But if she’s broody anyway… it’s been a mild winter other than that cold snap awhile back. Generally pretty dry. She is missing a toe on the other foot from frostbite but that’s healed.

 

[akf93]

She has been laying normally thus far. She hasn’t laid today but did yesterday.

 

[akf93]

The other foot for comparison.

 

[picklestheduck]

So sorry you are dealing with this. Does it feel hot? Does it feel broken or anything?

 

[akf93]

So sorry you are dealing with this. Does it feel hot? Does it feel broken or anything?

Doesn’t feel hot. It’s not particularly more squishy or firm than the other. She pulls it away from me fine. I don’t notice it seeming broken? But she’s definitely in pain. I just let them out of the run. I’m going to set her outside now that the others are distracted and see what happens.

 

[picklestheduck]

Doesn’t feel hot. It’s not particularly more squishy or firm than the other. She pulls it away from me fine. I don’t notice it seeming broken? But she’s definitely in pain. I just let them out of the run. I’m going to set her outside now that the others are distracted and see what happens.

There is a possibility that it could be strained, and in that case you would want to force rest by keeping her in a dog kennel so she can’t move around a ton. I’m not sure though, does she put any weight on it at all? Is it possible it’s a skilled tendon? If you gently try to move it when she’s not tense does it have full range of motion still?

 

[akf93]

There is a possibility that it could be strained, and in that case you would want to force rest by keeping her in a dog kennel so she can’t move around a ton. I’m not sure though, does she put any weight on it at all? Is it possible it’s a skilled tendon? If you gently try to move it when she’s not tense does it have full range of motion still?

Seems to! I set her outside and she ate, drank, pecked at the ground for a bit. Dropped her wings and fluffed up when anyone got close. Then made it back into the raised coop to her nest. She keeps it raised when she’s not hopping along. If there are no open sores or scabs, is it likely a soft tissue injury? If that’s the case, how long til those normally heal? I’m pretty certain she’s broody and she was the mama I was hoping to let raise chicks for me this year! But not if she’s still hurting by then. Here’s a pic of her . And how she was looking near the others. Fluffed for sure but not mean like my other broody (my first broody) was. Still very docile.

 

[picklestheduck]

Hmmm. Unfortunately I am no expert, so I am unsure what it could be, but that would be my guess. Locking them in a crate is the best way to let them heal a strain or soft tissue injury that I know of, but that would break the broodiness too. Hopefully more experienced peeps will see this. @Miss Lydia

Edit: whoopsie didn’t mean to tag miss Lydia but maybe she has some input

 

[Miss Lydia]

It sure does look a might swollen, could be she landed wrong when coming out of the nest, just hard to know. But like @picklestheduck mentioned rest is the only way for a sprain or injury to heal. We can't put a time limit on how long it will take to heal though. You could add some poultry Nutri drench or poultry cell to her drinking water which can help build her up while she is healing. When our ducks have a leg injury we rec Liquid B complex not sure if this is the way to go with Miss Mary though lets get @Eggcessive can help.

 

[akf93]

Video of her limping finally uploaded! I’d also love opinions on her possible broodiness. Maybe she’s fluffed for balance? She’s not very territorial is the main reason I question. She spent maybe ten minutes outside here and then went back to her nest. Another hen was on the (empty) nest and Miss Mary just waited on a roosting bar patiently until the other hen left. If she IS broody, maybe she wouldn’t make a good mama if she doesn’t have some feist to her? Would a non-broody injured hen continue back to the same nesting box like that?