Limping hen with claw missing

[Norrey]

One of our hens started limping about a week ago. On closer inspection there was no signs of any infection or swelling but one of her claws was missing. We hoped that over time she would start showing signs of getting better but the opposite seems to be true. Now she doesn't just hobble but holds her foot in mid air and doesn't seem to be able to put nay weight on it. She eats, drinks etc fine and looks healthy other than the injured foot but as it seems to have got worse rather than better we're wondering what action we should take and whether anyone on the forum has any advice

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Norrey Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of her foot?

Without seeing it, it's hard to know what's going on, but you may want to soak the foot in a warm epsom salts bath. Gently clean the foot and inspect it for any swelling, infection, etc. (the bottom of the foot too)

It may be just really sore and she will benefit from having her activity restricted for several days. A dog kennel or crate set up in the run works well for this. Provide her with her own food and water. It's best to keep an injured chicken with the flock if at all possible.

Look forward to your photos, so we can give you better suggestions.

 

[Norrey]

I'll take some photos later when I get back from work. thanks for your reply.

 

[Norrey]

ok i tried to get some shots, but my phone was low on battery so flash not working and this is best I got, sorry.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What a cute hen!

Since she is holding the foot up and she is feather footed - do you see any broken feathers on that leg/foot that might be causing pain.

The foot to me, does not look swollen, I don't see any redness or anything alarming that would indicate infection, that I can tell from the photo.

I would limit her activity, see that she is eating/drinking well. Offer extra protein and poultry vitamins that contain B2 (Riboflavin). Give her a few days to see if that helps.

 

[Norrey]

Thanks, she's starting to really come into her own and has become our most friendly hen, so it's very upsetting to see her distressed. There were no broken feathers but I had to give a couple a bit of trim as one had grown back on itself and was curling under her foot which would eventually have made it very difficult to walk - I did this after she was limping so I could clean the whole foot and check it properly. Could the oddly growing feather have caused this? I hope I didn't make things worse? I just assumed it was the missing claw but there was no bleeding or swelling around it. She is still eating and drinking fine, but is becoming more and more reluctant to leave the coop so i will separate her out as you suggest and provide some vitamin supplements. One question I have about splitting her from the others (we have four at the moment) is whether the whole pecking order will have to be re-established when, hopefully, we put her back with them?

Thanks again for your reply and for the advice, much appreciated.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If she is caged/kenneled within the coop or run with the others, generally you won't have much trouble with integration since she didn't actually leave the flock. What I have done with injured chickens is limit activity for most of the day, then let them out for the last hour or so before roosting, this way they can interact a bit more, maybe take a dust bath, etc. Each flock is different, so you will just have to watch their behavior.