Limping Hen with Green Poop

Saraschickens

Songster
Dec 8, 2023
230
98
101
Hi, my polish hen has had a limp for months now, I can't remember how far back. I'd wrapped it with vet wrap, over and over. She'd always get it off, and just pick at it relentlessly until she'd get it off. She seemed to get better, but just had a limp that never actually went away. So I stopped wrapping it. That was probably 6 months ago now. But I noticed her really limping hard again the day before yesterday, so I brought her in, gave her electrolytes and vitamins, and fed her wet and dry lay mash all day. Her poops were small, and kind of wetter, not solid. I put her back out in the evening, and she seemed a lot perkier. Yesterday, when I fed, she stayed where she was and didn't come get food. So I brought her in again and gave her yogurt, egg yolk, and lay mash. And vitamins and electrolytes again. I noticed she was more lethargic and tail down, but with spurts of energy. Apprehensive to eat and drink, but would get excited over the egg yolk. But when she pooped it was wet and green and white. Then she pooped again and it was very wet and very green with white. I posted a picture of it. I added another poop picture that was after that as well. I also cooked her an egg and mixed it with yogurt. I took her back out in the evening again, and brought her back in today in the morning. I gave her electrolyte/vitamin water from a syringe, some egg yolk, and then a ml and a half of raw goats milk in a syringe just now (my goat lady always recommends that). Which prompted her to eat some lay mash.
I know she's looking really bad, but I love her! Any advice on how to save her? No one else is having a problem, only her.
Any advice is welcome! Thank you!!
 

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For me the first obvious thing is her overgrown crest that looks to be impairing her view which can easily lead to malnutrition, dehydration and accidents.

What about her feet and nails, are they both clean and without cuts or other injuries?

Gently feel both her legs up to her hips to determine if one feels warmer or swollen. Palpate her hips as well as sometimes a hip anomaly or dislocation can be the cause for continuous limping.

Do you have a rooster and if so, hiw big/heavy is he and is he rather rough when mating?
 
Maybe she has bumblefoot. A telltale sign is a brown circular scab on the bottom of her foot.
She's had this limp so long, and the joint where it's injured still has a large bulb. It's the hock joint or elbow of her right leg. I had a hen get bumblefoot for the first time ever. I'd never delt with bumblefoot before until last year. I had my fully free roam rooster of that same breed get it this year. My guess is the spiny berry bushes, I've fenced them off since. I didn't think she had it, but I just checked and she totally has a bumble! I was so surprised to find it, and blown away that I didn't even check! Thank you for bringing it up! Treating it now!
 
For me the first obvious thing is her overgrown crest that looks to be impairing her view which can easily lead to malnutrition, dehydration and accidents.

What about her feet and nails, are they both clean and without cuts or other injuries?

Gently feel both her legs up to her hips to determine if one feels warmer or swollen. Palpate her hips as well as sometimes a hip anomaly or dislocation can be the cause for continuous limping.

Do you have a rooster and if so, hiw big/heavy is he and is he rather rough when mating?
I thought her crest might be a problem. I have checked it, and she can see, but obviously not fully. In that picture, she was extra pulled in though. I'll definitely give it a trim. Her injury is on her right hock joint/ elbow joint. It's always stayed bigger than the other. I haven't found any other joint injuries. When I originally integrated her and the other gold laced polish in, they were my shy breed, and wouldn't get down much. I finally succeeded in integrating them in, but she got that injury before that time. "talkinboutchickens" mentioned bumblefoot, and you mentioned feet as well, which I definitely didn't think was it, but after checking, she totally has one! I can't believe I didn't check! I'm treating that too now. Thank you for your suggestions and advice!
 
She's had this limp so long, and the joint where it's injured still has a large bulb. It's the hock joint or elbow of her right leg. I had a hen get bumblefoot for the first time ever. I'd never delt with bumblefoot before until last year. I had my fully free roam rooster of that same breed get it this year. My guess is the spiny berry bushes, I've fenced them off since. I didn't think she had it, but I just checked and she totally has a bumble! I was so surprised to find it, and blown away that I didn't even check! Thank you for bringing it up! Treating it now!
I am so so glad that we figured out what it was.
 

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