Limping hen with no visible wound

[LulaBell]

We noticed our hen Karen limping Wednesday/ Thursday. I took her out of the coop yesterday morning and examined her well. Everything feels ok, her range of motion is fine, and her foot has no visible wound. Maybe she sprained something? Could she have a splinter? Any ideas? This morning when I checked her she was still limping. When standing she holds that foot up and it was quivering a bit.

I plan to bring her in to warm up then give her an epsom salt soak. After she’s clean I’ll examine her again. It’s probably nothing I need to worry about but I know chickens are good at hiding being hurt. I want to be certain it’s nothing serious and prevent it from happening again if possible.

I have 32 chickens total, 4 of which are roosters. They all free range daily on our 12 acres.

 

[Eggcessive]

Limping may be a sign of a sprained leg, especially if she is holding it up. Do you see any redness, green bruising, or swelling along her leg or joints? Check the bottom of her foot pad for any scabs or cuts. It might help to place her inside a wire dog crate with food and water, to force her to rest the leg, and keep it inside the coop where she remains part of the crowd. Resting the leg for a few days with a check to see if it is improving would be good. If the roosters are a bit aggressive, that might have been a cause. The Epsom salts soak for her leg may help, but be sure to blow dry her feathers if she gets her body wet.