Limping, molting and cannibalized chicken...help!

[Royal Red]

* Moved post; felt it was under the wrong topic heading.
I have a year old Wyandott that is molting for the first time. Her new quills are coming in nicely, but I had to remove her from the flock because she started limping and the flock picked her back until they drew blood. She started molting five days ago, and began limping three days ago. I have read several post looking for what may have caused her limp. In all probability she could have hurt herself jumping over our 3' gate to graze in the backyard, but I am not sure what to look for on her leg or underside. She does have one little mark on her foot that might be bumblefoot, but it appears more like a bruise than a sore. I have her inside in a cage and have started an oral antibiotic. I have given her two baths to soak her foot and bottom, even tried to check her vent for lodged eggs (not sure I am doing it correctly) applied antibiotic cream on her back, and have a heat light on her to raise her temperature. She is still drinking and eating twice a day, but she has hardly passed any droppings and definitely no eggs. Any suggestions of what I should be looking for that is causing the limp? Thanks from Michigan!

 

[teach1rusl]

If you don't see anything obvious that would be making her limp, she may have simply twisted her leg when jumping down from the roost or over something. I would think that if bumblefoot was causing her to limp, she'd actually have a swollen area on her foot - it would be noticeable compared to the other foot.

Keeping her contained is a good idea - if she's injured her leg, this will restrict her movements and will give her leg time to recover. Plus it'll allow you to keep monitoring her feeding/drinking/pooing habits.

If you girl is in a draft free area, she most likely doesn't need the heat lamp (unless she's wet from a soaking/bath). You might consider a chicken saddle/apron (several people sell them here on BYC) for her to protect her back until her feathers have grown back. Are you sure that other birds are picking at them?? I'm only asking because during one molt, my wyandotte would pick at her own feathers until she bled - I guess the shafts coming through irritated/hurt her, so she would pick at them...