limping when walking, large bump on hock, getting worse, see picture, what should we do?

[Gene Pointer]

We are new chicken people and now one of our 4 month old chickens has a bad limp. I noticed it walking a little funny over a month ago and now it's getting worse. On closer inspection noticed this bad bump, should have checked sooner, I am feeling like a bad chicken owner. What is it? Can anything be done? Thanks for any advice offered.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Is the lump hard or squishy? Any scabs or scrapes?

 

[Gene Pointer]

Seems squishy, did not notice any external wounds, I will check more closely tomorrow.

By the way your quote by Chris August is great. It reminds me of the poem "All Things Bright and Beautiful" by Cecil Alexander.
Some of the lines are as follows:

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

If it's squishy, it could be an abscess (sp?). I have never had one on a chicken, but I raised rabbits for years and they are bad about getting them. Get a good look at it---to do so, hand the girl up-side-down by her legs til she stops flopping (it won't hurt her) and examine it closely. If it's squishy and had no wound, I would guess an internal abscess. Either way, you have two options---treatment or cull. As a total marshmellow, I always try to treat first, but I understand the argument to cull weaker birds. Check it out and let me know. Either way, I would go ahead and separate her from the rest of the flock to a quiet dog crate or smaller pen.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

And thanks about the quote. I love that poem as well. Google "Stary Night" by Chris August if you haven't heard it. Fabulous song! And beautiful lyrics!

 

[Gene Pointer]

We are going for treatment as our chickens are really pets. After some reading on the subject we have decided to give the chicken penicillin g procaine. I gave it a shot in the breast muscle, we are planning to give a series of 4 shots. May be a bad course action but we felt something needed to be done. Welcome any thoughts, comments.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

I would treat it too, if it was me. And antibiotics aren't a bad idea, though you need to counteract with some probiotics in her feed to keep her stomach from getting all backwards. I would give her yogurt a few times a day. You can give it straight or mix it with a little grain. And I would lance that abscess. It's how we always treated our rabbits. It helps get the infection out way faster so she can heal. It's a nasty business, but I've done it 100 times on rabbits. It can't be that much different on a chicken.