Yesterday morning, I was shooing my two spoiled little cockerels out an exterior door (they want to be house chickens), and just as I was closing it, Basil made a dash to get back inside. I heard a squawk and immediately realized some part of him had been caught in the door for an instant. He was holding his leg up. My son and I examined his leg and foot; there were no obvious injuries, no bleeding or abrasions. But he refused to put weight on it, so I was afraid of a small break somewhere or dislocation of his hip. I crated him up and gave him crushed low-dose aspirin and a vitamin/probiotic powder in his drinking water. Later in the day, I began to see swelling and bruising in his foot. Fortunately, his toes are warm. He is eating, perching, and vocalizing. Earlier today, I made a sling out of an old t-shirt so that he can be up off the floor of the crate without the exertion of getting up on the perch. (I am also discontinuing the aspirin as I’m afraid it’s contributing to the bruising and swelling.)
Questions: Should I try to splint his foot? Or tape his leg up to his body so the foot is more elevated (although I’m not sure I can get it above his heart like you would with a human) Should the sling be high enough that he can’t put weight on his good leg, or is that okay? I assume that if the good leg gets tired, he’ll relax into the sling and let it take the weight of his body?
I feel so bad. I’ve had chickens for almost ten years, and he is honestly my favorite chicken ever.
Questions: Should I try to splint his foot? Or tape his leg up to his body so the foot is more elevated (although I’m not sure I can get it above his heart like you would with a human) Should the sling be high enough that he can’t put weight on his good leg, or is that okay? I assume that if the good leg gets tired, he’ll relax into the sling and let it take the weight of his body?
I feel so bad. I’ve had chickens for almost ten years, and he is honestly my favorite chicken ever.
