Momma with broken leg

[Gramma Wendy]

Hi, I have a hen (one of my faves) with a broken leg. I can't euthanize her cuz she has 4 babies (3 weeks old). I don't know what to do. the leg is just dangling. no fixing it with a splint i already tried that. so she just lays there and drinks and eats and the babies walk and poop all over her. i feel so bad. i don't know if chickens just hang on for their babies like people do? i do have one other hen with 3 chicks and they're only a few days older. what are the chances she would take them in?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you post pictures? Tagging some experts, @MysteryChicken @azygous @Eggcessive please help!

 

[Themellowyellows]

Uh oh! Thats not good! Are you sure you cannot help? Vets around you?

 

[Eggcessive]

It depends on how old the chicks are. I have added baby chicks to a broody who only hatched one chick successfully. But there is a chance they could be pecked and attacked. I have placed one at a time under the hen, but I would advise you to be present to make sure they are getting attacked. You could also try to place them in a brooder with a heat source. If you have pictures of the leg, that would help. Where on the leg is the fracture? Could you make her a chicken sling to get her up and in front of food and water to help her rest the leg? Here are good examples in post 5, and 11-14:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Susan Skylark]

I know this sounds gruesome but can you have someone hold her while you cut the dangly leg off with a side cutter? Apply a tourniquet above the injury/cut point to control bleeding. Try to get her on an oral antibiotic until it scars over. Apply blue kote to keep dirt and bugs out. Bed her deep and make sure food/water are accessible.

 

[Gramma Wendy]

the break is at the knuckle. i watched videos to see if it was dislocated or broken. and i did wrap it so it was braced and would heal but it's just gotten worse. there really are no pics to take. the bottom half of the leg just dangles. i'm just sick. how do they learn to get around if you cut the bottom part of the leg off?

 

[Gramma Wendy]

well, i went out to check on her and she was so weak and i actually thought she was already dead. so i put her down. she hung on for her babies long enough. she was a good mommy.

when i let the other girls out and counted them 2 were gone. not including her. one was the other mom and her 3 babies. when i opened up the coop door she was just hanging out by the kennel by jamal and her 4 babies. so i'm really hoping she'll just adopt them.

 

[Themellowyellows]

Aw sorry God bless! She is in a better place.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss, and glad she is not suffering. Let us know how the chicks get along. Do you have a heat source and brooder until you can see if the hen accepts them?

 

[Gramma Wendy]

earlier today, after i took their mommy away from them, i took jamal's babies outside. i have a pen that is covered that i made so they could spend time outside without me worrying about them getting loose. i have 2 of them. karen and her 3 were in the other one for a few hours a day until i let them out to just let karen take care of them. i would put jamal and her 4 in the other one.

anyway, karen always takes her babies into the coop early cuz she likes to sit right smack dab in the middle of the lower roost. so i waited and when she was in there with them, i closed both coop doors. then i got the other 4 and put them in there and just watched. at first she seemed like she was going to accept them. but then she started pecking them and i had to separate them back into their kennel that i have in the coop for them. but then karen seemed pissed at me cuz i had done that.

i don't know what to do. for now jamal's 4 are in the kennel in the coop til i get home from work tomorrow. i don't know what else to do.

i put a towel over the kennel on the one side so it would stay warmer for them and put a stuffed animal in there also. they don't need a warmer. their almost fully feathered.