My Pullet can't walk

[randomchicklady]

My 8 week old pullet (barred rock) suddenly can't walk. It seems to me like her 'hock' (I don't know chicken terminology - the top of her leg at the joint where the feathers start) is hot and swollen on one side. She is very interested in food and water, but I have to give her her own tray because she can't reach the regular feeder/waterer. I ended up isolating her, within the coop, because every time I gave her her own food the others would trample her and steal it. So she has been getting starter feed, water with electrolytes and yogurt. Is there anything else I can be doing? I feel like I should be icing it or giving epsom soaks, but I don't know how that would go over with a chicken...I'm new to chickens.

Thank you for any advice.

edited to add - not only can't she walk - she can't stand at all. Her wings flap fine (when I pick her up), And she has been vaccinated for Marek's.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

Did your chicks get vaccinated for mareks?
I would do this if you want to keep her instead of culling her

give her the Vit E and Vit B Complex


(1 in the chickens water put the apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp ACV to pt of water

Do this till after the chicken is better. Should be able to put the ACV water in a small waterer for the chicken put 1 tbsp to pint of water for the chicken
or if she is left with others put 1 tbsp of ACV to 2 qts of watwer

(2 immediately give the chicken 1000 mg capsule of liquid Vit E by cutting the end of the capsule and taking the vit E capsule and let the oil run into the chicks beak

(3 also need to crush a vit B complex pill in a tbsp and put it into a tsp of water and put it in ther beak after it is disolved
you can suck it up in a straw and then put finger over straw and let run down the throat

(3-B Do both Vit's twice today then for 7 days till you see some improvement in the chicken
put the vitamins opened and crushed in the wet mash

then give twice a week for two weeks should see much improvement

(4 I would do step 2 and 3 by giving her some of the wet mash
I give here to build up her gut flora with the milk an yogurt

(4-B you can cut the tip off the vit E and put in wet mash
also crush the Vit B Complex in tabsp and put it in the wet mash to get her going now

(5 after today I would see if the chicken will eat a
natural probiotic wet mash
2 tsp of dry crumbles
4 tsp of milk sweet, sour or buttermilk
1 tbsp of non flavored yogurt
mix good and put the
vit E liquid as directed in the wet mash
and crumble the Vit B complex tablet in a tabsp and add to the wet mash

(6 Do this twice a day for 7 days to see if the chicken gets better
then do this once a day for another week then once a week for a while
this should give the nervous system some stability

(6-B this will give the chicken the stability of maybe helping the swelled hock to get well
I do hope that it will help your chicken
the natural probiotic and vitamins will give the nervous system some help.

(7 you can email by PM for more information and include this inf so I remember what is happening

 

[speckledhen]

She may have a soft tissue injury in that hock or possibly a back injury. Hard to say. Perhaps give her a baby aspirin twice a day to quell the inflamation in the hock area? Might help some. Sorry that I can't be more help here.

 

[randomchicklady]

Thank you for the replies.

Glenda, thank you for all the details. All the chicks have been vaccinated already. She has been getting yogurt and electrolytes - I will see if there are any vitamins in that mix and if not start her on the supplements you recommended.

Speckled Hen, great idea on the aspirin, I had no idea chickens could have that, it never even crossed my mind. I don't *think* there is a back injury, because when I pick her up she can flap both wings just fine, but there is definately something going on with her one leg. All she can do is lay down, and it is somewhat lopsided, which seems to me like she is trying to keep weight off that one side. She can kinda shimmy herself around while she is laying down a bit. I gave her a baby aspirin, there is definetely heat and swelling in that one hock (is that what it is called in chickens too? I'm a horse girl.) so hopefully she will get some immediate relief from that.

Thanks so much!

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

I think it would be good advice to use the one here first for bad joint to help her walk and take pressure off the joint
also feed the vit's and wet mash probiotic also.

ORTHOPEDICS FOR POULTRY MADE EASY FOR BEGINNERS
By D.C. Townsend

These treatments have been tested and proven effective. I developed them for peafowl but they
may be used for any poultry. The key to success is to begin treatment promptly. In some cases delay
will kill or cripple the chick.

HOBBLE BRACE
ACHILLES TENDON OUT OF THE GROOVE
When the Achilles tendon slips out of the groove on the hock joint, a peachick will not be able to
straighten its leg. The problem needs prompt attention because the struggling peachick will put
its weight on the hock joint which will damage the skin and cause swelling in the joint. The tendon
can be pushed back in place with just one finger or a very gentle squeeze between the thumb and index
finger. Sometimes just one treatment will give a complete cure that seems like a miracle. Other
times several treatments are needed. Stubborn cases require advanced treatment that is too difficult to
explain here. I treated both legs of a peachick for two weeks; She grew up to be a healthy peahen.

CROOKED TOES
Sometimes a peachick hatches with toes rolled into a fist. They may straighten out on their own
in the first day of life. If they do not do so, I make a CHICK SHOE (see illustration below) from
black pipe cleaner available in the crafts department at Wal-Mart. I use black ones because
bright colors are more likely to be pecked by other peachicks. One packet of Westrim Crafts Chenille
stems costs 89 cents and will last for years. Any kind of half inch wide tape can be used to attach the CHICK SHOE to the toes, but I prefer Johnson and Johnson First Aid clear tape. I cut a piece a quarter inch long for the middle toe. I cut another piece the same length and split into two quarter inch-wide pieces for the other toes. Eight hours of treatment is usually enough time to end the problem on a day-old peachick.

CHICK SHOE
Not Actual Size
HALF SHOE
Not Actual Size
In the 1995 hatch, I had a number of peachicks with a kink in the outer toe of one or both feet.
They were well past a week old when I decided that I must do something about it. I made HALF SHOES of black pipe cleaner. I tore off a quarter inch-wide stripe of duck tape several inches long and secured
the HALF SHOE to the middle and the outer toe. Several days of treatment were needed. Some of the
HALF SHOES came off and had to be taped on again, but all treated peachicks had straight toes at the
end of the treatment. There is a young peacock that I missed treating. Now it is too late and he will
always have a kink in his outer toe.

STRADDLE LEGS
This problem can occur even if you take the precaution of having quarter inch hardware cloth
under your peachicks. Sometimes it is caused by the struggles of a chick with its toes rolled into
fists. In that case, both problems must be treated at the same time. I cut a piece of tape four or
five inches long and from the HOBBLE BRACE with the legs far enough apart so that the peachick can walk. The tape must go the whole way around and cover its sticky side so that it does not stick to the
peachick's fuzz when it sits down. Usually 24 hours of treatment is sufficient, but sometimes more is
required. CHICK SHOES and the HOBBLE BRACE can be used at the same time.

email me PM if you have more questions