My sweet girl is limping...

[Ohio Chick]

So I came out to the coop the other day & found my RIR limping around on her one leg. I picked her up & checked her out but I don't see any injuries at all. There's no difference in the legs, no bumblefoot and she was vaccinated for Marek's disease. She puts weight on it only to limp. She is still eating & drinking with no change in her personality. I can only assume she injured it by jumping or something. What I need to know is if this is common & what should I do for her to get her healthy? I haven't found a chicken vet & there's not a lot of information about what to do. She's just over a year old & I have sand in the coop, so it's a softer cushion when the chickens jump. I tried soaking her in a warm bath, she loved it but it didn't seem to help the limp. If anyone has some suggestions I would be so grateful. I have her separated from the flock in a crate in the coop because she was getting picked on. I let her out in the evening for a little bit so she can eat some grass but I thought limiting her mobility seemed like good idea.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about your hen.

When was the last time she laid an egg?

With limping it can be hard to know the cause unless you see obvious swelling/injury. It could be anything from a minor sprain, reproductive problem to Marek's disease (vaccinated birds can have symptoms too unfortunately).

Separation was good since the others were picking on her, if it's a sprain, limiting her activity can help with healing. Chickens pick on the sick and weak, so give her a thorough exam from beak to vent - look for lice/mites, check the crop first thing in the morning to see if it's empty, re-check the legs for swelling/injury, feel her abdomen for bloat/swelling or fluid and consider having a fecal float.

 

[Ohio Chick]

I'm sorry to hear about your hen.

When was the last time she laid an egg?

With limping it can be hard to know the cause unless you see obvious swelling/injury. It could be anything from a minor sprain, reproductive problem to Marek's disease (vaccinated birds can have symptoms too unfortunately).

Separation was good since the others were picking on her, if it's a sprain, limiting her activity can help with healing. Chickens pick on the sick and weak, so give her a thorough exam from beak to vent - look for lice/mites, check the crop first thing in the morning to see if it's empty, re-check the legs for swelling/injury, feel her abdomen for bloat/swelling or fluid and consider having a fecal float.

She actually laid an egg today so she's not egg bound. She's usually an awesome layer, almost every day she lays. I will keep checking her but I check my birds regularly for lice & mites & I haven't seen any evidence of any but I'm new at all this. Dogs & cats I know well but birds not so much. What would be a good time period to say she's not going to recover? I love her so much, she's our favorite chicken but I can't keep her crated indefinitely & the other chickens would hurt her if I put her back in this condition. I will try to find a vet but we don't have a ton of money for vet bills.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's good that she laid her egg.
Can you post a video of how she walks?

Sadly, there is no timeline as to when she may get better. Determining the cause of the limping would help. Vets can be expensive and sometime finding one that will see chickens proves difficult.
Do what you can for her, keep her hydrated, add poultry vitamins to her water and see that she is eating well.

 

[Ohio Chick]

It's good that she laid her egg.
Can you post a video of how she walks?

Sadly, there is no timeline as to when she may get better. Determining the cause of the limping would help. Vets can be expensive and sometime finding one that will see chickens proves difficult.
Do what you can for her, keep her hydrated, add poultry vitamins to her water and see that she is eating well.

Ok, I think it might be bumblefoot after all. I looked her over again & spent so much time researching it. Most of the pictures I saw on bumblefoot were the last stage terrible pics & hers didn't look like that. She does have the round black spots on both her feet. I soaked her feet & tried my best to pop the plug, then put honey & Neosporin on it & wrapped them. I've been soaking her feet every night & rewrapping them but every time I change her bandages she bleeds again. I'm just not sure if she needs antibiotics or not. I've looked over my other chickens & found the round black sores on 2 others. So I've repeated what I was doing with those also. I ordered the Tri Neo Powder online but I haven't received it yet. I just wish I had more experience so I could help them & know what I was doing was right. I'm not sure how long I need to wrap their feet & soak them & I'm not sure if I got all the plug or if they need antibiotics.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok, I think it might be bumblefoot after all. I looked her over again & spent so much time researching it. Most of the pictures I saw on bumblefoot were the last stage terrible pics & hers didn't look like that. She does have the round black spots on both her feet. I soaked her feet & tried my best to pop the plug, then put honey & Neosporin on it & wrapped them. I've been soaking her feet every night & rewrapping them but every time I change her bandages she bleeds again. I'm just not sure if she needs antibiotics or not. I've looked over my other chickens & found the round black sores on 2 others. So I've repeated what I was doing with those also. I ordered the Tri Neo Powder online but I haven't received it yet. I just wish I had more experience so I could help them & know what I was doing was right. I'm not sure how long I need to wrap their feet & soak them & I'm not sure if I got all the plug or if they need antibiotics.

Can you post some photos of the feet?
How long has it been since you worked on the feet? Personally I would eliminate the honey and just pack the wound with neosporin after you have soaked the feet. Are you keeping her on soft bedding?
You may find this article helpful http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning/

 

[Ohio Chick]

Thanks so much for that article, it was fabulous! She seems to be doing better. I broke down & took her to the vet. The vet said I did a pretty good job with the plug, she got a little more out of the one foot though. The vet liked the honey idea, she said she uses it too. She also prescribed some anti-inflammatory/pain med that she put in little syringes I could shoot in her mouth. After about a week of treatment & wrapping her feet, she is limping a little less & is back with her sisters. I still separate her at night, she's in a crate on the sand floor of the coop with straw in the crate. She seems happier & she's continuing to eat & drink & lay eggs, so hopefully we're out of the woods now. The other two are fine, their feet look good & it never seemed to bother them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad you were able to seek vet care and that she is on the mend!
Thank for the update