Oh NO! Broken knee! My mother's chicken. Please help!

[zowieyellowflame]

Hello, my mom's pet chicken was found this am on its back, flailing, unable to right its self. Now it appears to be ok except that from the knee down, the leg just hangs. Any advice? Chicken eats well, drinks well and does not appear to be in any pain. My mother is very, very attached to this 4 month old chicken, please, any advice would be appreciated!!!

 

[elaucht]

I know this sounds bad , so sorry but you should kill her . It would be best. Even if you splint the leg and keep her still for 4-6 weeks she will never be 100%. It isn't fair to do this to the hen. Again I am sorry about your hen and it is hard. Wishing you the best.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

Umm. Ok. I don't know what to tell my mother. She is really hopeful and she says it seems like it does not even notice or flinch when you touch the leg. Couldn't it be splinted? Please? How would we do that? I understand about sparing an animal from pain, but it does not seem like it is in pain....

 

[Judy]

Plenty of people have splinted injuries like this. Usually just vet wrap is enough. You can get the same thing in the drug store for people, brightly colored wrinkly looking tape that sticks only to itself. Wrap it around several times. Watch the foot to be sure it is not too tight; take it off and rewrap it if the foot swells or the skin turns grey or blue.

It is a personal choice whether to kill the bird or try to heal it. Without an xray there is no way of knowing exactly what if anything is broken, and the previous poster is correct, there is a good chance it will not heal "normally" and the bird will always have a defect, but birds can and do live like this, with care, depending on how it comes out. One experienced chicken keeper on here has (or had, I don't know) a rooster who was seriously injured and could never walk again after he finally healed. She had a special home for him on her porch and would carry him to the others for social time every day, where he would lie on the grass. Lots of things are possible!

I am not a vet, and I am not saying vet care is not needed. Obviously, that would be the ideal route, it's just that many BYCers choose to decline that expense.

 

[beachchickie]

I know someone that splinted her chicken and it got better and someone that has a one legged rooster. He lived for about 2 yrs

 

[zowieyellowflame]

I have told them to try wrapping it. Fingers crossed! Thanks!