Please help! Limping Chicken!

[Henny0831]

One of my hens is limping! Earlier in the day she wasn’t (not that I noticed anyway) and now she’s limping. She will only go so far then lay down. She is also spreading her wing out when she walks. Maybe to keep balance? I’m going to monitor her but was just wondering if anyone has had experience with this? I know this may be minor but this is the first time one of my ladies has had an issue. Thanks in advance!

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Does she seem to favor one foot/leg? Also, is her comb a little blue and is that new?

 

[Henny0831]

I can’t really tell if she’s favoring one side. She’ll limp a long then lay down. She won’t stand on one leg. It maybe looks like the very top top is slightly turning blue but the rest is still bright red. She’s also opening and closing her mouth a lot. Could she have something stuck in her throat?

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Sounds like she's in distress. I don't know a whole lot about chicken illnesses/injuries. Has she been laying, are her poops normal looking, how old is she, how long have you had her? Has she been wormed? I would answer those questions and someone else will peobaby weigh in. @casportpony , @NanaKat , @Eggcessive, any ideas or more questions?

 

[NanaKat]

If your hen has been injured this could explain some of her behavior. A sprain or a more serious injury like a break will cause her to limp, refuse to put weight on her leg/foot and to stop frequently to rest. A painful injury will cause her to pant and loss of oxygen will cause the blue color in her comb.
Heat stress can also cause panting.
Yes, she is using her wing outstretched for balance.

Advice would include providing your hen with a secluded container, cage or small pen large enough for her to be close to food, water and nesting area without having to move a great distance. She will need to be sheltered from the environment and from predators. Make her comfortable.

Do an examination on her leg to determine if you find a cause for her discomfort...a break, injured joint, sprain.

Let us know what you suspect and we can point you to good resources.

 

[Henrybelle]

I too have a limping chicken today I examined her foot thoroughly and couldn’t identify the cause I’m thinking sprain? I wrapped it self adhering bandage to give it a little stability and I am keeping her inside tonite hopefully she will be doing better tomorrow. I hope yours is feeling better soon too. Does anyone know what a break looks or feels like? Nothing felt broken but then again I didn’t want to twist or tweak to much to further injure her.

 

[NanaKat]

I too have a limping chicken today I examined her foot thoroughly and couldn’t identify the cause I’m thinking sprain? I wrapped it self adhering bandage to give it a little stability and I am keeping her inside tonite hopefully she will be doing better tomorrow. I hope yours is feeling better soon too. Does anyone know what a break looks or feels like? Nothing felt broken but then again I didn’t want to twist or tweak to much to further injure her.

Knowing you have a sprain or break will determine how you treat your bird.
Just as in humans a break can be partial (cracked), complete or compound meaning the bone is sticking out of the flesh.
Because a bird's bones are more hollow than our bones, a complete break is more likely.

Gently feel the leg going up and down the leg. A noticible budge or bump may indicate the area of a break. The bird will flinch when you find the sore spot. Sprains are located at the joints. Check the foot for cuts or injury or even a splinter in the foot pads. Has a toe been injured or is it missing a toe nail.
Sprains mean housing the injured bird away from the flock in a quiet secure location until the bird is obviously recovering or recovered.

Let's address breaks....
Many poultry owners will simply put down a bird with a severe break...
A beloved pet or an essential breeder might be worth taking the time and effort to allow a break to heal.
The younger the bird the more quickly and successfully a break will heal. The older and heavier the bird the harder and longer the healing process.

The legs and wings are where many of the breaks happen.
The break in a lower leg can be splinted and wrapped pretty easily because there are few or no feathers.
A thigh bone is more difficult. Wrapping and splinting the upper leg may require trimming the feathers first then splinting and wrapping. It may even be necessary to then wrap the thigh loosely to the body for support.
A break in the wing can be minor toward the tip of the wing to severe if the break is near the shoulder. A tip break might be amputated at the break or the nearest joint...better done by a veterinarian.
Wing breaks require wrapping the break and then using the body to support the wing by wrapping the broken wing close to the body until the break has time to heal.

A compound fracture is more serious and must be cleaned before setting. This may require a veterinarian if the injury is bleeding or in need of stitches.
This may require a helper in gently but firmly stretching the break to pull the broken bone back into the flesh.
Then if stitching is necessary, the break is splinted and wrapped.
NEVER wrap without checking for color and circulation in the extremity. Too tight a wrap will cut off blood flow thru the break and cause greater issues...often loss of the limb.

I have successfully splinted and wrapped a complete lower leg break in a 6 month old cockerel. The break was midway up the bare leg above the foot. With hubby holding the cockerel on a table, I was able to set the leg utilizing supplies on hand: popsicle sticks cut to length, square cotton pads and gauze wrap, and a final wrap of self-sticking athletic wrap. It took a week of limping and then three more weeks for the bone to knit.