PLEASE HELP! ROOSTER's LEG EITHER BROKEN OR DISLOCATED- NEED INPUT!

[jham]

I posted this message several days ago, had no suggestions, would appreciate some help- I haven't had chickens long and have never had to contend with a situation like this before:

A week and a half ago my rooster jammed his leg through the chainlink fence of the coop wall and his spur hung up keeping him from getting free. He dangled there for a long time from his leg before I noticed this. I freed him, but his left leg was either broken or dislocated from trying to pull loose. His leg sticks forward and when he sits it sticks out in front of him at an unnatural angle, clearly broken or dislocated. He can't stand on it at all. Does anyone know how I can tell for sure if its dislocated or broken? I can't feel a break, and it could have been dislocated from hanging by its leg and struggling to try to get free, or maybe its badly damaged ligaments?

I have isolated him in a small cage by himself and have been feeding him and giving him water. He does eat and drink and seems to want to try to heal. I have been massaging the injured leg with coconut oil in an effort to improve the circulation and stimulate healing, but am not sure if this is a lost cause or not and would appreciate any input from anyone who might have had something like this happen. I have been advised by a vet who did not see the bird to put him down, but I will only do this if I think he's a lost cause.

I've been putting vitamin C and organic sulfur in his water also to try to stimulate healing. Sulfur increases the permeability of cell membranes allowing for radically improved oxygen transport to the cells; while vitamin C strengthens the collagen, the cement like protein that binds all cells together. Healthy collagen facilitates optimal nutrient transport to the cells and optimal waste transport from the cells.

The impression I have is that he'll never be able to stand and walk again, but I realize I could be wrong. Someone suggested I make a sling to go under his body to suspend him by a bungee cord from the roof of the small cage I have him in so that his feet can touch the ground, then let him down at night. Her thought was that he might eat better if suspended this way so he wouldn't be sitting in his poop.

This accident happened because I have two roosters in the same coop and he was chasing the smaller one when he put his foot through the fence. Makes me wish I'd gotten rid of the small rooster when I first got them- this wouldn't have happened if I'd done that.

Someone gave me these roosters along with several hens a year ago and I built a coop for them. There were two roosters in the person's coop when they gave them to me. The smaller one always just stayed up on the roost and would come down for food and water when the others would go up on the roost at night, otherwise the big one would attack. (Up on the roost the big one would leave the small one alone.)

My question is should I put this rooster down and write him off as a lost cause, or keep doing what I'm doing in the hopes that his leg might eventually heal and that he might someday be able to stand on it again and walk? I don't see any way to splint this broken leg, and maybe its not broken, maybe its dislocated- does anyone know how to tell? It sticks out frontwards at an unnatural angle like I said. I can't feel a break. He sits with the leg out in front of him instead of underneath him like he does with his healthy leg. Should I put him down, or give him a few weeks and see what happens?P

 

[easttxchick]

I believe there are folks on here that have "handicapped" birds(ie birds that have adapted to "hopping" with one leg.
Have you tried doing a search on splinting, etc. of a bird with a broken/dislocated leg?
Sure hope someone can help you with this.

 

[rancher hicks]

Got pics?

 

[jham]

No I don't. Theres nothing you could learn from a picture that you can't discern from what I'm telling you. He can't stand. His bad leg sticks straight out in front of him and he can't bear weight on it. I have tried to help him get to a standing position but he just can't do it.

No one can tell me if his leg is broken, dislocated, or if he just has pulled ligaments. I would think if it were broken I'd be able to feel a break. Well I can't feel one, and am not sure how to tell if its dislocated or not. Theres no vet here or any way to take him to one due to my location. I'm considering making a sling that would hold him up so his feet could touch the ground, but his weight would be suspended by a bungee cord attached to the sling which would be connected to the top of the cage. I thought maybe if he were in an upright position like that it might help circulation which might speed healing, if its possible. At least he wouldn't be laying in his own poop if I did this. I could let him down at night, but I'm not sure if it would help at all. No one on here seems to have any ideas, and if that doesn't change I'm going to chop his head off.

 

[Terri O]

Well--I doubt if you need to chop him just yet...I am thinking that he pulled a tendon up in his thigh area. Have you tried to pull his leg out, supporting the bone in his body, and popping the tendon back into place? Picture when you are eating a piece of chicken (this sounds gross I know) but then you can imagine the way the bones are. There are several places that the tendon can pop out. I got one back in and he was just fine. It is not real easy and you do have to manipulate the joint a bit to get it to move. PM me if you want to talk on the phone and maybe I can "walk you through it." Terri O in WI

 

[unionwirewoman]

You should be able to tell if it's dislocated by feeling where his leg bends . If you don't know what to feel for...just feel the other leg and compare . I went through this with my dog....very horrible but fixable . If it's dislocated , then you need to feel which way the "knuckle " is protruding out . Chickens are comparable to humans and dogs in that they have tendons and ligaments that run on both sides of the "knuckle" . If it's dislocated you'll need to stretch the leg and turn it to fit back into the other knuckle . You'll need to keep him confined afterwards and possibly splint or vet wrap the area until the tendons and ligaments stabalize . Be aware though that after dislocation , it will likely happen again because the ligaments , tendons , and muscles have been overstretched . This is just my own experience , so take it as you will . If you can't feel a break , it might also be a fracture , which would be bad if you tried to deal with it like a dislocation . Hope he gets better !

 

[lemurchaser]

If it is dislocated, you need to get it back in place as soon as possible. Since you're not feeling a break, start by palpating each joint. I would try to feel both legs at the same time, so have a hand on each hip joint so you can compare sides. Feel for one being more forward, more back, more down, or abnormal feeling joints. Check each leg joint. If they all feel normal, do the same thing, but put each joint through a full range of motion while feeling the joint (so for the hip, gently stretch the leg forward, then back, both as far as they comfortably go). If all of this is normal then its likely a torn ligament. If you find a dislocation, then slowly apply traction on the leg and move it in its full range of motion and most joints will pop back in. This should be gently stretching it back into position, not jerking it like you see in the movies.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Well ok be that way. Perhaps someone else would benefit from seeing it.