Pullet behavior: Is her leg hurting her?

[Briza]

I have a little Golden Campine Pullet that I got from Murray Mcmurray about a month ago. I'd post a picture but there doesn't appear to be anything noticeably wrong with the leg when I pick her up. Both legs are equally sized and spaced when I'm holding her or set her on the ground on both feet. The only clue I have that something may be off is her behavior.

+Slower than other chicks
+Thicker legs than the others
+Laying down on one leg and kicking with the other as if she can't get up but if I bring treats, fresh feed, or fresh water she gets up on both legs fairly quickly
+Occasionally steps on her own feet as she walks

I have seen her laying on one leg on occasion before but I didn't know if she was just like that because she felt like it at the time. They all used to settle down into weird positions when they were little so I didn't think it odd until the others started sleeping more uniformly and the behavior stuck out.

Anything to be worried about? I plan to free-range them on 1/2 acre so I wouldn't want to put her out there if it's something that will hinder her in avoiding predation. If I can't resolve it and it'll make her an easy target, I'll try to find someone that uses a run for her so she can live in safety.

Edited to change breed of chicken after looking at my chicken closely. Forgot I had three breeds with golden feathering.

 

[emmaie892000]

She may have a slight deformation on some bone or joint. If she still gets around fairly well, she'll probably learn how to work with it and be just fine.
Just in case, check for redness or swelling greater than normal on her leg which would indicate an injury or infection. The laying down on her side and kicking behavior sounds like the exact way my chickens take dust baths, perhaps she's just doing that? Although if it's very frequently its most likely something else.
But like I said, if she still is getting along okay and has always been that way, it's probably something she hatched with and she will adapt to being slightly different.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like she could be starting to show signs of a leg bone deformity such as Varus/Valgus disorder, tibial dyschondroplasia, slipped tendon, and others. Does she have any redness or swelling of her hock (elbow) joint on either leg? Some people will try splinting an affected leg, and I would recommend that you give her poultry vitamins with minerals in case it may help to prevent further worsening. Many people keep chicks with this problem and let them try to live as normal a life as possible. Here is some reading for you:
http://www.researchgate.net/publica..._of_the_intertarsal_joint_in_broiler_chickens
https://aaap.memberclicks.net/assets/musculoskeletal preview.pdf
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/220/slipped-tendon-perosis/
http://www.jefferspet.com/categories/poultry/health-wellness/vitamins-supplements-7

 

[Briza]

She may have a slight deformation on some bone or joint. If she still gets around fairly well, she'll probably learn how to work with it and be just fine.
Just in case, check for redness or swelling greater than normal on her leg which would indicate an injury or infection. The laying down on her side and kicking behavior sounds like the exact way my chickens take dust baths, perhaps she's just doing that? Although if it's very frequently its most likely something else.
But like I said, if she still is getting along okay and has always been that way, it's probably something she hatched with and she will adapt to being slightly different.

Thank you for your response. I'll keep checking her to make sure it isn't an injury. I hope she can adapt to it if it is something she was born with. I'll also provide a dust bowl now and see if that's what it is she's doing.

 

[Briza]

It sounds like she could be starting to show signs of a leg bone deformity such as Varus/Valgus disorder, tibial dyschondroplasia, slipped tendon, and others. Does she have any redness or swelling of her hock (elbow) joint on either leg? Some people will try splinting an affected leg, and I would recommend that you give her poultry vitamins with minerals in case it may help to prevent further worsening. Many people keep chicks with this problem and let them try to live as normal a life as possible. Here is some reading for you:
http://www.researchgate.net/publica..._of_the_intertarsal_joint_in_broiler_chickens
https://aaap.memberclicks.net/assets/musculoskeletal preview.pdf
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/220/slipped-tendon-perosis/
http://www.jefferspet.com/categories/poultry/health-wellness/vitamins-supplements-7

Thank you for the links. I'll get her some vitamins too and see if it improves in case it's caused or aggravated in part by a deficiency.