Pullet injured leg

[Isaiah53]

Hi all,
I just noticed a hen that was absolutely fine yesterday but seems to have dislocated her right leg somehow. She's walking on it, but is limping heavily.

She's going to be harvested within the next couple of weeks, when my equipment arrives. Is there some way I can fix this now, do you think she's in pain, is this a time to euthanize?? No idea how it happened but she was walking fine yesterday and today is not.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I dislocated my elbow and was extremely excruciating.

How old is she? Are you sure it's an injury, can you identify swelling, redness, heat, or pain response... or is Marek's a possibility?

If it's just a sprain or something minor... there is a difference to me between discomfort and pain.

Should you choose to euthanize and it is an injury... You can still harvest the meat. Some people skin instead of plucking... that is how we started... but also plucking really isn't that difficult if you get your scalding right... which is as simple as pot of hot water, thermometer is important though.

Sorry you face this... injury is one reason I am thankful I have the skill to dispatch.

 

[Isaiah53]

Not Mareks. She's walking and running around, eating, drinking just her right foot and leg is twisted out at almost a 45 degree angle. When she walks /runs there's a slight limp. Tried to post a video, but can't.

I'll be harvesting several Cockrells over the next week. If she seems to get lethargic I'll euthanize her sooner. Otherwise I'll harvest her with the rest. I had planned on giving her away (don't want any more of her colour/pattern) any way, but I just wanted to make sure there's no concern for pain that she's hiding. If you look at her she seems normal and active. Very bizarre... She's from an incubator hatch of 21 that still huddles together at night on the floor, even though they've had perches from hatch day 1. I think she may have had her leg twisted /dislocated overnight by a group huddle .

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post a picture of her leg? Leg bone deformities are very common in all poultry, but especially in broilers. Some of those deformities, such as varus and valgus, or TD, can worsen as they grow and may result in the rupture of the hock tendon.

 

[Isaiah53]

Would a deformity not have shown itself a long time ago? She's 12 to 14 weeks old this week. Nothing like this until the other day. I'll try to get that picture posted. It was completely straight, no limp on Saturday, Sunday her leg is twisted out to the right. Suddenly her right leg is twisted to the right overnight she's limping. I think I have an image of her from a week or two ago. I'll see if I can get a clear one of her now.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Tried to post a video, but can't.

I think you have to use vimeo or youtube and then upload here.

 

[Isaiah53]

Let's see if this works.

Here's a google shared link. It's from yesterday.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IDnphepsS6jC2qILIk84QFp3lXlwQWEw/view?usp=drivesdk

This is an image from August 19th she's the one on the left.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am not an expert, but in the video it looks like her right hock tendon may be ruptured or at least slipped. Many people think they are dealing with slipped tendons, whenit may actually be a leg bone deformity. It looks like the right leg may have valgus deformity. But I would try to see if you can fix it if the tendon could be slipped. Scroll down in this article on how to reposition a slipped tendon:
https://www.chickenheavenonearth.co...u-can-do-to-help-chicken-heaven-on-earth.html

Here is a good article about leg deformities, and look at pictures of the chickens with valgus deformity on one leg:
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens

 

[Isaiah53]

Thank you! I'll read up on it and see if these deformities occur over night. Many thanks.