roo limping and standing on 1 leg?

[cornfedhogedito]

My roo has been limping now for 2 or 3 weeks. We do not see any swelling or feel any heat in the foot or toes. I have inspected the bottom of booth feet and gently squeezed the legs up to the feathers, nothing obvious. No signs of bumblefoot. He is still eating and drinking and looking after his ladies , normal poo. What am I missing? Thanks

 

[Wyandottes7]

It's possible that he just strained or sprained the muscle somehow, such as landing badly after jumping down from a roost. You don't always notice these sort of injuries just from an examination.

I would consider isolating him from the other birds and provide supportive treatment, including vitamins and probiotics.Keep him in a well-bedded area. If it's a leg injury, it should eventually heal. However, it sometimes takes a long time for the injury to heal, especially if a bird continues to walk on it and irritate it by jumping around or lives on hard ground.

One other possible reason is Marek's Disease. This often presents itself in young birds (how old is he?), beginning with the paralysis of a leg or wing and slowly imobilizing the whole bird, resulting in death. Here is a link with information on Marek's, if you want to read about it: The Great Big Giant Marek's Disease FAQ. Birds with early Marek's may limp.

For now, I'd treat this as a sprain or strain, before becoming excessively worried about Marek's. But, if it doesn't get better, or if it progresses into further paralysis, consider Marek's.

 

[cornfedhogedito]

Thanks I was wondering about the strain/sprain possibility. He does stomp and jump around a lot and likes to try to take my wife to the ground. The coop is deep litter and the run is dirt and straw. He is a big bird.