Rooster limping and has no show of any superficial injury.

[Amer]

Our Cochin bantam rooster was limping, hopping super high on one foot and landing on it to move. He seems to not like to move because of this injury. There is no scab, scratch, or abscess. He is 8 months old and had no problems before this last week. I washed him in warm water in case he was frostbite from the premature cold weather. I inspected him and saw nothing. The limping did not subside. Did he break his foot? He free ranges and eats chick feed and layer feed because we have young birds and chicks. Any thoughts? I have a full chicken first aid kit and also would like to see what I can do about it.

 

[cavemanrich]

Rooster may have sprained his leg. Not sure if he has access to high places, where he jumps/flys down from. He may have slipped , dislocated or broken a tendon. Dislocated tendons sometimes can be put back in place. I'm not one to do such. Chicken vets are scarce and expensive in most cases. The price is justified when you need one to save your whole large flock from some disease.
WISHING YOU BEST.......

 

[Amer]

He does have high places to jump from. Thank you.

 

[Amer]

Also there is one reputable chicken vet, but is very expensive, and he is kind of a cull rooster. It's too bad though. He is our nicest bird.

 

[cavemanrich]

Don't give up on your Roo just yet. Give him a chance to heal on his own. You may be surprised. At the end , your decision will be easier to make.

 

[Amer]

That's what I'm thinking of doing. He is still a cull however, because he's the source of mites in the flock, and the only Cochin, and we don't lik Cochins anyway, but I still need to know this for the future.

 

[MarySue]

I have a hen that started limping last winter. She had swelling in her “ankle” but nothing I could see was particularly bad. I kept her separated from the flock and eventually she was able to use it again. She limped and it kinda went out a little sideways but she could get around. She’s been in an enclosure of her own since because the other members of the flock just beat the snot out of her. Last week she really wanted out with the others so I let her go out and kept an eye on her. After a few hours I relaxed a bit and went on with my day checking on her periodically. At one point I looked out to see my rooster challenge her and she fought back. When I got to her she was on the ground and he was “kicking” her. After that she couldn’t use it at all again. I took her to the vet the next day. X-rays found that she has a badly broken femur clear up by her hip. It had built scar tissue around the break which is how she was able to get around. When she kicked out at Glory she tore the scar tissue. He sent me home to do the same thing I did before. Thanks to another thread on BYC I created a sling this time to help her heal and rehab.
A really long story to say that it may not show and be bad or it might be just a little owie. They can heal up with your care even when it’s bad.

 

[Amer]

It is not swollen. Thank goodness it is not another d'Anver Pullet though. One died from a hawk, one died from a sickness, one died from drowning in a bucket. The others died as chicks, so I don't have any cuckoo females. Of course there is no knowing they were just cockerels too.

 

[MarySue]

Wow rough year!

 

[Amer]

Yeah