rooster unable to walk

[irprnces]

Hello all. New to raising chickens and loving it!

I was given 4 blue Cochin chicks in early November so they would be about 4-5 months old now I would say. My rooster grew up very fast and he is a big boy. A few days ago, I noticed him limping on his right leg and when he would step with it, he would put it down several times before actually moving forward on it. He is now not walking on it at all and it sticks straight out in front of him, even if i adjust it and put it back up under him.

I don't have a perch in the coop so there isn't anything he could have jumped off or fallen off to injure himself, and he is with 2 hens and 1 other rooster (we thought he was a hen too until a few weeks ago).

I'm worried about him suffering of course, but he doesn't act like anything hurts if I'm prodding and poking around and i can't feel any obvious breaks or bulges if I'm running my fingers all over the leg. There aren't any sores or scabs on the foot and it doesn't appear to be swollen or anything. He has feathered legs though so i might be missing something. He also doesn't grip your finger with his toes if you push into the middle of his foot like he does on the left side.

He eats and drinks well, it just makes me sad to watch him flop and flap over to the dishes. I don't want to completely pull him from the coop b/c i pulled a hen a few weeks ago and they picked at her relentlessly when i put her back. He isn't being picked on and his hens lay with him and the other rooster steers pretty clear too.

I was told to try polyvisol and selenium which i got, but I'm not sure how much to give for how long or if this will even help whatever is going on with him.

Any advice is welcome and appreciated and I hope I'm providing enough info to flip a light on in someones head to an answer. Thank you in advance.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Asprin will stop pain and swelling, wrapping the leg will give him support to walk on it. If he can't walk on it then it would require a splint and much longer to heal. If splinting do so in the bent position. Crush up part of an asprin to mix in his water or more concentrate and administer orally via an eye dropper.

Be wary of selenium as it's toxic in large dosage. I'm not really sure what it's benefit would be (it's a component of antioxidant enzymes therefore indirectly reduces certain oxidized molecules).

 

[irprnces]

I crushed up half an asprin and sprinkled it on some crumbles and he is eating that really well. He also had some water with some vitamin b drops in it. I'm not sure how to splint his leg though if I need to. I'm just not sure where to go at this point. I can pull and push his leg in any direction and it doesn't seem to bother him much. I tried to feel for a tendon being out of place and didn't feel that either. I don't have any vets locally or I'd take him to someone who is an expert in this stuff. I thank you for the suggestions. This is him below with the hanging leg.

 

[dawg53]

Most likely he has somehow sprained or pulled a tendon or ligament. I recommend that you put him in a cage or crate for rest and relaxation and provide him food and water. You dont want him trying to stand or walk on his injured leg which could worsen the injury. Continue with the vitamin B in his water. Normally I'd recommend a few vitamin B complex tablets crushed into powder and sprinkled over the feed, but the liquid vitamin B should help in recovery also. I do not recommend aspirin, you want him to feel pain and not walk on the injured leg, to prevent further injury.
Leg injuries take time to heal, sometimes a few days to a couple of weeks, a month or two, or never. Release him from the cage in 5 days to see if there's improvement. If not, recage him for a week continuing with the vitamin B treatment. Then release him again to see if he can walk. Hopefully by then there will be improvement. If not, you'll have to make a decision whether to keep treating him or deciding if it's a quality of life issue.

 

[jeffmazz]

Research Marek's disease.

 

[irprnces]

He is missing some of the symptoms. I've isolated him and I'm trying vitamins. how often should i give them? I have polyvisol and a liquid b complex. I don't know which is better.

 

[dawg53]

He is missing some of the symptoms. I've isolated him and I'm trying vitamins. how often should i give them? I have polyvisol and a liquid b complex. I don't know which is better.

I suggest you give him the vitamin B like I mentioned.

 

[irprnces]

How much vitamin b should i give?

 

[irprnces]

I took him to a vet friend and he said its an injured leg similar to blowing out your knee. He said it will probably heal in about 4 weeks. So for now, he gets to live inside in his smaller enclosure.

I'm giving vitamin b complex, but I'm not sure how much to give him? Its liquid form. Any thoughts?