Sad Meatie

[KaliMoran]

We finally dove into the meat chicken world and are currently raising our first batch of 25 Red Ranger Broilers. They're about 7 weeks now and have been mostly healthy, happy creatures aside from one hen. She struggles to walk and has a wobbly, wide-legged stance. I first noticed it a week or two ago and it hasn't seemed to change for better or worse. I expected to see walking troubles later in their lives (if at all, for the rangers) but she's quite handicapped already. Does anyone have experience with this type of hen-handicap? I've done some research into bumblefoot but she doesn't have any visible sores. I feel bad for the poor gal and would love her to be more comfortable for her remaining weeks.

 

[GitaBooks]

Welcome to the world of chickens!

Raising meat chickens isn't always easy, since you can fall in love with them (I know I do), but I'm glad you went the Red Ranger route, as they are much happier and healthier then the normal broilers. And very pretty too!

As for your hen, she could be suffering from an injury to her hips. If it is really bad she could have spraddle leg (dislocated hips).
Chickens that grow fast sometimes suffer from leg issues. If this is the case, cut back on the amount of feedings, only feeding them three times a day so they grow a little slower.

Finally, it could be a problem that causes paralysis. Marek's does this, but so do other issues. I've heard that botulism can also cause paralysis like symptoms.


I hope everything turns out.

 

[MichaelZ13]

Are you pulling the feed overnight? This can help with the leg problems. My chickens, at 4 weeks, are very quick on their feet, and I pull feed. The first few times I raised meat birds I fed 24/7 and dealt with all kinds of leg problems.