ScarletAndColonel
Chirping
- Jun 6, 2017
- 21
- 21
- 50
Yep, googling chicken health is about as alarming as googling your own health symptoms; you can get anything from "It's just gas" to "It's cancer and you have 3 minutes to live." Not alarming at all, right?
So I noticed about 5 weeks ago that one of my silver-laced wyandottes had a swollen-looking ankle. She didn't seem to be favoring it or limping but, after looking up possibilities, I saw some possibility of contagion so separated her from the rest of the flock and put her in a crate to restrict jumping and heavy activity. She has been separated from her flock for a month now, with no worsening of the swelling but no improvement either. Her appetite is good, she drinks as she should, she doesn't show any sign of feeling anything other than normal (except for possible annoyance at missing her peeps/being confined since they are allowed on pasture all day unless in isolation for health concerns). Her waste seems normal. She moves around without problems.
Background: the flock is all the same age and were raised together; they have been with me since arriving from the hatchery at 2 days old. They are now 10 months old, so the swelling appeared at around 9 months old in her. None of the others--hen or rooster--have any similar swelling. It is not impossible that one of the roosters was trying to mate with her and she sprained it/pulled something--apparently not all roosters are born Romeos with smooth techniques, but I rather thought the swelling would go away if it was from that.
I'm about ready to put her back with the flock since it's been over a month without any change. My husband thinks I should either put her back with the flock or kill her, but my thinking has been that we have over 50 other hens and I didn't want any possible contagion spread to all of them, nor do I want to waste a hen's life when she is basically healthy but for a thicker ankle on one leg. She is sweet-natured but getting understandably a bit cranky at the continued confinement, which none of mine are used to.
So I am looking for opinions. Some of these pics are not the best, but it's tough to get a well-lit photo inside the building with just winter light. I do have more photos but this is the most clear, so if you want more photos I can add them. She does not resist her foot being touched any more than she normally does, as my silver-laces prefer to come up to me for petting on their terms, so it wouldn't seem to be tender, either when I first isolated her or now.
Any opinions?
Edited to add: I did consider bumblefoot but there is not sign whatsoever of any injury/wound on the foot. She is crated to restrict activity/jumping but doesn't seem to favor that leg. No weight loss. Eats and drinks well. It's feeling like maybe keeping her isolated has passed the point of usefulness now?
So I noticed about 5 weeks ago that one of my silver-laced wyandottes had a swollen-looking ankle. She didn't seem to be favoring it or limping but, after looking up possibilities, I saw some possibility of contagion so separated her from the rest of the flock and put her in a crate to restrict jumping and heavy activity. She has been separated from her flock for a month now, with no worsening of the swelling but no improvement either. Her appetite is good, she drinks as she should, she doesn't show any sign of feeling anything other than normal (except for possible annoyance at missing her peeps/being confined since they are allowed on pasture all day unless in isolation for health concerns). Her waste seems normal. She moves around without problems.
Background: the flock is all the same age and were raised together; they have been with me since arriving from the hatchery at 2 days old. They are now 10 months old, so the swelling appeared at around 9 months old in her. None of the others--hen or rooster--have any similar swelling. It is not impossible that one of the roosters was trying to mate with her and she sprained it/pulled something--apparently not all roosters are born Romeos with smooth techniques, but I rather thought the swelling would go away if it was from that.
I'm about ready to put her back with the flock since it's been over a month without any change. My husband thinks I should either put her back with the flock or kill her, but my thinking has been that we have over 50 other hens and I didn't want any possible contagion spread to all of them, nor do I want to waste a hen's life when she is basically healthy but for a thicker ankle on one leg. She is sweet-natured but getting understandably a bit cranky at the continued confinement, which none of mine are used to.
So I am looking for opinions. Some of these pics are not the best, but it's tough to get a well-lit photo inside the building with just winter light. I do have more photos but this is the most clear, so if you want more photos I can add them. She does not resist her foot being touched any more than she normally does, as my silver-laces prefer to come up to me for petting on their terms, so it wouldn't seem to be tender, either when I first isolated her or now.
Any opinions?
Edited to add: I did consider bumblefoot but there is not sign whatsoever of any injury/wound on the foot. She is crated to restrict activity/jumping but doesn't seem to favor that leg. No weight loss. Eats and drinks well. It's feeling like maybe keeping her isolated has passed the point of usefulness now?
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