Semi paralyzed feet

[weeziechicken]

One of my chickens has a bad foot that curls up and she limps. The vet(dog,cat) didnt know what was wrong with her but gave her an anti-inflammatory shot and said nothing was broken. She has managed for 2 years like this but sometimes her other foot is affected and she can barely get around. I thought it was cold weather related but today out of the blue her other foot curled up and she is almost immobile. She gets beat up because of this and has spent months living in our house waiting for warmer weather. This has happened before and her good foot gets better in a few days...any opinions?

 

[Eggcessive]

It may be something neurological going on, but riboflavin deficiency can cause this condition which is called curled toe paralysis. It needs to be treated early with a riboflavin (vitamin B2) supplement for a short time followed by normal dosage in the feed, to be effective. Since it has just occurred in the second foot, maybe the treatment would help.Poultry vitamins (check the label for riboflavin) in the water, Vitamin B complex in the feed or water, or a food containing riboflavin would help. Generally, if it work, you should see signs of improvement in a week or two. Here are 2 articles to read:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency/
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p..._poultry/vitamin_deficiencies_in_poultry.html

 

[weeziechicken]

Thanks for the info. This morning she was back to her old self so I put her out with my other hens. She went into the coop to lay an egg and came out hobbling. I think it might be the edge of the plastic box hurting her foot somehow so I think I will find some other new boxes. Tx again for the info.

 

[Eggcessive]

It's good that she is walking again. Look at the bottoms of her foot pads for any black sores or swelling. Sprains are very common, and can be re-injured. High roosts or nest boxes can be common causes.