Sick chicken now with swollen joint

[Jmharhart]

I have had a sick chicken for over a month now. We’ve been syringe feeding her 4 times a day. She’s was doing better and then started going backwards and how she’s just kind of in this limbo. Her one hip joint has recently gotten super swollen and she won’t move her leg at all. She’s not gaining any weight even as we increase her feeds, she’s skin and bone. We took her to the vet. She went through a round of antibiotics. She doesn’t have worms. I’m lost for what else to do at this point. I feel like she’s just being tortured

 

[coach723]

Did the vet do any imaging, to look at the joint? Can it be seen in pictures?
How old is she?

 

[Jmharhart]

Did the vet do any imaging, to look at the joint? Can it be seen in pictures?
How old is she?

I took her to the vet before the joint issue started. She’s been basically laying down for a month and not making any improvements so I’m not sure if the swollen joint is from not moving or if she dislocated it somehow. It’s very obviously swollen. She’s just barely a year old. I attached a picture but it’s hard to get a good angle on it.

 

[coach723]

I can't really tell from the picture. Being where it is, I figured that might be the case. What were her original symptoms when she got sick? Did she ever lay? The swelling may be from sitting for so long, I really have no way to tell. Is having her seen by a vet again an option for you?

 

[Jmharhart]

I can't really tell from the picture. Being where it is, I figured that might be the case. What were her original symptoms when she got sick? Did she ever lay? The swelling may be from sitting for so long, I really have no way to tell. Is having her seen by a vet again an option for you?

Unfortunately not. I can’t really afford another vet visit. She never laid. I’ve started laying her on her other side. I figure I can move her back and forth a few times a day when i feed her to even out the pressure but I don’t really anticipate her improving at this point since it’s been over a month. She was part of a group of Buff Orpington and the other two die randomly suddenly so I’m now wondering if there was something wrong with them as a group. I had wondered if it was Mareks but the vet said the symptoms didn’t suggest that. I can decide if I’m doing something that’s causing my chickens to get sick or if I’m just really unlucky. I make sure they have fresh food and water and I clean their coop every week. I can’t see what I might be doing wrong.

 

[coach723]

There are a lot of things that can cause what appears to be a sudden death. They also are very good at hiding symptoms until an illness is very advanced. It is unlikely that you are doing anything wrong. After a month and trying antibiotics and hand feeding with no improvement and continued deterioration, there honestly may be nothing you can really do. Sometimes it's not possible to know what's going on until they pass and a necropsy is done. That is often the only way to know for sure. If she doesn't make it, that would be my recommendation, particularly since you lost two others. Then you will know for sure, at least what happened with this one, and it may provide valuable information, or bring peace of mind. Some necropsy sources, by state, in the links below. Refrigerate, don't freeze, the body.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf