Slipped tendon in 6 month old rooster

[DandyAndMahi]

I looked into it more and realized that most likely what my baby Easter has is a slipped tendon. I noticed a little while ago and the man that was watching him for me brushed it off saying that he was fine. I was in a rush so I didn’t look into it at all. I’m so terribly regretting that now because I don’t know if there’s any chance of fixing his leg.

I’ve tried to wrap it so many times and each time it just doesn’t work. I’ve tried adhesive wrap with gauze, without gauze, tape, and all the combinations. Tomorrow morning I’m going to try to pop it back into place and I hope to god I’ll be able to.

Has anyone dealt with a slipped tendon in a 6 month old chicken before? I’ve heard many stories of it happening in chicks but not much in almost fully matured chickens.

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

I've never had it in an 6 month old chicken but, from what I've read lack of vitamins is usually what causes it. I currently have a chick that had a slipped tendon. Good Luck!!

 

[DandyAndMahi]

I've never had it in an 6 month old chicken but, from what I've read lack of vitamins is usually what causes it. I currently have a chick that had a slipped tendon. Good Luck!!

Thank you! I’ve heard that the lack of vitamins might be a main cause too! Definitely going to incorporate vitamins into his feed from now on. Good luck with your chick as well!

 

[Eggcessive]

He could have a leg bone deformity such as varus or valgus deformity. Those can occur in one or in both legs, and may become more obvious in older chicks. Can you try to get a picture of him standing from the front or back at eye level, so that we can see how he stands? Here is some reading about these problems:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ctious-skeletal-disorders-in-poultry-broilers

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/leg-health-in-large-broilers

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens

 

[DandyAndMahi]

We took him to the vet the other day and found out that he fractured his knee and tore a couple ligaments. Surgery would be required and it starts at 1000$ Not sure what to do. He seems happy so I don’t want to put him down but I just don’t know

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

We took him to the vet the other day and found out that he fractured his knee and tore a couple ligaments. Surgery would be required and it starts at 1000$ Not sure what to do. He seems happy so I don’t want to put him down but I just don’t know

I hope to be a vet that works on poultry for a low cost. Maybe someday I will.

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t think chickens have knees, but they definitely can rupture the hock tendon. That can be common with varus or valfus deformity. Sorry about your rooster. You can do a search on chicken wheelchairs or chicken slings and chairs, and many of those will be helpful for a chicken with a disability.

 

[papajoesfarm]

I had something similar happen to a young Roo about 4 years ago. He got badly stomped by his two older hatch mates, and was laying on his side, unable to get up. I stuck him in a small dog carrier and put him in the coop, where he could see the others in the flock but not be in contact. I gently moved his leg, found everything was intact. I then splinted his leg with pieces of wooden applicators I purchased at a beauty store, carefully sizing them to his leg, and then using Vetwrap to keep them in place. I started him on Rooster Booster, and as a precaution put everyone in his flock on them, a practice I extended to all of my flocks to this day. I put food and water where he could reach it. I gave him 1/4 of a St. Josephs Low Dose (81 mg) aspirin daily, administering it by mouth After 3 weeks, he stood up and hobbled a little, and then in another week I took off the splint and he could walk again. And crowed for the first time.

BIrds actually heal fast - faster than mammals. Sometimes they can recover from a broken bone in as little as two weeks. I'm not saying that the Vet you took him to is wrong, but if you have no other options, then you can try to treat him on your own. Gail Demerow also describes a sling to put poultry in to keep them off of their feet while they heal. It's in the Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens with an illustration. I know others that have used this successfully with leg problems. I'm sorry to hear about this, and will be saying a prayer to St. Jude for your little guy.

 

[DandyAndMahi]

I had something similar happen to a young Roo about 4 years ago. He got badly stomped by his two older hatch mates, and was laying on his side, unable to get up. I stuck him in a small dog carrier and put him in the coop, where he could see the others in the flock but not be in contact. I gently moved his leg, found everything was intact. I then splinted his leg with pieces of wooden applicators I purchased at a beauty store, carefully sizing them to his leg, and then using Vetwrap to keep them in place. I started him on Rooster Booster, and as a precaution put everyone in his flock on them, a practice I extended to all of my flocks to this day. I put food and water where he could reach it. I gave him 1/4 of a St. Josephs Low Dose (81 mg) aspirin daily, administering it by mouth After 3 weeks, he stood up and hobbled a little, and then in another week I took off the splint and he could walk again. And crowed for the first time.

BIrds actually heal fast - faster than mammals. Sometimes they can recover from a broken bone in as little as two weeks. I'm not saying that the Vet you took him to is wrong, but if you have no other options, then you can try to treat him on your own. Gail Demerow also describes a sling to put poultry in to keep them off of their feet while they heal. It's in the Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens with an illustration. I know others that have used this successfully with leg problems. I'm sorry to hear about this, and will be saying a prayer to St. Jude for your little guy.

Your story about your rooster is amazing! I’m so glad you were able to help him

The problem is that the best thinks this happened 2-3 months ago. He has sores on his stomach from the ground scraping against it and he’s very malnourished. We gave him to a friend (my mother’s ex-boyfriend, you can see why he’s he EX boyfriend) and he abused him. We had no idea until we picked him up. The problem with a stint/cast, the vet said is that the bones might grow together wrong and would end up getting broken again.

The vet said the surgery would be going into his leg and placing two metal pins in his leg to help it heal in the right way and it might not even help him completely.

It’s really heartbreaking. He’s a beautiful chicken and literally the sweetest animal anyone could ask for. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Everyone keeps telling me to just cut his head off and be done with it but I can’t do it.

 

[DandyAndMahi]

I hope to be a vet that works on poultry for a low cost. Maybe someday I will.

That would be amazing! I wish the prices were lower