Our first chickens and our first trip to the vet!
One of our girls, about 6.5 months old, has developed a limp (only putting weight on the front of her right foot). We've taken her to the vet and been given some metacam, isolate her so she doesn't keep using the leg, and come back in five days if she's not better. I'm being the every worried chicken mum, so wanted to get any other advice of things to look out for.
So she started with a small limp yesterday (we missed it on the day but checked a video we had taken that showed a slight limp). We noticed she was further from the flock and sleeping during the day, which they've done from time to time, especially in the sun. But at the time she looked quite exhausted.
Today I thought I saw her her hobble a tiny bit around lunch and made note to check in an hour. In the afternoon, I noticed the other girls running and playing in the back of the yard, while she stood still in the front. I brought some treats and then noticed the heavy limp. We made an appointment for the vet, and while we waited, she didn't walk around much, mainly laying down and sleeping.
She's hungry, eating and drinking, wants treats, wants to hang out with mum and sisters, and preening well.
No droopy wings, eyes are clear, poop is normal, nothing obvious on the bottom of the foot or leg (in fact she freaked out more when holding the good leg rather than the bad). The vet said her keel is a bit more pronounced than she expected.
She's either 4th or 5th in the pecking order of 5 birds, so she's often a bit more standoffish.
She, mum, and sisters have been running around the yard like mad for the past two weeks (we expect their puberty and about to start laying in June), so wondering if she just pulled something.
I can also post video of the limp.
Thank you
One of our girls, about 6.5 months old, has developed a limp (only putting weight on the front of her right foot). We've taken her to the vet and been given some metacam, isolate her so she doesn't keep using the leg, and come back in five days if she's not better. I'm being the every worried chicken mum, so wanted to get any other advice of things to look out for.
So she started with a small limp yesterday (we missed it on the day but checked a video we had taken that showed a slight limp). We noticed she was further from the flock and sleeping during the day, which they've done from time to time, especially in the sun. But at the time she looked quite exhausted.
Today I thought I saw her her hobble a tiny bit around lunch and made note to check in an hour. In the afternoon, I noticed the other girls running and playing in the back of the yard, while she stood still in the front. I brought some treats and then noticed the heavy limp. We made an appointment for the vet, and while we waited, she didn't walk around much, mainly laying down and sleeping.
She's hungry, eating and drinking, wants treats, wants to hang out with mum and sisters, and preening well.
No droopy wings, eyes are clear, poop is normal, nothing obvious on the bottom of the foot or leg (in fact she freaked out more when holding the good leg rather than the bad). The vet said her keel is a bit more pronounced than she expected.
She's either 4th or 5th in the pecking order of 5 birds, so she's often a bit more standoffish.
She, mum, and sisters have been running around the yard like mad for the past two weeks (we expect their puberty and about to start laying in June), so wondering if she just pulled something.
I can also post video of the limp.
Thank you
