Sudden Severe Lameness & Swollen Hock

It could be an injury, but chickens can be born with leg bone deformities that can worsen with age. The hock can be one that is commonly affected. Google varus valgus deformity, snd leg bone deformities in poultry. Splinting with vet wrap might give her hock more support, but don’t get it too tight to cut off circulation. Injuries can take several weeks to heal, and some may not heal.

Looking at your hen’s diet, she should be getting layer or all flock feed as 90% of her diet. That will give her 16-20% protein, and a balanced diet. Scratch only has 8% protein. Oyster shell should be separate from food, so she takes what she needs.
About 3 weeks ago, my adult laying hen cut her toe on something. We cleaned it and bandaged it, but the next day or so it looked infected so we started her on antibiotics. This was on her left foot. She was with the other chickens until she was started on antibiotics, but the day we started her on antibiotics she was put in a separate area by herself. It was that day that we noticed she was limping severely on her right foot, the opposite foot of the injury. With being on cage rest, we hoped it would get better with time, maybe a pulled muscle or something. However it got worse, now she wont even bear weight on that foot at all. Still eating and drinking as usual, comb color alternates from pale to fairly normal, but hock is swollen.
I took a couple quick x-rays of her (not very good quality, trying to wrestle a chicken and an xray machine at the same time) and I can't see anything obviously wrong on the shots. I can post the xrays if anyone is interested in seeing them.
I don't think it's Marek's or anything like that, as her leg/foot doesn't seem paralyzed. I also don't think its an infection, as the antibiotics would have cleared that up. Doesn't feel like a slipped tendon, although the swelling could maybe be hiding that? My only guess for now is a dislocation, but I was unable to tell from the xrays.
Any thoughts?
I just wrapped her right leg today, hoping to give her more stability or support to encourage her to walk on it, but she still doesn't want to.
I also gave her a dose of vitamins in her water a few days ago, didn't seem to make a difference but she will be getting more today.
Thanks in advance!
I have a newly hatched chick whose right hock is bigger than her left one and she wont put weight on it. We thought it was splay leg at first but then we looked closer and when we put pressure on it she peeps really loud. Also one of her toes was under her other ones when she hatched. All day she just stays under her heater and doesn’t drink or eat much.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom