Swollen legs on 3 year old Astralorp

[blobear23]

My 3 year old hen has both her legs swollen. We adopted her several months ago full of leg mites. Cleared them up and she has been fine since. No obvious injury. She is in a very large coop with 2-3 inch of sand on coop floor. With a 16 ft fenced in run (top and sides) with ground floor. 2 chicks, 5 four month olds, and total of 5 adult hens. No roosters. I was letting them supervised free range in the evenings but can't any longer. Oh and one of the adults are separated for over a week now for being aggressive with my Orpington. So there s one less in the coop. Mixed flock. Eating well moving well. But both legs VERY swollen! Any ideas?

 

[WooingWyandotte]

Could we have some pictures? And where exactly are they swollen? All the way down to the feet, or the feet also swollen?

How long has your bird been in this condition, and what (if anything) have you done to treat it? I found this:

Staphylococcosis, Avian


(also avian micrococcosis), an infectious disease caused by staphylococci that affects all bird species. Cases of avian staphylococcosis have been reported in many countries. The causative agents are diseased birds. The disease is generally transmitted in feed, litter, and water; it may also be transmitted transovarially, that is, by way of the egg.

Acute avian staphylococcosis in chickens is marked by diarrhea, depression, and inflammation of the joints; the birds die in two to six days. The chronic form of the disease is characterized by lameness, anorexia, severe thirst, and cessation of egg laying; affected birds die in ten to 14 days. Dermatitis may develop in chicks. Turkeys afflicted with staphylococcosis suffer from septicemia and inflammation of the joints and tendons; sick geese and ducks experience osteitis, tendovaginitis, and paralysis of the legs.

Diagnosis is based on bacteriological tests. The disease is treated with antibiotics. Preventive and control measures include observing sanitary regulations during incubation and obtaining eggs and one-day-old birds that have been produced under sanitary conditions. Diseased birds and birds suspected of having the disease should be slaughtered, and disinfection of the poultry farm is recommended.

 

[blobear23]

Yes both legs and feet. I don't know how to post pictures they are double normal size

 

[WooingWyandotte]

And perhaps her legs are infected somehow?..the chances of both legs getting scratched and infected though is sketchy in my opinion.

Maybe she has a nutritional deficiency, here in my book it's saying and i quote:

"A birds nutritional requirements can also be increased by any condition that causes nutrients to be destroyed before they can be absorbed or that inhibits the chickens ability to absorb them. Interference with the absorption of nutrients, called "malabsorption," can be caused by parasite loads including worms or coccidia, infection, drug use, and environmental stress due to low humidity or temperature extremes. Any of these conditions can make even the most perfectly formulated rations insufficient to prevent a deficiency."

But the book also says:

"Nutritional diseases tend to be quite similar to one another, making it hard to tell specifically which nutrient is lacking. In addition, deficiencies are rarely simple (having a single cause) but are more likely to be multiple (caused by the lack of more than one nutrient)....In real life multiple deficiency symptoms combine to complicate the diagnosis."

Then it has a chart...

Keel, deformed; needs vitamin D

Legs, stiff walk, penguin squat, weak or bowed; biotin, vitamin D

Mouth, whitish sores; vitamin A

Muscle, swollen joints, weak muscles; vitamin D, vitamin E

 

[blobear23]

No sore or injury on either foot. But maybe the temp? Has been getting to high 90's and 100 here last couple of days and we guess her to be at least 3. Maybe I'll try some electrolytes and see how it goes

 

[WooingWyandotte]

That's a good idea. Are her legs hot or cold to the touch in any area?

 

[blobear23]

Not inflammation warm. Just the normal warmth

 

[WooingWyandotte]

Someone that has dealt with this before will have to help you, or perhaps you could contact an avian vet, because I am just plum out of ideas.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you researched gout, a type of kidney disease in chickens that can cause swelling of the legs and feet? It is sometimes caused by eating too high of protein feed as adults or too much calcium as chicks (as in chicks eating layer feed.)

 

[blobear23]

I

Someone that has dealt with this before will have to help you, or perhaps you could contact an avian vet, because I am just plum out of ideas.

appreciate all the ideas they are very helpful! Being a nurse I immediacy start trying all human disease I thought could be similar and some are, sme are not. Everything y'all ave told me I research and I find something interesting. Very educational. Thanks again!