Two chickens, each with a paralyzed leg. HELP???

[babblecat]

I've had my girls for a good three years now. And a few days ago I saw one of my Rhode Island Reds hopping about on one leg. Nearly one hundred percent positive the entire flock was vaccinated for Marek's disease. Then just this morning when I went down to check on everyone, I noticed another Rhodie was hopping around. I'm really worried about them and I'm not sure what exactly to do. Is it the rooster perhaps? I know he favors them quite a bit, but he's never been aggressive he's always been incredibly gentle. If you have any idea at all please please please help me out! I'd really appreciate it.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Have you switched feeds? Any moldy feed or litter?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have very high roosts or rocky or thorny ground? They may have injured there legs in a fall or perhaps they have bumblefoot. Have you picked them up and looked on the bottom of their foot pads? If they are swollen and have a "dot" in the middle they could have bumblefoot, a staph infection. Are they hopping on one foot or are they dragging the hurt leg?

 

[babblecat]

Same feed, clean liter and, I couldn't find any dots on their foot pads. Eggcessive I think you might be onto something with the high roosts, think they'll heal on their own? Or should I wrap their legs and put them in a makeshift chicky hospital? They just hop on one foot and kind of tuck the injured on underneath them.

 

[Eggcessive]

My speckled sussex that sprained her leg back in the winter held her up for almost a month. I made sure she was eating, drinking, and getting to the roost , and she even ranged outside with the others, so i just let her be. If they can't get around, get picked on, then you could rest their legs in a cage for a day or two, but I would let them be chickens as much as possible.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are some pictures of advanced bumblefoot where the dot is very big. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/451440/bubbles-and-bumblefoot-pictures

 

[babblecat]

UPDATE! My lovely peahen is hobbling around now too are they missing something from their diets? The chickens free range from dawn to dusk but we can't do that with the peahen and her mate because they'll fly off. Right now the peas are on a gamebird pellet and the chickens on layer pellets.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Sorry I don't know what the problem is...hopefully you will find out and they will get better soon!