What do do about a broken leg (old and set)

[luvmychicknkids]

This is about one of my mother's chickens. A few weeks ago she told me one of her chickens was limping. Later that day I went to her house and checked her over carefully. I looked at her foot and leg on the affected side and couldn't find anything wrong. I assumed she may have hurt her leg a little and was just going to limp for a few days and it would be alright. A week or so later there was no improvement and I checked again. Still found NOTHING that could be causing it. She moved her inside to make sure the otehr chickens didn't pick on her. A few days ago (godness, a month or more later) I said we HAVE to figure out what is causing this. I had her hold her on her back. I started at the hip and slowly felt every millimeter of her leg. Right in the knee joint I felt a small separation and could tell the bone was actually broken and now set back.

I don't know how I missed it all along.

The chicken acts healthy, eats and poops great, and seems to LOVE her new status as a house chicken. Soooooo......would it be worth it to try to get it fixed or just leave things as they are? We don't have a vet that takes care of chickens but I might be able to find one within driving distance (can't guarantee it though).

 

[Barnyard]

I have a hen the same way. I had no idea anything was wrong with her, but as she got bigger I could tell that she had a leg issue. By the time I figured this out it had already set/grew the way it is now. She get's around just fine. Happy, healthy and active. None of the other's pick on her either, so I say leave it. She should be just fine.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Thanks.

I absolutely shudder at the thought of her having it re-broke.

Poor girl. She is such a sweetie. She is a leghorn and has such skinny little legs....I assume she may have done it jumping off the roost.

 

[Barnyard]

I know how you feel. As long as she is eating and drinking and pooping and well you get the idea

I would let her be. There is nothing wrong with a limping chicken. I have 2 of them

ETA: It is possible that she injured it jumping off the roost. I have a RIR roo that did something to his "knee" and he limps to this day, but he does very well.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

LOL...she is DEFINITELY pooping fine!!! It is amazing how much one of those little birdies can poop!!!!!

My mother will be happy to know other people have limping chickies that make it just fine. She was really worried about having her go through the pain of getting it fixed.

 

[kycklingar!]

Re-breaking and setting is very stressful for a ground-dwelling bird. If she's handling herself okay and eating, you can let her be, as long as there are no dogs or anything she needs to really escape from.
I have always collected disabled animals... All my perches are really low right now because one of my roosters has a badly set wing break, and can't leap more than 2.5 feet high. He gets really upsed if the others are higher than him.

The healed break shouldn't be causing her any pain anymore. In fact, you probably couldn't even have done much about it when you first noticed her limping, as bird bones calcify (fuse back together) in 24-48 hours, depending on the calcium in their diet.
Give her a hug from me!

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I will do that.

She is one of those birds you just HAVE to hug anyway....and I will be going to my mom's later today to check on her. Such a sweetie. It is funny, she stays in a dog kennel in the dining room a good part of the day with playtime in the non-carpeted areas. However, at night, she walks over to this one chair she has picked and sits there looking at everyone around like "HEY, it's bedtime, put me on my roost". She gets lifted onto the chair and newspapers placed underneath and that is where she sleeps. I do believe she is milking it a bit at this point and just a touch spoiled!!!! LOL

 

[katrinag]

Please do not try to reset in. The bone will callous over and she will be left with a pump under the skin, and walk a little funny. I have a hen my daugfhter stepped on, now she is just fine and limps a little. Other than the small limp she can still do everything normal.