What happened to my hen?

[cyndiscof]

I found a hen 5 or 6 days ago, acting like her foot or leg was broken. Flopping around on the ground, She was trying to walk on it upside down with the toes facing backward. She would lay with her whole leg stretched behind her. I taped the foot in the correct position and put her in a small cage. The next day she was standing on it in the right position, then the day after that I took the tape off and set her on the ground. Now she was better, not bending the whole foot, but just the toes were dragging, and still stumbling around when she tried to run. I taped it again and put her back in the cage. Today, I took the tape off and put her on the ground. She doesn't even limp! Now I don't even know which hen it was. My question is....What Happened???

 

[chooks4life]

If it fixed up so quick, chances are it was an injury. Other possibilities which would likely be ruled out by the quick recovery include deficiency, Marek's, a spider or insect bite, or nerve issues due to whatever (so many potential causes there). In some strains of some breeds the joints deteriorate rapidly and without warning, presenting in sudden lameness. Some other diseases also cause permanent or transient lameness.

Toxicity is another possibility, I don't know why but most people tend to dismiss that one out of hand, possibly because it can be like fighting ghosts... Most old farms have a plethora of toxins including chemicals and pesticides which have often been banned for decades still present and deadly in the soil. Anywhere around sheds and houses tends to have numerous seriously dangerous chemicals present too, suburbia is rife with lead pollution from the constant vehicle traffic as well as weedkillers and sprayed bugs and rodent bait etc, and lead from the particulates in the exhaust fumes can produce all manner of nervous system dysfunctions including lameness.

Symptoms are often only seen in one individual for whatever reason, and on and off. If it recurs, there's possibly something more serious than an injury going on, but even then recurring injuries, particularly when recovery time was too short, are not uncommon too.

Best wishes.