When to intervene: cockerel limping

[Sahraschweiss]

I have a 20 week old buff orpington cockerel that is limping and hopping.

Thursday morning he had a hard landing off the perch/poop boards. Perches are 18 to 24 inches avove poop boards and poop boards are 36 inches from floor. There are ramps and steps to get from poop boards to floor. The steps are made from the nesters which are three tiers of buckets with 2x4 walking platforms for tiers. The tiers are 12 inches apart. The first jump down was hard and he skipped the second tier and went straight to floor (24 inches). He has been limping and hopping ever since.

He doesn't like to be handled and refuses to be caught. He's fast on one leg. The run is big being 25x30 feet. So he has a lot of room to run and dodge. He spends a good deal of his day sitting. He eats, drinks, poops, mates, crows, and manages to get back in to the coop and up to roost at night.

From what I can see, there aren't any wounds or scabs or noticable swelling. Just the limping and hopping, and taking it easy behavior. The hens aren't pecking him either.

The run is completely fenced, so he is safe from predators. I have been keeping an eye on him the past two days. With no change. It is his left foot/leg that is bothering him. I've tried to check on him during the night, but he is a light sleeper.

Do I keep watching for things to worsen or improve? I don't want to stress him more unnecessarily by trying to catch him. I'm a first time chicken person and am not prepared to handle bumble foot on my own. There are vets near the I can take him but that would mean catching him.

Any advice?

 

[Eggcessive]

Five feet high is too high for some birds to roost. Most like the highest point in the coop, some game birds or bantams will even roost in the rafters. But with a heavy grown chicken, you may see more injuries and bumblefoot with the high roosts.

Catching him on the roost at night in the dark would be the best time to grab him. You can place him in a wire dog crate with food and water, and can examine him for swelling, redness, green bruising and any break in the skin. Xrays can be done by a vet if a fracture is suspected. Forced rest in the dog crate may be something you might want to do for a week or so, and evaluate how the leg is doing. Sprains can take a few weeks to heal. Post any pictures of the leg that look questionable.