young hen won't walk on left leg. Any advice?

[javaman661]

I have a young hen who is about a year old now. Not quite sure what she did, but she hops along on just her right leg, and will only put weight on the left if pressured to (she's a bit skittish) I felt as far up the leg as i could, and there doesn't seem to be any breaks, but she holds it straight out in front of her. I'm thinking she possibly dislocated it. Is this possible? And is there anything i can do? She still eats and drinks, and comes out to the yard with all the rest, then just sits and watches the action. There is no blood or wounds that I could find, and she still feels well enough to evade my attempts to look at her.

 

[javaman661]

I checked some of the other forums on limping/gimpy chickens, but I don't think she has mites. It also seems like she can't feel as well with that foot. I put two finers under her good foot, ans she curled her toes around them, but on the bad foot i get no response. Both feet feel equally warm, so she still has blood circulation, but I don't know why her foot isn't reacting.

 

[Miss Lydia]

did you look under her foot? this is just a guess of course but they can get a condition called bumble foot where they get a cut or splinter or something like that in the foot and get an infection which is staff. look at her foot and if it's swollen and has a scab on it that maybe what your dealing with. and

 

[javaman661]

Thanks for the welcome!

I looked over her foot very carefully, and I couldn't find any swelling or injury. Looks just like her other foot. I think she's lost feeling in it, she doesn't respond to touching it like her good foot does. I've got her separated from the rest, though they didn't seem to be bothering her.

 

[HHandbasket]

I have a 6-month-old FBCM that is exhibiting the same symptom, but then DH came in from working outside the other day and informed me he saw our light brahma attacking the FBCM (FBCM is youngest in flock & bottom of pecking order but is a pretty good-sized girl and is at POL). He said the light brahma was jumping on her back and flogging & pecking at her pretty fiercely, and that is why the FBCM is limping. He had to chase Brenda (light brahma) off Henrietta (FBCM). Maybe your girl was whooped by another hen in the flock when no one was around (if DH hadn't seen the altercation between our girls, I never would have known what happned to her). Perhaps your girl has a ligament injury or some such thing, which is why you cannot feel any broken or dislocated bones. You've done well by separating her and keeping an eye on things.

 

[daddysgirlz]

Mites...it sounds like mites..they get into the ears and put the birds off balance...get it solved quickly with poultry dust...My hen started the same thing last week and I treated her and the others with dust...I wasn't quick enough...she died tonight! I reconized the foot thing...that seems like how it starts...Mine did the sme thing...weird!

 

[PoultryPedia]

The Achilles tendon in her hock joint might have slipped out of the groove on that leg. That would make her unable to straighten it.

If that is the case, treat it ASAP! There are instructions in the "Fix Slipped Achilles Tendon in Hock Joint" section on my Poultry Podiatry page on PoultryPedia.com.

Best wishes!