Older chicken with a hurt leg

[CathyA]

My 10 and 1/2 year old easter-egger, Skunk, can't put weight on one of her legs.
I can't seem to figure out where the problem is, but I think its her "elbow"......which would make splinting it a challenge.
I've been reading that even sprains can take along time to heal.
I have her in a dog crate, so she can't move around alot. I'm giving her some aspirin to help with the pain.
I think most of you with chickens would probably cull her, but I won't do that.
Just wondering if any of you ever had a similar problem, and (besides culling), what did you do about it?

I am lucky in that we have an Avian specialist not far from here and I could take her there......but it would probably cost $100-200 just to assess her.
And I wouldn't have surgery.
Any ideas?

[bae]

Any good 4H poultry kids in your area?

[The Storyteller]

Have you posted to BYC under Chicken Emergencies? I would ask for you on the APPPA list, but I let my membership lapse.

And you guessed correctly... you wouldn't like my solution. But then, I'm not a pet chicken person, either. :)

[CathyA]

Thanks Bae and Storyteller,

Yes, I've posted on the BYC site, but only one person responded and didn't really know what to do. There's lots of info out there for baby chicks with leg problems, but it doesn't translate into care for the older chicken.

I don't know of any 4H poultry people around (who wouldn't cull).

Its funny.........the local vet here called me once to ask a question about the med I was giving my chickens, since he had a turkey in there in need of help. And I also got a call from someone who had been referred to me by the vet. hahaha I know alot about the problems I've had to go through personally.......but not much more.

Regular vets just don't know much about chickens.
I'll see how she does this next week, and if no better, I'll probably take her to the Exotic Avian Vet in the city near here. (The animals are exotic, not the vet.) :)

Do they make those walkers on wheels for chickens? :~)

What's funny is that I had just finished re-doing the coop......getting rid of the taller ladder roost and lowering the nestboxes, because the hens are getting pretty old and I didn't want anyone getting hurt. Well, Skunk got hurt right after that. So much for trying to help them!

[sweetana3]

You might try emailing Farm Sanctuary. They help all kinds of farm animals including chickens and might have some ideas.

[bae]

You might try emailing Farm Sanctuary. They help all kinds of farm animals including chickens and might have some ideas.

Or maybe you have a wildlife rehabilitation group in your area that would be willing to provide advice?

http://wolfhollowwildlife.org/

[Jilly]

Is the leg of a chicken that much different from that of a parrot? Maybe that kind of information could help your girl.

[CathyA]

Thanks everyone.
Jilly.........I hadn't thought of that! I'll check out the parrot info.
I think probably most birds have very similar legs as chickens. Why didn't I think of that?? There's probably been lots of birds/ducks, etc., that have had broken legs. I was limiting my search too much.
Thanks all!

[Jilly]

Cool. I just did not know. I used to have a small parrot, but my only experience with chickens is the ones without legs and feet. >8)

[Float On]

Is there any swelling or bumps? I know it's hard to tell because they are so skinny legged to begin with.
Any improvements on her own this week? And you checked completely for splinters stuck under tallon beds or leg skin?

I had one chicken that broke her leg as a chick and it healed on its own but had a bump and always a limp. She had a funny run which reminded me of an old rooster we had as kids. Brooster the Rooster was a huge white ugly chicken that had lost 2 toes on each leg to frost bite before we got him. He always had a funny lope for a run. He was huge, almost turkey size (maybe he was a turkey but his head looked more chicken than turkey). Poor guy we we'd always lasso him. He'd always come back for more play.

[CathyA]

Thanks Float On.

No signs of anything in the look or feel of the lower/upper leg/hip. The only funky looking thing might be her foot. There's an extra bulge on the medial aspect of the foot and her toes aren't as straight now.......which could be from her manipulating her foot to have a wider surface area to support something painful higher up. The bulge is soft and doesn't appear to be bumblefoot. BUT.........the one thing I noticed is that she has blackish stuff on the outside of her "ankle" area. Its like soot, but you have to scrap hard to get it off. Doesn't really look like scaly mites. I was wondering if that's how a bruise looks?? Unfortunately, I have to wait until DH can help me on the weekend, to try to tape her foot.......in the event its her foot/ankle.

But when I hold her and manipulate her foot all around, she doesn't flinch.......which makes me think the problem is higher up. Dang. I hate not knowing what's going on.
If I can't help her by next week, I'll take her to the Avian vet........but it will no doubt be several hundred dollars, even without treatment.
Since she's so old, I wonder about arthritic joints? I hobble around too! Maybe she's just got a bad case of what I've got!

Their toes can be so funky looking, and variable.....its hard to know if they're abnormal.
Do you know if slipped Achilles tendons can happen in older hens, or is that mostly a chick problem?

[Jilly]

Whatever happens, your devotion to her is just plain wonderful. There have been a few threads here about elevating relationships and connections, Tradd's mechanic is the most recent one, and it is what you are doing makes the world a better place. The microcosm supporting the macrocosm.

[CathyA]

Whatever happens, your devotion to her is just plain wonderful. There have been a few threads here about elevating relationships and connections, Tradd's mechanic is the most recent one, and it is what you are doing makes the world a better place. The microcosm supporting the macrocosm.

Thanks Jilly! That was kind of you to say. :)

[Jilly]

It is the truth. If everyone did something small in their communities, oh, it would be so amazing when all those single or small group efforts managed to flow upward to inspire the big boys and girls to do the same for those to whom they are responsible, you know, folk like us.

Every small kindness is where creating good and supportive change begins. And, I love chickens. I would have them if local ordinances would allow.