Chicken Limping *Confused*

[TyRi]

Hi, I have a 5 month old roo starting to limp but almost as if his leg is shorter than the other. He is growing and eating and drinking all fine but I can’t understand why he is limping. I recently had a hen that started limping bad like no weight and i checked her over multiple times with no avail. She got moved into the garage with a heat lamp and food and water because she decided to just camp out in the coop and she eventually passed with me not really understanding why. My roo is semi limping almost as if one leg is shorter than the other is the best way i could describe his “limp”. I checked him over feet, toes, legs, hips, sides, rear end, chest.. cant see or feel anything that would be wrong! (Heck of an intense/athletic chore to corner him and catch him lol) Just do not want to lose him if there is something that i should be looking for!! Might be a little dramatic but want to get any possibilities or ease my mind of he will be fine because he is my only roo especially him being a cream legbar to keep that blue egg gene!! Thanks to anyone that can give an idea or ease my mind!

 

[TyRi]

He is hiking it up currently

 

[Eggcessive]

Holding it up sounds like it is sore, or there could be a bumblefoot scab on the bottom of his foot. Do you see any scabs on the foot pad or any swelling, scrapes, or green bruising on the entire leg? You may want to force him to rest the leg, and not do any running or jumping for a week or two. Place him in a wire dog crate with food and water secured, but leave him with his flock. Do you have other roosters? Hard to know about your first lame chicken, but Mareks would be something to consider and rule out. If you lose any others, having your state vet lab do a necropsy, is the best way to find a cause of death.

 

[TyRi]

Holding it up sounds like it is sore, or there could be a bumblefoot scab on the bottom of his foot. Do you see any scabs on the foot pad or any swelling, scrapes, or green bruising on the entire leg? You may want to force him to rest the leg, and not do any running or jumping for a week or two. Place him in a wire dog crate with food and water secured, but leave him with his flock. Do you have other roosters? Hard to know about your first lame chicken, but Mareks would be something to consider and rule out. If you lose any others, having your state vet lab do a necropsy, is the best way to find a cause of death.

Didn’t see anything out of the ordinary on his feet or legs! No other roosters but i will get a cage out there soon! Hopefully that fixes him up!

 

[TyRi]

He is still not any better.. his leg is just about straight back, he really doesn’t use it at all. He is very efficient hopping around on one leg.. just about as fast as the rest of the flock running to the door for treats, food bucket, or water refill. Just feels like he will not be able to do rooster duties and debating on cull route just because I feel again, he won’t be able to breed the ladies or protect them out in the yard if anything were to come for them. Have tried holding off just to hope he could breed with the other cream legbars to hopefully get another roo out of them to replace him. They are just starting to lay and have 5 “Chocolate Eggers” coming along with a Speckled Sussex roo shipping out Feb 12th. Feel like he will get bullied by a new roo in his state even though he isnt picked on currently. Thinking out loud here! Thanks for reading if you did lol

 

[Eggcessive]

It may be nerve damage from an injury, but Mareks still could be the issue. If you do eventually lose him or cull him, I would have your state vet do a necropsy and try to rule out Mareks.