Hen suddenly lame

[Leaches123]

Hello, my little white bantam (green legs and cheeks) was found suddenly lame just over 24 hours ago, there was no previous signs of weekness and has been generally happy. she is approximately 20 weeks old. She is usually on a diet of mixed grain and has free range of the farm. So she currently can't walk at all, if I lift her up under her belly she will kick her legs with great vigor until she settles down with a pat on the head, if I gently set her on her feet she will jump and try to move but just falls forward and ends up on her side, I have felt her all over and all seems fine, except if I touch the bone/cartilage on her underside behind her legs. She seems happy in herself, is eating and drinking although not as much as she usually would as she's the little guts. Two main things that I think may of happened, is 1 it possibly happened after laying her first egg? (as there was a different colour egg in the box and I haven't seen it again since removing her) or 2 a young randy rooster tried to mount her, she is barely 1/4 of his size, and he usually gets enough from the older hens, but maybe tried to mount her? He is actually going to be removed at some point cause he's becoming too forceful and dominant. I have her nested in a separate enclosure.. So questions, does anyone think she will recover over time? Any other ideas as to what could've happened? Especially so fast, she was okay and then next I saw her she wasn't..

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Was your chick vaccinated for Mareks? It is more than likely an injury, but sometimes they can become lame from pressure on nerves temporarily from egg laying or egg binding. Mareks can affect chickens at that age also, causing imbalance, lameness, and paralysis of one or both legs or wings or the neck. Removing the rooster might help, but my bantams exist safely in a mixed flock with 2 large roosters. Botulism and mycotoxin pointing can cause paralysis of both legs, but since she is moving her legs, that might not be the reason. Can she move her toes, and are they curled? I would start some poultry vitamins just in case she has a vitamin deficiency, and make sure the vitamins contain riboflavin. Give us an update on how she is getting along.

 

[Leaches123]

I don't think she was vaccinated against anything, she came from a local farm, no hens there or any other hens here have ever had any trouble like this, and because it happened suddenly , I put it down to some sort of injury.. I'll get onto more vitamins, I've been giving her some extra calcium as I have that here. Lifting her and watching her legs again I don't think she has control of her toes properly in one foot she seems to be able to put it down more but tries to walk on the tips of her toes not her pad and the other foot her toes curl over as she walks. It's always something with our white hens! The last white one we had got taken by an eagle, both my daughters, but this one isn't looking good although generally still happy in herself, should I let her sit on her legs all the time or should I try and rig up a sling of sorts to let her legs hang a bit?

 

[Eggcessive]

With the toes curling under, that can be a common sign of riboflavin deficiency. Chick vitamins except for Poultry Nutridrench which does not have Rivoflavin are all good. B Complex can also be ground up in the feed or dissolved in water. You should see results fairly soon, if that is what is going on. If not treated early, it can become permanent.

 

[Leaches123]

Thanks Eggcessive, I will get them into her and hopefully it helps:/

 

[Leaches123]

Well there has been no improvement in little white hen, we are thinking tomorrow will be 'put to rest day', I gave her a warm bath today and was feeling around the top her legs/pelvis but she's obviously in considerable pain, I'm even beginning to wonder if her pelvis got cracked as most everything seems to be in joint.. what is making it hard is that she still seems happy in herself when she's sitting in her comfy spot!

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry to hear that she is not doing well. It is kind to consider putting her out of her misery. An injury could well be her problem, but cancer is very common in chickens, also. She sounds like she is a well loved pet.