Treating gout in a chicken?

[Tatuana]

I'm struggling to understand so I thought I'd ask for clarification. My neighbor's chicken has gout (Someone said it may be infectious?) From what I've been able to tell it's diet related? Her poor feet are swollen so bad she won't walk. If my neighbor adjusts the feed will that help it? (And how long does it take to go down?) The only other thing I can find is antibiotics from a vet - which I doubt she has access to. Is there a way to manage it without a vet?

 

[Eggcessive]

Gout is not infectious. Do you have any pictures of the feet and legs? Sometimes articular gout and swollen joints from joint infections can be confused. Here is a good link to read about gout:
https://thepoultrysite.com/articles/gout-management-in-poultry

 

[cottagecheese]

If you ask your neighbor how often the hen lays and what she is being fed, it would help to pinpoint what she is suffering from. Layer feed contains four times the amount of calcium of all flock feed and is meant, apparently, for daily layers. Whoever doesn't lay daily gets too much calcium if fed layer feed, even adult hens! Too much calcium in time will lead to developing gout. Here is a more detailed explanation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what’s-wrong-with-my-elderly-hen’s-feet.1304880/
Another cause of gout is excess protein in the diet. Has she been spoiled with too many mealworms or too many (scrambled or boiled) eggs?
The answers to these questions will be helpful in guessing what she is suffering from.

 

[dawg53]

If you ask your neighbor how often the hen lays and what she is being fed, it would help to pinpoint what she is suffering from. Layer feed contains four times the amount of calcium of all flock feed and is meant, apparently, for daily layers. Whoever doesn't lay daily gets too much calcium if fed layer feed, even adult hens! Too much calcium in time will lead to developing gout. Here is a more detailed explanation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what’s-wrong-with-my-elderly-hen’s-feet.1304880/
Another cause of gout is excess protein in the diet. Has she been spoiled with too many mealworms or too many (scrambled or boiled) eggs?
The answers to these questions will be helpful in guessing what she is suffering from.

I've been feeding my birds layer feed all their lives since 20 weeks old, sometimes sooner. Most of my hens lived 10+ years. Only one of them developed gout. I'd say that's darn good odds.
Four percent calcium is the norm in layer feed which cost producers big money testing their products for consumers of their layer feed product for efficiency of egg production.
They are NOT going to produce a specific feed for old hens with less calcium in it. It would be a waste of time and money.
The 4% calcium is distributed in the hens system, some through fecals, urine, bone, and eggshells. Technically the 4% is needed.
https://www.wattagnet.com/articles/25083-understanding-daily-calcium-cycle-in-layer-hens
If you want to control their feed management in order to control gout, by all means do so. Personally, I dont bother. One hen with gout at 10 years old, I'm not gonna lose sleep over it, same with a younger egg producing bird, not for one bird.

 

[Eggcessive]

@Tatuana, have you been able to get pictures of your neighbor’s hens feet yet? It is really important to see if it is gout or something else. There are many possible causes of gout. I have never seen a case of gout, and my chickens have mostly eaten layer feed since they each started laying. My roosters ate the same—and no gout. More often the cause of gout is having a case of infectious bronchitis early in life, feeding salty treats or using sodium bicarbonite, and aflotoxin exposure.

 

[Tatuana]

Sorry for going radio silent. Allergy season is in full swing here.

If you ask your neighbor how often the hen lays and what she is being fed, it would help to pinpoint what she is suffering from. Layer feed contains four times the amount of calcium of all flock feed and is meant, apparently, for daily layers. Whoever doesn't lay daily gets too much calcium if fed layer feed, even adult hens! Too much calcium in time will lead to developing gout. Here is a more detailed explanation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what’s-wrong-with-my-elderly-hen’s-feet.1304880/
Another cause of gout is excess protein in the diet. Has she been spoiled with too many mealworms or too many (scrambled or boiled) eggs?
The answers to these questions will be helpful in guessing what she is suffering from.

I see her tonight, I'll ask! I know she feeds them dried mealworms.

@Tatuana, have you been able to get pictures of your neighbor’s hens feet yet? It is really important to see if it is gout or something else. There are many possible causes of gout. I have never seen a case of gout, and my chickens have mostly eaten layer feed since they each started laying. My roosters ate the same—and no gout. More often the cause of gout is having a case of infectious bronchitis early in life, feeding salty treats or using sodium bicarbonite, and aflotoxin exposure.

Here's the pictures. We know for a fact it's not bumblefoot. The poor chicken is very unhappy. She hides a lot and doesn't move around much. She also has VERY watery poo - it's all liquid. She's the only one who has it, non of the others do. I just want to see her feel better. But it seems like if it IS gout there's not a lot to do? She just lives with it?

My main concern is that the chicken is clearly unhappy. I'm trying to understand how I can keep her comfortable and hopefully lessen the swelling. A vet isn't an option (This is going to sound cruel... But it's not really worth it for just a chicken to the chicken owner)

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for the pictures. I am not a vet, but since the ankles and hocks are very swollen, I would be concerned that this may be mycoplasma synovitis, a bacterial like infection of the joints, rather than gout. Usually with gout, the toes have a lumpy appearance as well as swollen ankles. MS is a chronic disease, and it can be hard to treat, compared to MG, the respiratory disease. Here is some reading about MS:
https://waddl.vetmed.wsu.edu/animal-disease-faq/mycoplasma-synoviae

https://thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-m-s-infectious-synovitis

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-in-poultry

Photo by Suse of BYC of her hen with Mycoplasma Synovitis

 

[casportpony]

Thank you for the pictures. I am not a vet, but since the ankles and hocks are very swollen, I would be concerned that this may be mycoplasma synovitis,

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Eggcessive]

This is probably one of the best pics that I have seen of articular gout which shows the lumpy appearance of the feet, compared to the fat feet, swollen ankles and hock joints of MS:

Photo by M Bailey 78 of BYC

 

[Tatuana]

Poor little chicken! Can it just show up? The chicken is 2 years old. She's been suffering for about a month. It went from bad to really bad in the space of a week.

And does she need to worry about her other chickens getting it?

From what it looks like the only treatment is antibiotics? Is that right? And water managing.