Baby with poorly leg

[Bephlam]

If it's not one things it's my chickens!!!

Today, one of the babies appears to be lame on her right leg. I've checked her over and she is fine on all other counts. Her right leg is VERY warm and is slightly swollen over the joint. She doesn't appear to be reacting when I manipulate it, but she is barely using it at all....and appears to be just lying down in the run.

She's eating and drinking fine....generally quite happy...but clearly having some problems with this leg.

I've given her some herbal pick me up and tucked her up in bed for the night...but apart from that I've opted for just watching to see how she develops overnight. I'm thinking maybe one of the bigger girls trampled her in their haste to get something (faverolles have a habit of doing that!).

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Suechooks]

If it's hot and swollen how about trying a mini-ice-pack? Just a few frozen peas in a plastic bag wrapped in a hanky should do the trick. Hold it on for up to 5 minutes at a time if you can and repeat 3 or 4 times a day till improved.

[Bramble-Poultry]

We had this with a cochin hen. it has a technical name that I wont bore you with (mainly cos I can;t spell it ) but basically the nearest you can aliken it to is a dislocated knee - its actually a tendon as their joints are not the same as ours, its also similar to spradle in a youngster.

It is non cureable without surgery HOWEVER if she is kept confined to just her run and the others are not allowed to pester her too much for about 2 - 3 weeks then she will actually get better in as much as the tendon will set and she will be able to walk pain free - it will however set where it is and Blossom our cochin waddles and limps now instead of walks normally but she is not suffering and runs around with all the others now fine as anything.

We had to isolate her as the others were causing her grief and she would not stay still enough to recover so we placed her in a rabbit hutch for 2 weeks to restrict her movement.

[Bephlam]

Thankfully she's a bit better today....!! She's still hobbling a bit and holding the foot up when she's standing, but she is able to put some weight on it and is active enough (although confined to run). She is hiding under the stairs to get some peace and quiet from the other girls, so she's happy.

I don't care if she waddles for the rest of her days, as long as she's in no pain. She won't be going anywhere....as long as she remains a girl!!!

[di]

Pleased she's a bit better today Bobbie...& fingers crossed she makes a speedy recovery(& remains a she!)xx