Hen limping quite badly - time to end it?

[glasgowdan]

I really don't know what I should do... the hen has started limping badly just a day ago and I cannot see anything wrong on inspection. I don't think she has been hurt unless by an animal.

Should I put her down? Not to upset the hen-lovers, but would there be any cause not to eat her given the limp? Could it be an infection?

Anything would be great thanks.

[Nicos]

Oh no...not yet!!

...she may have bruised her foot or pulled a muscle.

5 days usually gives an idea with most animals/birds.
She won't limp unless she has to.
My goose limped for over a week- really badly.
I think he/she had strained around it's hip- looks fine now!

Nope- don't give up on her yet- just try and limit her activities...can you keep her in the coop maybe so she has to rest?

Just a thought

good luck

[Glutton4...]

I had a chook that I suspected had bumblefoot. I couldn't catch her to check her over - she could limp/fly very quickly. She was walking normally after about four or five days.

[glasgowdan]

Thanks... she has until Tuesday to find out her fate!

[RichmondHens]

As others have said, give her a bit longer. I had a young hen back in the winter we think was knocked down by an over amorous cock and she couldn't walk at all - one leg was completely stretched backwards and she couldn't draw it forwards at all. She was dragging herself round the pen. We kept her in a box in our hallway and she was back on her feet in a fortnight and back with the flock a week after that. So, not all may be lost. If she is at least partially active and still feeding, drinking and socialising then there is every chance she will recover by herself.

If she does not recover however and you decide to cull her, there is no reason why you should not eat her. It is ok to eat injured birds, but not ill ones.

[frias]

One of my hens started limping one day and as I couldn't see anything wrong I took her to the vet. He couldn't find anything wrong either and told me to check her every day to made sure she didn't have bumblefoot. Two weeks later she was as right as rain. at first I wondered if it was arthritis but came to the conclusion she must have just jarred it and it got better on it's own.