chicken sagging, limping around

[kathyd]

Hi

I've just got back from 4 days away and found one of my chickens really struggling. She's hobbling around, her body hanging towards the ground. I picked her up to look at her feet but couldn't see anything immediately obvious, and she's currently in a cat box fretting herself silly while I try to decide what to do with herm because when I put her back with the others her sister started pecking her. She's a bit of a neurotic bird at the best of times, so hates being picked up and confined. A bit of background:

- She's a copper black maran, about 2 years old

- She's back in lay, although not 100% regularly. The shells have been rough rather than smooth at times. They have oyster shell and crushed egg shell available at all times

- We're struggling with gape worm at the moment, but they were all treated on 11th Feb 3 weeks after the first treatment with the French stuff (and this after using Flubenvet 3 times previously). This bird definitely got her share, it was her sister who refused to have any. The first round of treatment may not have had the right quantity of liquid in it, the instructions are ludicrously complicated and even my OH who has a degree in maths had a problem working it out...

- We've had a pet sitter here while we've been away, and I'm not sure he's followed instructions very closely this time. There was a full half a loaf in the chickens' 'bedroom' area (middle eaten away but whether by birds or mice I couldn't say), and no shell on the floor. Almost the whole bucket of wheat had gone. There were plenty of pellets in their hanging dish, but the duck dish with pellets and oyster shell was completely empty, and this is a favourite munching place for the chickens.

So... my best guess would be egg bound or a prolapse? In which case I could read up on what to do, and get on with it? Or perhaps you have other suggestions...

thanks...

UPDATE: now I can see more clearly, she appears to be favouring one leg - problem with the left one I think. Could this be an over-enthusiastic cockerel?

UPDATE 2: Have had her in a large dog crate most of the day, in the porch to keep an eye on her. She's since laid an egg, so presumably not egg-bound...! She's looking happier, but still appears to be having problems with her left leg. It looks as though it gives when she puts weight on it - a hip injury maybe? I'm currently thinking I'll keep her in the cage overnight, because they normally sleep high up on a perch on the coop roof, and I don't think she's agile enough yet? Plus I don't want the cockerels jumping her while her leg's still dodgy. Is this the right approach? If I ask the chicken, she'll say 'put me back with my friends, b*&^ch!'

[Scarlet]

Sorry Kathy I've only just seen this. How is she? I wouldn't have put her back but sometimes there's little option - what's happened.
You said they sleep on the coop roof...my guess is she's hurt her leg flying down. Have you checked the base of her foot? Strange..didn't one of your other birds have a bad leg?
Let us know what's happened. Half term this week, so I'm a busy bee.

[Nicos]

Hi, sorry, I had missed this too

Sounds like a sprained / bruised leg.
How is she now?

My Marans only laid well for 2 summers.
Last year ...their 3rd, we only had about one egg a week from each of them for about 12 weeks. This sounds fairly normal from what people tell me about Marans...March - Sept laying and stopping after 2 years.
There is a farmer nearby who sells them in the November of their 2nd year as meat birds for the pot...so he clearly isn't impressed with the cost of feeding them / with their egg production after that time.

and yes, their eggs were paler and rough/chalky textured...a typical sign of an old hen apparently...although 3 doesn't seem that old to me!

Hope she's improving and that with a bit of rest she's now improving?

[Nicos]

Out of interest...have you had a close look at her left foot underneath?
One of my chooks had bumble foot which caused her to limp and crouch down to take her weight off it.

[kathyd]

hi botjh - brief reply, got septic finger, hard to type, off to hosp this am! She seems such better thx, still limping bit but less. other limper was a duck - still limping but think improvimg slowly. xx

[kathyd]

Hallo again - getting used to typing without using my finger now, so will answer more fully -

I kept the maran in the dog crate in the porch each morning for 2 or 3 days, then let her out of the cage to roam the porch, then out in the afternoon after lunch when she started kicking up a fuss. Within a couple of days she was walking much better, and seems fine now touch wood - certainly well enough to run from the cockerel when she sees him coming! It's possible she's hurt her leg flying off the coop I guess, although they do have gentler ways down if they want to use them (most don't, they prefer a leap of blind faith and a crash into the wall). I saw one of the others running from the cockerel today tho, and she actually skidded when she reached the wet patio - so another possibility I suppose?

Duck - Have been letting her out as normal cos felt the big pond was safer, and water provided supported exercise. Mr Duck has been lovely with her, staying with her for the first few days even when his favourite Poppy duck (who's finally started laying) went wandering away from the pond - usually they all go together. Last couple of days she;s been putting more weight on the leg, and moving it slightly in the water. She;s also found her voice again and joins her sis in bossing me around, and also insisting on at least a few mealworms instead of hanging back until piggy Poppy has eaten them all. So all hopeful signs .