[jo40]

Hello
I have an 11 wk old cream legbar who has hurt her leg. She got caught up between the perches think, I found her underneath. I am sure that it is an injury and not Maraks as she was able to balance steadily on 1 leg and has reasonable control of her body. The bad leg doesn't feel hot, she can move it ok and she doesn't seem to show any significant areas that are painful as I have felt the leg, I think it might be her hip.
I have searched this site and the general advice seems to be keep the hen in small warm area and see if they recover. So she is in the kitchen comfortable in a small ark with nothing to trip over, eating and drinking fine - I have put her back on chick crumbs.
Is there anything else I could do, I don't have a good poultry vet locally so am not sure it would be worth taking her there, I have found this site more helpful and it doesn't cost £25 for a consultation!!
Thanks Jo

[Foxy]

Hi Jo,

Firstly check very carefully for any breaks, compare to the other leg. It could be tommorrow before any swelling or heat becomes apparent. Watch carefully for any symptoms that may indicate a neurological problem. Mareks can be tricky to detect, but if your birds have been vaccinated shouldn't be a problem,or if you are confident that the risk of infection is very low, eg no new birds have been introduced to your flock recently.

For an injury causing discomfort and swelling but no evidence of fracture you could try dispersible baby aspirin in water,once you are certain there is no internal injury. Alternatively a smear of brufen gel on the affected leg can help. A few days rest will aid  recovery as well as reduce risk of excerbating the injury.

The other thing to look very closely for is any injury to the base of the foot,known as bumble foot.This can be tricky to detect, and can present like a tiny black wart. With bumblefoot the area would need excising and cleaning thoroughly as well as a course of antibiotics to prevent re-infection.

[jo40]

Thank you
I think the risk of mareks is high as 99% sure one of the other chicks had it last week, we decided to cull her as she was in a bad way and we didn't want to risk the others. This ones symptoms are different though, it is definitely one leg and she is using her wing for support. I have quarantined her (in the kitchen) but would like to wait and see if she gets better.
Can't find any sign of a break, she can move the leg quite well but can't seem to put any weight on it. Looked for signs of bumble foot couldn't find anything, thanks for the suggestions I give it a go. She is on chick crumbs, a sprinkle of poultry spice and lifeguard in the her water, anything else worth trying?
Jo