Something wrong with my chooks leg

Karen_H · **Posted:** Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:07 am

Hi again

We got some new (immunised) chooks about a month or so ago and they were put in a separate (new) pen away from the others. On Sunday morning, we found one of the wyondotte bantams laying on the ground unable to walk. She was being run over by the others and whilst could get into a corner, really seemed to struggle to walk.

I took her out of the pen and put her in specially made box with food and water in one of our open sheds. She is eating and drinking, no runny poo or discharge but it's almost like her leg has no feeling in it. She can hobble around a bit. I have no idea what is wrong with her. There are no outward signs or obvious signs of a break or dislocation. She does make a bit of noise when you touch the leg or move it - it's a raspy sort of noise so it must be quite sore

The photo is not very good (I'll try and get a better one this afternoon).

Any ideas? I have a horrible suspicion she has jumped from the window sill onto the concrete floor (they have scratched most of the straw away) and hurt herself

I am not sure what that is on her second toe in the picture - I will go and take a closer look!

Scotts34 · **Joined:** Thu Sep 29, 2011 7:18 pm **Posts:** 3

This happened to me with one of my new hens I got a couple of weeks ago and when I found her she could not stand on the left legs at all I thought it was broken but decided to put her in a cage by herself and 3 days later she was standing and semi walking again now she is back with the other new hens I think she just sprained her muscles and just need rest maybe yours is the same?

CindyM · **Joined:** Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:25 pm **Posts:** 1

Check for a tick I had a hen paralysed and at first could not work it out until I found the tick she recovered without and treatment in 2 days and is now 2 years older

Karen_H · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 4:52 pm

Thanks for that. I haven't checked for ticks yet but will (I haven't been on the internet for about a week so just saw this). She has been slowly recovering in her box and can now stand on the left leg but the right leg is still week. The foot curls up and then she sort of rolls it out and walks on it. She is quite chirpy now, is eating and drinking well so I think it may be a strain. Really glad I moved her into the box as I think she will recover.

I am going to check for ticks though just to make sure!

[smilie=thanks.gif]

lightsussex · **Joined:** Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:54 pm **Posts:** 2

she could have had a tick and is fallen off as they do when feeding is complete and time to lay eggs. Highly likely that is what is was we are seeing the largest number of tick bites on poultry that we have ever seen so if your fowls free range then check them for paralysis ticks regularly

bluepeafowl · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:00 am

Do you have many tickborne diseases in Australia? Lyme disease is the most common here from blacklegged tick

Karen_H · **Posted:** Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:50 pm

Looks like it was a soft tissue injury - did not find any ticks and spoke to my vet :-) Two weeks on her own in a comfy nest with food and water and she has come good, you wouldn't think there had been anything wrong with her!

She is happily back in the pen now chasing insects with the other chickens - I will keep a close eye on her for the next few days.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

Glad she is on the mend

I hadn't considered ticks and chickens - is there any way to prevent a chicken from getting one?

Karen_H · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 1:07 pm

Have kept a close eye on Freckles over the last few weeks and she is still going strong. One of our border collies is missing her though - he keeps going to the box she was in looking for her! He runs back to me, then back to the box, back and forth. He used to sit with her all the time [smilie=a_chuckle.gif]

. He did see us take her back to the pen (he came with us) but hasn't made the connection [smilie=a_doh.gif]

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

I doubt you will get tick paralysis in Dubbo but your local vet would confirm or deny that.

bluepeafowl wrote:

Do you have many tickborne diseases in Australia? Lyme disease is the most common here from blacklegged tick

We don't really get Lyme disease in Australia BPF. Our main problem is with tick paralysis on the east coast caused by the paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus.

There are suspicions that ticks transmit blood-borne parasites but it's not a large scale problem.

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