Limping chook with dirty bum

June-em · **Joined:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 12

Hi Chook-lovers
One of my four chooks has a couple of problems - hope someone can help me.
She has been limping for a few days. I think she may have dislocated her 'hip' or broken something in her leg. The chooks have a nice house with a long perch, plenty room for all of them, but they argue every night who is to get the 'corner' place. They squabble, flap wings and push each around. I think she may have fallen (pushed off) from the perch and fallen awkwardly. She is limping around and doesn't seem too worried, cannot dig but still foraging. Now she has developed a 'dirty bum'. Thought at first maybe she couldn't preen herself with a sore leg but on checking today it seems worse. I cut off the dirty feathers and washed her bum best way I could but she has part of her bum protruding. She has only started laying two or three weeks ago and her eggs are still small but so I don't think it's the eggs. Though i did see my chooks foraging in my drive and eating small rough pebbles and of course they cannot digest such things so out they came at the other end. I'm wondering if she has hurt her inards passing the pebbled poos. She seems fine other than these two problems. Eating and drinking as usual and seems OK. So, my questions are, how do I check if it is her hip or leg, then what?.... What should I do about her bum?... I cleaned her with warm soap and water with dettol in it then put some Anusol hoping to shrink the protrudence... The chook is an Australorp and around 7 months old.... By the way, I do give them shell grit but they peck at everything...
Thanks, June-em

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

Hi June-em,
1) The leg: feel the lame leg from the foot and work your way up the leg until you feel the hip joint. Flex the leg at each joint. If unsure what you're feeling then compare it with the same place on the good leg; flex and extend each joint. This way you should be able to locate where the pain is coming from, or where a fracture may be. The top of the thigh is the hardest to assess because it has the most muscle.

2)The bottom problem: Sounds like she is excessively straining and has partly prolapsed. You need to keep the prolapsed tissue moist- anusol may be ok or any other haemmorhoid creme. As for the cause it could be a lot of things- intestinal parasites eg coccidia or worms; infection in the lower bowel or reproductive tract or a foreign body she's eaten trying to make its way through. You could try worming or coccidial treatments, more greenfood to increase the fluid content of the droppings or even a dose or two of Paraffin liquid. Ideally, you may need to have her checked out by a vet who has some experience with chickens

Good luck

Parvo

June-em · **Joined:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 12

Thanks for your reply Parvo,
I have already checked her leg and it looks OK, nothing obvious but I will have another look.
I usually check for worms as the chooks poo just outside my back door when they line up for their treats so I do look but I have put some worming treatment in their water and I'll keep them in the run for a day or so to make sure they drink it.
Funnily enough, she seems fine and is still laying her daily egg but I will try and keep her clean and moist and see what happens.. But I'm not wanting to cull her as she is so cute and her twin sister would be devastated....

Thanks, June-em

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