Limping/lameness - trueblue hen

[Rosekitten]

This is the second hen that has come down with limping and becoming lame, the first one died the other morning and this one seems to have a bit of energy about her still so I've got her in a basket with a towel presently and trying to encourage water a little.

The hen is from this spring so she's not quite a year old yet. I was curious if there is anything more I can be doing or if this was a lost cause (or anything I should be looking for)?

They are my housemates chickens but with this second hen turning up with a hurt foot I fear it may be due to the 12 roosters out of the 48 chickens total that is the leading cause to why the smaller hens are turning up with limping all of a sudden. We just moved and had to transport the chickens so it seems to have disrupted the pecking order of the flock.
(I have finally talked my house mate into getting rid all but three roosters so if they are the cause of the issue then it'll be over soon)

edit:
She doesn't seem to want to let me bend her right leg, so it's extended in front of her presently but she appears comfortable that way.

 

[Rosekitten]

Image of the hen ~

 

[Rosekitten]

edit again:
I moved her to the bottom half of a cat carrier instead of the basket she was in to encourage her to move when she felt like it. She still seems to favor one or both legs and it takes some coxing to make her sit on them properly.

At the very least she is making cooing noises, eating and drinking. Bathroom seems normal at the moment.

 

[Rosekitten]

Still open to any advice, I dunno if there is anything further I should be looking for, expecting or doing other then keeping her fed, well watered and plenty of rest.

As a current update she ate a little more, had what she wanted in water and seemed to settle down. Still sitting a bit on her side and using a wing to prop herself up but she seems to be alert and was looking around the room. Given there have been three cats keeping her company this whole time and she had slept through it heh.

Presently she is resting in a cat carrier, I had the top off earlier so she could still enjoy the sunlight from the windows and put the top back on once it was roosting time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The hen is from this spring so she's not quite a year old yet.

re my housemates chickens but with this second hen turning up with a hurt foot I fear it may be due to the 12 roosters out of the 48 chickens total that is the leading cause to why the smaller hens are turning up with limping all of a sudden.

She doesn't seem to want to let me bend her right leg, so it's extended in front of her presently but she appears comfortable that way.

She still seems to favor one or both legs and it takes some coxing to make her sit on them properly.

Still sitting a bit on her side and using a wing to prop herself up but she seems to be alert and was looking around the room

What type of food/treats do you feed?
Have you noticed any swelling of the feet/legs or hocks?
Do you know if she was vaccinated for Marek's?

She doesn't look really old enough to lay eggs, but it would be a good idea to feel her abdomen to see if there is any bloat or swelling.

More photos are always welcome - how she stands, poop, etc.

It's very hard to know what's going on with her. If she was being ganged up on by a bunch of roosters (how old are the roosters?) then she may be suffering from injury or she may be suffering from stress induced outbreak of Marek's.

The only think I can suggest is to keep her hydrated. You can try offering poultry vitamins that contain B2 (Riboflavin). She may benefit from being placed in a sling to help her keep upright, but she will need to be monitored.

If you happen to lose her, it would be a good idea to have testing/necropsy to find out more information, especially since you lost another one so recently.
You can find your state lab here: http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm
Here is more information about Marek's:http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[Cragg Klefor]

This is the second hen that has come down with limping and becoming lame, the first one died the other morning and this one seems to have a bit of energ

Considering you have just moved them, is there any possibility they have gotten into something like mold? What does her poop look like?
With the chicken who has already passed, did she get any worse between presenting with a limp and passing? Or what other symptoms became apparent?

If they have gotten into something, It would be good to flush her with epsom salts. But if it is an injury of course that won't help her at all. I would have a good look around where they have been to see if they could have eaten anything spoiled. Considering this is the second one, and the first one died, I'd imagine it could be worth looking at. Good luck!

 

[Rosekitten]

My housemate keeps saying they have Marek because all of the chickens that have died in the past on her had that, died as chicks or got into the neighbor's yard. I am unsure if they were tested I know our mutts in the coop we had finally worked Marek out of the flock.. but again we just moved so that becomes possible again from what I could find ... This is one of the 15 true blue we bought from a breeder so I can see if i can get up with her as far as if they were tested or not.

Only one elder roo in the flock and he has been leaving the hens alone (he's around 2-3 years) he'll go after the younger males though but he's a large production red full breed, the rest are all the same age as her just under a year.


But 10 out of the 13 roos she has are being shipped out this afternoon so if they were the issue then they won't be after today. They do go after the older females in the flock but they seem to have little interest in the hens their own age presently.

I'll get more images of her when she wakes up, she's still resting as I've been checking on her through the night to keep an eye on her leg she seems to favor more then the other. She's been using her wing to keep herself propped to one side.

Her poo looks normal from what I can see, I'll snag a image of that as well when I am able.

I am unsure about mold, this is a new area they just cleared, the house is brand new, the coop is just built as of a week ago.

With the other hen we had booted the roos from her several times but I am unsure if they were ganging on her due to the limping and being small (she was also a true blue) or because of the pecking order being thrown out of wack from us moving 49 chickens..

Limping was the only thing I saw with the other and then refusal to stand or maybe unable to. She passed fairly quickly. When this one made it through the night and had moved from her grounded resting spot I decided to try to step in as she seemed to have more energy to her yet.

I'll have a look around their coop though, sadly even if this one passes they are my house mates chickens and I'm unsure if i can talk her into sending it away. I'd like to because i'd rather not lose the rest after spending a year tending to them and reproducing the flock.

 

[rebrascora]

Considering their age and the circumstances with having so many adolescent cockerels in the flock and that the flock has a history of Marek's and the previous lame bird died, I think it is highly likely that this is also Marek's. It certainly looks and sounds like Marek's. This disease doesn't go away once you have it in your flock, it just has dormant phases and if the flock is settled and happy, it remains in remission, but stress from moving home and so many adolescent males is very likely to trigger it.

 

[Rosekitten]

This is before attempting a sling to sit her in, I dunno if it's worth the time but at the least I feel a bit better giving her a chance to be comfortable. No other chickens in the flock seem to be having issues.

Though I'm not holding out much hope as she's not trying to stand up even with assistance.

 

[rebrascora]

With Marek's you often get one or two and then a few weeks/months later, one or two more.