Lame Chicken - please help

[Anonymous]

Hi, In the past few weeks my cockerel has lost the use of his legs, and it's got to the stage where he is sitting down with his weight across most of his leg, but resting mainly on his knee. He only moves to readjust himself, and to go into shelter in the evening (balances using his wings and also using them for support). He was taken to the vets when this all started and given antibiotics and pain killers and said if that doesn't work, there's nothing more to do. They didn't appear to do anything, but I just want to check that there is nothing more that can be done for him. In my experience, these vets tend to deal with small mammals etc and not birds, and I have had problems in the past (inlcuding a vet telling me one of my chickens had clef palate, when in fact it was the bit in the upper beak that joined to the nostrils!! According to her, Mable (the chicken in question) wasn't going to survive much longer. She went on to live another 3-4 years!!)

Anyways, back to the matter at hand! I've looked at his feet and legs, there's no obvious swelling (the vet suggested it was rheumatism or arthritis rather than bumblefoot due to this) and when I put my finger against the base of his foot (or place the base of his foot against a branch) his toes close around it lightly. Apart his lameness, Fowler is eating and drinking fine (which is another thing I don't understand, usually when something like this happens they tend to just give up). This is why I'm also struggling to decide what to do. It breaks my heart to think of having him put to sleep when he is still so alive. I know I can't make this decision based on my own feelings like this, but I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing for him, so any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks for your help

 

[Sue]

I am a newcomer to chicken keeping, but I had a lame hen recently and found a vet who knew about poultry via the www.chickenvet.co.uk website. Perhaps you could see if there is one in your area. At least then you know they know what they're talking about before you make any decisions. I made my hen rest her leg in a separate cage with no perches with food and water and she is fine now. It was thought that she probably knocked or twisted it, but it was only one leg and probably different to your cockerel. As long as he's happy eating and drinking I would let him rest it to see if he recovers if you can't find a chicken vet. If he was in pain he wouldn't be eating or drinking.

 

[dorinda]

What Breed is your cockerel , and what age is he - sounds very like Mareks disease - which is a disease of the nervous system - and often means curled up toes and also using wings as a balance - I would ask your vet is this is a possibility - god luck