DISEASES AND TREATMENTS FOR POULTRY ESPECIALLY ASILS/ASEELS: Broken Bones

Introduction

Is your chicken refusing to walk or dragging its wing? It may be suffering from a broken leg or wing. Broken wings are fairly easy for the chicken to live with; broken legs are not. With legs and wings, it’s important to treat your injured chicken immediately.

A broken wing may drag the ground or appear twisted. It can be healed by folding the wing into a natural position against the bird, and then wrapping the bird with gauze strips or vet wrap to hold the wing in place. Unless it’s a show bird, if the wing heals crooked or droops, it’s no big deal.

Keeping the wing wrapped for two weeks is usually enough. The bird must be separated from other birds during this time. The bird will feel better if it can see and hear the flock.

A broken leg may look crooked and swollen, and the bird won’t walk on it. Broken legs can be splinted, but it’s best to let a vet or someone experienced in bird rehabilitation do this. In a young bird, the bones heal quickly. Once again, you should separate the bird from your flock until it has healed.

In either case, if a bone is protruding through the skin, infection is extremely likely, and the chances of the bird making it are poor. Wings can be amputated, but even though chickens can exist with one leg, the quality of life is poor. Amputations should be done by a vet.

Other Names

fractures

Organism or Mechanism

Blunt force trauma, falls, predators, other accidents

Preventive Measures

• Handle birds gently
• Do not allow children or dogs to chase birds

Management Treatments

• Remove the injured bird and treat separately.

Physical Treatments

• Bring the broken parts gently but firmly together, bind with bandages and hold in place with a couple of appropriate sized splints.
• Moisten the bandages frequently with a lotion of 1 part tincture of Symphytum mixed with 5 parts water.

Nutritional Treatments

Herbal Treatments

Homeopathic Treatments

• Give one dose of Aconite (3 pellets) by mouth, then 6 pellets of Hepar Sulph in the drinking water after a week

• Symphytum 30C once daily for 3 days or 6C daily for a week

• Comfrey 30C - symphytum 30C- knitbone 30C- as pellets is a also a good homeopathic remedy for broken or fractured bones. We have such success with using it on chickens. Major changes are noted almost every hour.