Rooster leg problem

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Question

Rooster leg problem: We are not sure how old our rooster is, but today he can not walk on his legs.

Last year he had a small issue with his legs when he went to walk up hill as he kept falling back them, but then came right.

Now it is happening again, but worse. Not sure if you have any idea what could be going on, or what we should do, any ideas would be great.

Answer
This problem could be genetic or dietary in cause. If vitamins and minerals help him, you’ll have a better answer.

If genetic, there is really nothing you can do to stop or reverse this condition permanently, but vitamins and minerals may slow it down and make him more comfortable.

Some breeds, especially dual purpose and meat, are designed for fast growth of heavy muscle.

If these breeds pass the age of ideal readiness for market or butchering, they may become too heavy to be supported by their own legs.

Possibly over the winter he just became too heavy for ideal mobility. Feeding much corn can cause some chickens to put on fat which is good for market value, some protection from cold in winter, but not for long term health.

This may just have been a fluke of her anatomy and not anyone’s fault; but the following issues can lead to a hen getting egg bound, having trouble laying and prolapsed oviduct:

Calcium and other mineral deficiencies, poor quality diet – including protein and vitamin deficiencies, lack of exercise, and injury.

I’ve never had this happen to a chicken, but in my younger days, a friend found a runner duck of hers in this condition one morning.

She was unable to do what needed to be done, so I offered to help, though lacking any experience. Growing up in a big city, I’d never killed an animal before, and she was a beautiful duck…but for the sake of her future suffering, I knew what had to be done.

(The following is graphic, but I believe as an animal caregiver, it’s important to know when it’s time to put an animal down, and if possible, to be able to do it quickly and end suffering immediately.

It’s legal in most countries, states and counties.) I put the duck in a feed sack and got her head securely in one of the corners and used one accurate blow to her head with a hammer.

I didn’t have to look her in the eye or have the image in my mind, which made it easier.

No matter, if using animals we raise for food, or having to end their lives mercifully for medical issues, it’s all part of being responsible for their quality of life (and even death).

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