My rooster has a hot and swollen knee / elbow or whatever you call it on his leg. He was fine one day, then crippled the next. Our goat may have stepped on him. We separated him (rooster ) from the other chickens. He has been hurt about a week now and doesn't seem to be getting better. Suggestions please.......

-- Randy Boden (rjboden@cyberport.com), July 01, 2001

Answers

Hi, Randy. I hope your bird has improved some by now. If he can't walk on the leg after this time, I'd say put him in the cooking pot. No sense dragging things out for him if he won't get better. If he can walk at all on the leg, I'd just leave him alone to see how he does. Give most animals time and they can heal to some extent if they can move around on their own at all. Hope he gets better.

Jennifer L.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@imcnet.net), July 02, 2001.

You might try splinting the leg. If it is broken, this will help in the healing process. Splint should start above effected joint. You might try something like several thickness of newspaper, with tape. Good luck.

-- athome (athome@home.com), July 03, 2001.