My chicken has a hard knot on her shoulder. Is it a broken bone?

Thanks for reaching out about Chicky and including photos. A physical examination must be made to determine which of these it is, and each will require a different treatment plan. There are some infectious diseases that can cause this also like bacterial infections or Mycoplasma gallinacium. Provide good diet and husbandry, especially heat support. Good luck.

It's possible your hen may have an injury to the leg such as a sprain or break, or even a potential nutrient deficiency causing weakness. If the leg isn't improving on its own, seeking veterinary care to have it looked at by a vet is best. They may be able to figure out the issue or create a brace while the leg heals to make sure it stays in the proper position.

The only way to tell is to take her to your vet for an x-ray. Managing a fractured limb at home is one thing but if she has some internal injury you will not be able to "fix" that at home. A punctured lung or ruptured air sac would have been an injury that would have been noticed right away and not after the fact so I don't think that is the case unless she is in real respiratory distress. The gurgling sounds more like something is going on with the crop. Truly, if you are worried you need to get her to a vet for an exam. Please understand we are limited on how much advice we can give without examining the animal ourselves. I think you will have peace of mind if you just go ahead and take her in. Best wishes.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear about Raven. It is possible that this will pass but if she doesn't get better you will have to take her to your veterinarian for treatment. Your veterinarian can do a physical exam and then advise some tests or x rays to assess her condition. She may need fluids, medicines for nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, pain medicines, etc. So if she doesn't get better within the next 12-24 hours, you should have her evaluated. Good luck with Raven

She is definitely in need of an examination by a veterinarian to assess the situation more carefully. Based on the information you've provided, it sounds like she could have some sort of upper respiratory infection, as these often can cause the eyes to crust up and shut completely. Antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication are usually the best bets for this sort of ailment. However, first things first, you'll need to have someone take a look at her to make sure there isn't a primary ocular issue going on instead. Hope this makes sense.

You can try to splint it. This video may help you. The video is good - the only thing I would change is I would use bigger splint stabilizers like a popsicle stick. If there is a wound you need to put some topical antibiotic on the wound before bandaging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxp7JfA3H7w You should keep her isolated from the rest of the birds until healed. Putting her in a crate or very small area would be best. It takes about 2-3 weeks for a bone to heal. Hope this helps. If you have more questions please post again!

Ideally Stella needs a vet visit to asses. She could have a fracture or dislocation or make have a viral infection suck as Marek's disease that can affect the nerves of the leg. In many cases a fracture or dislocation in a hen requires sedation to attempt to fix but because they are two legged animals it requires a lot of TLC and nursing care to help them recover. She needs to be kep inside and have a sling fashioned to help her stand upright. She may need help cleaning herself. And in the case of bone injury she should have pain medication. Many times culling or euthanasia is chosen for chickens with leg injuries because of the difficulty in recovery.