Serama hen can't walk

We have a 10 month old Serama hen who about 3 weeks ago just started acting off. We brought her in and have her in a crate in the house. She had watery stools and She couldn't walk. We didn't know if she had been injured by the Serama rooster we have. She is eating and drinking fine but still after 3 weeks can't week. She tries but no go. We took her to an avian vet (which was very difficult to find in our area) and they couldn't find anything broken and thought it could be neurological. Did a fecal and it came back coccidia. They have us tube feeding her which is traumatic for her and us! She loves to sit with my hubby and gets upset when he walks away. Even the dog sleeps beside her crate now. She is very alert...eats and drinks fine. Prior to the vet visit, we used Corid and B12. The vet prescribed TMZ as an antibiotic...after one dose we thought she was a goner. She wouldn't eat or drink and was non responsive. We discontinued call the vet and they basically said they didn't know what we should do. The next morning after the drugs were out of her system...she was her chirpy little self. Any suggestions? I think I am changing her name to Rocky because she is a little fighter for sure.

shoregirl1234 said:

We have a 10 month old Serama hen who about 3 weeks ago just started acting off. We brought her in and have her in a crate in the house. She had watery stools and She couldn't walk. We didn't know if she had been injured by the Serama rooster we have. She is eating and drinking fine but still after 3 weeks can't week. She tries but no go. We took her to an avian vet (which was very difficult to find in our area) and they couldn't find anything broken and thought it could be neurological. Did a fecal and it came back coccidia. They have us tube feeding her which is traumatic for her and us! She loves to sit with my hubby and gets upset when he walks away. Even the dog sleeps beside her crate now. She is very alert...eats and drinks fine. Prior to the vet visit, we used Corid and B12. The vet prescribed TMZ as an antibiotic...after one dose we thought she was a goner. She wouldn't eat or drink and was non responsive. We discontinued call the vet and they basically said they didn't know what we should do. The next morning after the drugs were out of her system...she was her chirpy little self. Any suggestions? I think I am changing her name to Rocky because she is a little fighter for sure.

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Hi Welcome To BYC

Was she vaccinated for Marek's?
Can she eat on her own now?
Has she started laying eggs?
Any swelling/bloat in the abdomen?

It's possible she may have a disease like Marek's, but without testing there's no way to no for sure.

The best you can do is give her supportive care, provide poultry vitamins and some human B-Complex vitamins that contains B2(Riboflavin). See that she is receiving a balanced poultry feed and staying hydrated.

If she does pass, then you may want to consider having a necropsy performed to find out the cause of her illness.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

Not sure if she was vaccinated for Marek's. She is eating, drinking and very alert. Has grown quite attached to my hubby. When he walks away she gets very upset! No swelling in belly. She had been laying up until she got sick and hasn't laid in almost a month. She has become a house chicken for the past 3 weeks. Beside not walking she really is just a normal hen. We have been giving her extra vitamins but not sure if her legs are too far gone to help.

The vet gave us some Harrison's Recovery food which we have been tubing her (loads of fun) at least once a day. She eats and drinks well and still loves her treats.

I just worry about quality of life not being able to walk

Thank you for the response.

I had one with Marek's that took nearly 3 months to walk again. There were a couple of times when I set a date to euthanize her if she was no better, but she continued to look bright and eat enthusiastically, particularly treats like scrambled egg and I just couldn't do it. The big improvement came when spring arrived and I was able to put her outside in the sunshine on the grass in a cage and let the other chickens forage around her. Scattering scratch in and around the cage encouraged her to forage with them. Putting a docile friend in with her also helps but be prepared for a scrap even if she is disabled, it's surprising how they can fight when they want to....sheer determination is an amazing attribute. Most of all, keeping her happy and stress free and well fed is the key to recovery.
You might find a that chicken sling will support her in an upright position and enable her to eat and drink without your help. If she can eat on her own I would not put her through the stress of tube feeding. You can easily make a simple sling/hammock from a cardboard box and an old Tshirt and a staple gun or even clothes pegs and it helps prevent them from soiling themselves.

Good luck with her and if you need more info on chicken slings/hammocks, shout up.

Best wishes

Barbara