2 Year Old Hen Suddenly Walking Drunkenly/Holding Head and Neck at Odd Angle (Link to video!)

[EggDropSoup]

Nope--that hen ended up healing and being fine! I live in Western Kentucky. I do have Mycoplasma Synoviae in my flock (apparently), and this flock is the same one that survived a respiratory infection last summer. I'm wondering if this is some sort of manifestation of the MS or the respiratory infection (or maybe the MS and the respiratory infection are the same thing??). I'm at a loss. Other than some dumb beginner mistakes (like introducing strange hens and giving them all that respiratory infection last summer), I'm a good chicken mom. They have an awesome coop, awesome yard, organic feed, and because I love chickens, I spend a lot of time just hanging out with them and enjoying their company. I know chickens are an odd mix of fragile and resilient, but I've had some pretty sudden losses over the past six months (Egg Yolk Peritonitis, most recently) and it makes me feel like I must be doing something wrong. I really feel like part of it might be their genetics. I ordered them from a hatchery that I've since heard compared to a puppy mill. In the future, I will get my babies from a local, reputable farm, I guess. It really gets to me, because they're all super healthy--laying daily, beautiful plumage, great color, lots of energy--until, all of the sudden, they're not. It's probably the way things are with chickens, but I used to work as a veterinary assistant at an animal shelter and had a great track record of saving hopeless cases, so I take it personally when an animal gets sick and dies!

 

[Michael Apple]

It could be botulism caused by Clostridium bacteria. It could be that enteritis developed in this particular hen, further compromising the absorption of nutrients to build immunity. Enteritis is a killer and can be caused by protozoa such as Coccidia or Histomonas meleagridis (protozoa spread by cecal worms), or worms themselves, or bacterial infections of the gut.

Prevention is important, but so is effective treatment if symptoms start being recognized. Prevention by supplementing water with probiotics and vitamin-mineral powder a couple days a week is important to me. Never keeping more feed than I can use in 4 weeks, paying attention to expiration dates on feed bags, preventing access to stagnant pools of water, keeping waterers clean and in the shade, using a worming regiment for the flock, Keeping the coop dry and well ventilated, and paying close attention to the appearance of droppings are few ways to avoid problems.

If I see a hen that appears to lose appetite or an increased appetite, loses weight, or has diarrhea for more than a day or two (not to be confused with watery droppings that may occur in hot weather from drinking more often) I take action. I check them over for mites every couple weeks by parting feathers and looking at scales on legs and feet, pick them up and compare weights to my healthy hens, look down their throats for any plaque looking substance, see if they are losing feathers for moult, etc.

Moult, weather stresses, breeding season, growth, after a regiment of medication, are all reasons to supplement feed/water with vitamins and probiotics since these are times when immunity can be compromised. When I see a potential problem in a bird as I described previously, I treat for mites if there are any, I worm them, then give vitamin-electrolyte-probiotic powder in waterers for a day. Then follow the next day with Corid treatments in waterers for 5-7 days. If I see no improvement of symptoms within a week of treatment, I consider the symptoms based upon common diseases of poultry and use alternative meds or antibiotics if needed.

Here is a pretty good list of common diseases, viral as well as bacterial:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044


Here are a few I always keep on hand:

Vitamins-electrolytes dispersible powder: Hakes Twin City Poultry Supply sells a Breeder Solution which is a new one I'm using. A good product.
Probios dispersible powder: Most feed stores carry this.
Corid 9.6% liquid or 20% powder: Effective for cecal and intestinal strains of Coccidiosis. Most feed stores carry this.
Sulfadimethoxine powder: Effective for intestinal strains of Coccidiosis, Fowl cholera, bacteria. Most feed stores carry this or any poultry supply. avoid this if you see bloody droppings.
AvioTrich (metronidazole): Effective against Histomoniasis (Blackhead), some Clostridium sp. Jedd's or Foy's pigeon supply carry this in addition to other beneficial supplements/medications. Aviotrich is much cheaper than Fish-Zole and the coated tabs prevent regurgitation.
Amoxicillin powder or capsules: Broad spectrum antibiotic against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Jedd's or Foy's carries this.
Dewormer: Valbazen suspension/Safeguard liquid (labeled for goats)/Worminator (sold by Hake's Twin City Poultry Supplies are a few broad spectrum dewormers to alternate use of in order to prevent worm resistance. Safeguard will not remove tapeworms, though I rarely have ever seen those. Most can be found in feed stores with the exception of Worminator sold only by Hake's.

Even if a few of these items expire and you end up throwing them out, you'll be glad you had them on hand.

 

[EggDropSoup]

After three seizures throughout the morning, Ada has passed away. It clearly wasn't just a simple nutritional deficiency. She deteriorated very, very rapidly--from perfectly healthy to dead in a little over 48 hours.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss. You should have a necropsy done.

-Kathy

 

[Michael Apple]

After three seizures throughout the morning, Ada has passed away. It clearly wasn't just a simple nutritional deficiency. She deteriorated very, very rapidly--from perfectly healthy to dead in a little over 48 hours.

I'm also sorry your hen passed away. Here is a list of state labs. I would recommend a necropsy too.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/downloads/labs_app.pdf