Hen keeps falling over

[Sing a Clucky Song]

Hi all,

Kylie our 3.5yr old hen (unsure of the breed) had been a perfect bill of health up until a few weeks ago. We noticed she had started sitting more than usual and now she is at the point where she can only stand for a short period of time before she falls down again. She stopped laying around the time this developed.

We have taken her to two different vets - one has ruled out any issues with crop and internal laying but didn't know what it could be, the other said similar and gave her a vitamin and steroid injection which helped for a day but she is now getting worse.

There are no sign of injury and the rest of the flock are okay. She's started open mouth breathing today we wormed her 2 weeks ago, she is drinking acv and had vitamin and mineral supplements in her food. We really don't want to lose her. Does anyone have any ideas of what else we can try? Thank you for your help, we really appreciate it.

She's also vaccinated against Mareks and eats and drinks well when in front of her, but lacks energy to move herself over very often.

Pics of her sat down (she can't get out of the box without falling flat on her face so we have isolated her):

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you added any new chickens to your flock in recent months? Sorry that Kylie is having a hard time. Mareks disease which affects younger chickens earlier in life, could still be possible if she has been exposed to a carrier. Are both of her eyes the same color?

I had a hen who became lame and lost balance for 5 weeks, and then was able to get up and walk. We later learned that she had internally laid lash eggs and oviduct cancer that eventually killed her a year after she recovered. Some things such as inflammation or tumors can press against the sciatic nerves in the legs to make them not be able to walk. I would offer some vitamin B complex for riboflavin 1/4 to 1/2 tablet daily. Chicken slings are a good way to get them upright if she would tolerate it.

 

[Sing a Clucky Song]

Have you added any new chickens to your flock in recent months? Sorry that Kylie is having a hard time. Mareks disease which affects younger chickens earlier in life, could still be possible if she has been exposed to a carrier. Are both of her eyes the same color?

I had a hen who became lame and lost balance for 5 weeks, and then was able to get up and walk. We later learned that she had internally laid lash eggs and oviduct cancer that eventually killed her a year after she recovered. Some things such as inflammation or tumors can press against the sciatic nerves in the legs to make them not be able to walk. I would offer some vitamin B complex for riboflavin 1/4 to 1/2 tablet daily. Chicken slings are a good way to get them upright if she would tolerate it.

Thank you so much for your reply. We've not had any new chickens to the flock and her eyes are the same colour, so I'm guessing that rules out Mareks?

That sounds similar to what we were worried about. We expected some kind of tumour but hopeed there could be some other cause that's more curable. She is still quite alert at the moment, albeit with heaby breathing, so we will try the vitmain b complex the poor thing. Will also look at a chicken sling too.

Thank you so much for your help, we really appreciate it.

 

[Eggcessive]

When hens are over 2 tumors and internally laid lash eggs or infection are more common. Here are some interesting pictures and a video of homemade slings, nests, and chairs:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/