I've spent the past two hours going through the search function, looking for answers, but haven't found any.
I have an older flock with 19 chickens - all from the hatchery and all vaccinated. I also have 17 baby chicks that hens from this flock hatched out - varying in age from 1 week to around 4 months old. The babies have not been vaccinated. They all free range and are fed good quality layer feed and flock raiser (I *try* to feed the babies flock raiser, and adults layer, but they all eat each others' food). They get oyster shell free choice and I feed them back their egg shells after we eat the eggs. I scatter a little BOSS mixed with grain scratch each evening in the run.
The issue is with a 1 1/2 year old hen (White Faced Black Spanish - from original flock) that I just noticed acting very oddly yesterday. I initially noticed yesterday around noon that when she ran towards me, she ran with her wings kinda ruffled out, and her head bent way forward. But she was still able to run, so I didn't give it too much thought at the time. They ALL run toward me when I go outside because they think they may get a treat. I went out a couple of hours later and she ran towards me the same way, and when I put some egg shells down for them, she gobbled them up like everyone else.
A couple of hours later, I noticed her laying, kinda on her side, just outside the chicken run. I went outside to check on her and she struggled, but eventually got up and tried to run towards me. But this time she kept losing her balance and fell on her side several times. I tried to pick her up, but she managed to get inside the coop - and actually made it to a roost. But she had a hard time balancing and when another chicken got up beside her, she fell off.
ETA: She's the only one in the flock exhibiting any symptoms like this. Everyone else currently seems very healthy.
I brought her inside and am keeping her in a cage. She was VERY unhappy last night and wouldn't eat/drink and kept flinging herself about the cage trying to escape. She had a fair amount of energy, even if she couldn't balance herself. I turned off the light and made the room very dark, and she settled down.
This morning I checked her and she wouldn't even try to stand up. She was on her side and when I righted her, she would fall over. I took her out and hand fed her yogurt and got some water with electrolites in her. I was able to balance her in the upright position when I put her back in her cage (laying down, not on her feet)
I fed her yogurt mixed with scrambled eggs and a little cheese and she ate like she was starving. I put some water w/ electrolites in her cage, and she's drinking just fine. She now seems to be able to stay in the upright position while laying down with out falling over on her side, but she's not trying to use her legs at all and if I move her, she falls over. I kind of have to balance her upright and then she can stay that way. She pooped 4 times since last night, and they all looked normal. She's eating/drinking just fine and other than the imbalance issue, seems to feel ok.
Her comb and wattle were hot last night - wattle is cool today, but comb still feels pretty warm.
She laid an egg this AM, but it was a soft shelled egg. Not sure if this is an ongoing issue for her - some one does routinely leave me a soft shelled egg but I thought it was a Leghorn. So I don't know if she has been laying soft shells for a while, or if this was the first time.
Her vent was moist on the outside when I checked last night - haven't checked yet this AM because I hate disturbing her right now. But I will check. I could see no sign of mites/lice - I looked very carefully around the vent area and all over her, but I've never personally seen mites/lice so I hope I looked good enough.
I've seen other posts about chickens with imbalance issues, but I can not seem to find anyone that ever resolves what the issue was. Either they stop posting or post that the chicken is fine now. Other than isolating, feeding yogurt/eggs/etc. and electrolites/vitamins in the water, I can't find any other specific treatment that was used.
Has anyone experienced these symptoms within their flock and determined what the issue was or a specific treatment?
I'm sorry for the long post, but I am trying to provide as much info as possible.
Thanks for any help,
Penny
I have an older flock with 19 chickens - all from the hatchery and all vaccinated. I also have 17 baby chicks that hens from this flock hatched out - varying in age from 1 week to around 4 months old. The babies have not been vaccinated. They all free range and are fed good quality layer feed and flock raiser (I *try* to feed the babies flock raiser, and adults layer, but they all eat each others' food). They get oyster shell free choice and I feed them back their egg shells after we eat the eggs. I scatter a little BOSS mixed with grain scratch each evening in the run.
The issue is with a 1 1/2 year old hen (White Faced Black Spanish - from original flock) that I just noticed acting very oddly yesterday. I initially noticed yesterday around noon that when she ran towards me, she ran with her wings kinda ruffled out, and her head bent way forward. But she was still able to run, so I didn't give it too much thought at the time. They ALL run toward me when I go outside because they think they may get a treat. I went out a couple of hours later and she ran towards me the same way, and when I put some egg shells down for them, she gobbled them up like everyone else.
A couple of hours later, I noticed her laying, kinda on her side, just outside the chicken run. I went outside to check on her and she struggled, but eventually got up and tried to run towards me. But this time she kept losing her balance and fell on her side several times. I tried to pick her up, but she managed to get inside the coop - and actually made it to a roost. But she had a hard time balancing and when another chicken got up beside her, she fell off.
ETA: She's the only one in the flock exhibiting any symptoms like this. Everyone else currently seems very healthy.
I brought her inside and am keeping her in a cage. She was VERY unhappy last night and wouldn't eat/drink and kept flinging herself about the cage trying to escape. She had a fair amount of energy, even if she couldn't balance herself. I turned off the light and made the room very dark, and she settled down.
This morning I checked her and she wouldn't even try to stand up. She was on her side and when I righted her, she would fall over. I took her out and hand fed her yogurt and got some water with electrolites in her. I was able to balance her in the upright position when I put her back in her cage (laying down, not on her feet)
I fed her yogurt mixed with scrambled eggs and a little cheese and she ate like she was starving. I put some water w/ electrolites in her cage, and she's drinking just fine. She now seems to be able to stay in the upright position while laying down with out falling over on her side, but she's not trying to use her legs at all and if I move her, she falls over. I kind of have to balance her upright and then she can stay that way. She pooped 4 times since last night, and they all looked normal. She's eating/drinking just fine and other than the imbalance issue, seems to feel ok.
Her comb and wattle were hot last night - wattle is cool today, but comb still feels pretty warm.
She laid an egg this AM, but it was a soft shelled egg. Not sure if this is an ongoing issue for her - some one does routinely leave me a soft shelled egg but I thought it was a Leghorn. So I don't know if she has been laying soft shells for a while, or if this was the first time.
Her vent was moist on the outside when I checked last night - haven't checked yet this AM because I hate disturbing her right now. But I will check. I could see no sign of mites/lice - I looked very carefully around the vent area and all over her, but I've never personally seen mites/lice so I hope I looked good enough.
I've seen other posts about chickens with imbalance issues, but I can not seem to find anyone that ever resolves what the issue was. Either they stop posting or post that the chicken is fine now. Other than isolating, feeding yogurt/eggs/etc. and electrolites/vitamins in the water, I can't find any other specific treatment that was used.
Has anyone experienced these symptoms within their flock and determined what the issue was or a specific treatment?
I'm sorry for the long post, but I am trying to provide as much info as possible.
Thanks for any help,
Penny
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