Her legs are strong but her balance is off

[fanficfreezone]

Over Memorial weekend, we noticed that my hen Fiona was unable to walk. Her legs still worked but her balance was not right.

When we first saw the vet he said she was emaciated, and since she was refusing to eat, we have been tube-feeding her.

Over the last two weeks (since Memorial weekend) she was given Metacam and amoxicillin and calcium as well.

My vet said it wasn’t egg binding or salpingitis. She’s also too old for Marek’s. He even did a fine needle aspiration test which came back negative.

Her legs were never paralyzed but because she can’t balance, she doesn’t walk. When she tries she keeps falling forward.

However she can move her legs and she can stand. Since we started tube-feeding her she has regained some strength, but her comb is still down and when she sits, her butt feathers are down.

Lately she has also been trying to take some steps, but it’s like 2 tiny steps with her legs crouched and then she sits because her balance is off. She tries hard but that’s all she can manage. It’s better than how she was at first.

She is 4 years old and a cinnamon queen. I adopted her 2 years ago.

Unfortunately my vet isn’t sure what’s going on. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[nuthatched]

What's her diet? Have you tried vitamin therapy to treat vitamin deficiency?

 

[fanficfreezone]

What's her diet? Have you tried vitamin therapy to treat vitamin deficiency?

We were giving feed from the feed store. I am not sure what’s in it. We became chicken parents pretty haphazardly after rescuing a chicken and we only have two hens, no rooster, so we’re very much inexperienced.

The vet gave us calcium and we have been giving her Poultry Cell. If there’s other vitamins I should have been giving her, I don’t know what they are.

Because of force-feeding we’ve been giving her either her feed that we grind into a powder, or lately, we have been giving her baby bird formula (the “exact” brand we got from Petco).

 

[Kiki]

Over Memorial weekend, we noticed that my hen Fiona was unable to walk. Her legs still worked but her balance was not right.

When we first saw the vet he said she was emaciated, and since she was refusing to eat, we have been tube-feeding her.

Over the last two weeks (since Memorial weekend) she was given Metacam and amoxicillin and calcium as well.

My vet said it wasn’t egg binding or salpingitis. She’s also too old for Marek’s. He even did a fine needle aspiration test which came back negative.

Her legs were never paralyzed but because she can’t balance, she doesn’t walk. When she tries she keeps falling forward.

However she can move her legs and she can stand. Since we started tube-feeding her she has regained some strength, but her comb is still down and when she sits, her butt feathers are down.

Lately she has also been trying to take some steps, but it’s like 2 tiny steps with her legs crouched and then she sits because her balance is off. She tries hard but that’s all she can manage. It’s better than how she was at first.

She is 4 years old and a cinnamon queen. I adopted her 2 years ago.

Unfortunately my vet isn’t sure what’s going on. Any insight would be appreciated.

Birds can get Marek's disease at any age. They are never too old to get it.

Have you brought any new birds home in the last few months?

 

[Folly's place]

Also, have you been checking the mill date on each bag of feed? It needs to be fresh! We feed within two months of the mill date here.
What are you feeding? An all-flock, layer, chick feed? Treats?
Lead poisoning? Marek's disease? head injury? At least she's better, however slight the improvement.
All the best,
Mary

 

[nuthatched]

We were giving feed from the feed store. I am not sure what’s in it. We became chicken parents pretty haphazardly after rescuing a chicken and we only have two hens, no rooster, so we’re very much inexperienced.

The vet gave us calcium and we have been giving her Poultry Cell. If there’s other vitamins I should have been giving her, I don’t know what they are.

Because of force-feeding we’ve been giving her either her feed that we grind into a powder, or lately, we have been giving her baby bird formula (the “exact” brand we got from Petco).

Do you know the type of feed? Certain feeds are for certain ages, scratch is not feed.

 

[fanficfreezone]

Birds can get Marek's disease at any age. They are never too old to get it.

Have you brought any new birds home in the last few months?

Nope! Only my two girls.

My vet also said it could be Marek’s despite her age but according to him, after the test he ran (labs took a week to come back) that’s not it.

 

[Folly's place]

That's good.

 

[fanficfreezone]

Also, have you been checking the mill date on each bag of feed? It needs to be fresh! We feed within two months of the mill date here.

Oh! No I never checked for that!!!

Do you know the type of feed? Certain feeds are for certain ages, scratch is not feed.

I’m including the picture of the label of the feed. That’s what Fiona’s previous owner fed her flock so we just kept buying that. If that’s bad I don’t mind changing and getting something else.

 

[fanficfreezone]

Do you know the type of feed? Certain feeds are for certain ages, scratch is not feed.

I replied with a picture of the label but it’s awaiting mod approval. However I have no idea what you mean by “scratch is not feed”. I would feel awful if it turns out I was feeding her something not nutritious enough.