Her legs are strong but her balance is off

[GCrumb]

TOTALLY NOT YOUR FAULT, feed is nor a thing most people look into but it needs to change.

Indeed. Really, the instructions on that bag and its labeling are misleading at best and the company ought to be paying the vet bill.

It's been tough to adjust from childhood chicken-keeping of fully free-range birds who were seldom really contained and never had nutritional issues besides 'please sir may I have some more?' to having them in a run almost all the time and unable to pick up what they want.

 

[fanficfreezone]

Not great feed, for sure. And mixed whole grain feeds can be a real problem, if individuals decide to eat only certain items in the mix. Malnutrition is then very likely.
Buy a fresh all flock or chick feed, 20% protein, with separate oyster shell and separate grit. Pelleted or crumble, not whole grain.
And do those vitamin supplements for her, at least!
Mary

is there any brand you would suggest for the feed?

 

[fanficfreezone]

B-2 and B-12 deficiencies can cause that. If you're up for another vet visit, you might be able to get a big injectable dose for her. If she's willing to be held, it might help speed recovery to play with and move her legs and toes about within their normal comfortable range-of-motion.

Ok I’m supposed to take her to the vet in the morning, I’ll request that.

 

[GCrumb]

I tried to make her walk a couple of days ago and she actually started trying to walk more after I did. She tolerates being held.

We had a hen like this that came to us with a rooster, both of them unable to walk but the roo was strong, And spent all day sitting on the hen, and freaked out if separated from her, so we dispatched him and found that he didn't have the nerve inflamation associated with mereks and did have a messed up liver associated with B-12 deficiency. The hen recovered. And got lots of in-lap physical therapy, which she grew to love.

 

[fanficfreezone]

That feed is inadequate, in fact, it's one of the worst I've seen.
Protein is too low to be any type of feed, calcium is too low to be a layer.
It doesn't list half the stuff that should be there.
Your bird is suffering from vitamin and nutrition deficiency. Try to find a pelleted or crumbled feed with atleast 17% protein.
In the mean time, give her 400i.u vitamin E and a third of a B complex tablet every day for a few weeks.
TOTALLY NOT YOUR FAULT, feed is nor a thing most people look into but it needs to change.

I tried to research it when we rescued Danielle, but I didn’t understand anything and then she (Danielle) started thriving when we brought her Fiona so we assumed it was the companionship and the food Fiona came with (former owner gave us a bag). So we kept buying it. I will change it for sure! Any brand suggestion?

 

[fanficfreezone]

I don’t want to sound dumb but could y’all tell me what to ask my vet for in the morning?? B-12 injection?

And also could you recommend good foods that I can buy (even if I have to mix different foods)? Preferably things I can get from Tractor Supply since there’s one very close to me. But I can also order online.

 

[janiedoe]

You can get Purina Flock Raiser from tractor supply. I believe it has 18% protein.
It doesn't have sufficient calcium for layers so you'll need to buy some oyster shell also. You can keep the oyster shell in a seperate dish.
I'm a fan of liquid Poultry Cell (also available at tractor supply) for a supplement. It has more vitamins than most other supplements.
I wish you and Fiona the best of luck!

 

[fanficfreezone]

You can get Purina Flock Raiser from tractor supply. I believe it has 18% protein.
It doesn't have sufficient calcium for layers so you'll need to buy some oyster shell also. You can keep the oyster shell in a seperate dish.
I'm a fan of liquid Poultry Cell (also available at tractor supply) for a supplement. It has more vitamins than most other supplements.
I wish you and Fiona the best of luck!

We got the liquid Poultry Cell as soon as she got sick. She’s been getting it regularly over the last two weeks but I guess it wasn’t enough.

 

[GCrumb]

I don’t want to sound dumb but could y’all tell me what to ask my vet for in the morning?? B-12 injection?

I'd just tell the vet that these chicken-people told you it sounds like vitamin b deficiency, show them the food label, and as if there's a safe way to just load her body with the missing nutrients. I think some vitamins you can give a massive dose at once and it all ends up in the right places but others need to come in at a slower rate or your kidneys have problems. We didn't take the little hen to the vet and just did our best at home.

 

[fanficfreezone]

I'd just tell the vet that these chicken-people told you it sounds like vitamin b deficiency, show them the food label, and as if there's a safe way to just load her body with the missing nutrients. I think some vitamins you can give a massive dose at once and it all ends up in the right places but others need to come in at a slower rate or your kidneys have problems. We didn't take the little hen to the vet and just did our best at home.

Thankfully my vet is the type of guy who does admit when he doesn’t know something so I believe he will be open to follow the advice I received here.