Kicking Chicken

[Grecia]

Hmm, I don't see any spurs on your girl's legs. She doesn't look like she has scaly leg mites either. How cold is it getting where you are? I considered that my hen might just be reacting to the extreme temps I've been getting the past week or so.

Horse Girl Abby, check out the thread entitled "Chicken Can't Stand, But Kicks." It describes the chickens that had the tumors pressing on their nerves and the lash egg. Another woman suggests my girl might have a respiratory disease she might have caught from another chicken who is a carrier but is asymptomatic. She says the swollen eyes and legs problems are symptoms and flare up in times of stress. She says the respiratory disease can cause lameness. She wants me to post a picture of the swollen eye tomorrow, which I will. Another says she's had many bouts of scaly leg mites, but the eyes have never been affected.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

The picture was taken shortly after I got her in the fall. I will take a new picture of her tomorrow for you. The first time I put Vaseline on her legs was right around Christmas. At first she walked quite a while without kicking. But then after about 20 minutes she started kicking backwards again. In the beginning I thought it was only one leg she was kicking, but then she started kicking both. We had a human medical emergency and I was not able to reapply Vaseline until tonight. After I did I gave her a treat of dry catfood which she ate well. I did read a few minutes ago that sometimes chickens get some kind of weird tumors that affect their legs and press on nerves. I am now worried that may be what is causing the kicking, and maybe it's affecting her eye as well? I can't remember what the neurological disorder was called. And then I read about a huge lash egg being found at necropsy inside a hen who had been kicking backwards. So who knows? It seems this malady is a rare one.

Hmm, maybe she does have scaly leg mites then. Did she start walking normally after you put it on tonight?

The lowest temperature we have gotten down to here recently was 18 degrees, but now it's in the 40s and she's still kicking, so I don't think it is the temp. Chickens don't really suffer until the temp drops to 8 degrees Fahrenheit, and it hasn't been that cold and none of my other chickens are showing any similar symptoms.

Ah, ok. I've been getting temps in the single digits, and wondered if the cold had something to do with her legs.

Horse Girl Abby, check out the thread entitled "Chicken Can't Stand, But Kicks." It describes the chickens that had the tumors pressing on their nerves and the lash egg. Another woman suggests my girl might have a respiratory disease she might have caught from another chicken who is a carrier but is asymptomatic. She says the swollen eyes and legs problems are symptoms and flare up in times of stress. She says the respiratory disease can cause lameness. She wants me to post a picture of the swollen eye tomorrow, which I will. Another says she's had many bouts of scaly leg mites, but the eyes have never been affected.

I sincerely doubt the eye problem and the legs are related. I've never heard of legs being infected in a respiratory disease. I think the tumor related disease you're talking about is Marek's, which would be highly unlikely in older hens like yours. But have you added any new chickens to the flock recently?

Is she still eating, drinking, and moving around okay? Are the other chickens leaving her alone for now and not picking on her? Mine seems to be acting normal except for the kicking, she was even trying to chase one of the other hens around today.

 

[Grecia]

I read that Mycoplasma Synoviae in addition to causing swollen shut eyes and watery eyes can cause lameness, by affection the joints. It affects more body systems of hens than MG does. Two people have concurred that they think that is what she probably has. I do wonder about the fact she made the honking noise when I got her. Her owner commented on that. Could she have had the disease at that point, in the early stages and it has now gotten worse? Or did bringing in the 3 new birds back in October stress her out, causing the disease to progress, or were they carriers and she got it that way? She was always #2 hen, but I do think I noticed some pecking on her the other day. I'll watch more closely tomorrow. She used to peck a bit on them. One day she slammed her leg against the wall when kicking backwards, as if on purpose. She did not walk normally for very long tonight after I put the Vaseline on her legs. The first time she walked normally for quite some time, but not tonight. However, I did carry her for most of the way back to the coop. I will reapply tomorrow and see how she does. I did notice right before I put the Vaseline on the first time she drank a ton of water as if VERY thirsty. I wondered about kidney disease. Tonight I thought she seemed rather warm right above the legs on one side, but maybe not. I did see her under the roost tonight at bedtime, which is unusual. She usually is one of the first to jump on it. That is when I picked her up and put Vaseline on her legs and fed her the catfood treat, and when I carried her back to the roost I placed her on it. I thought she ate way too much catfood, as if starved. I will make her some scrambled eggs first thing in the morning and see how she does with those.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I read that Mycoplasma Synoviae in addition to causing swollen shut eyes and watery eyes can cause lameness, by affection the joints. It affects more body systems of hens than MG does. Two people have concurred that they think that is what she probably has. I do wonder about the fact she made the honking noise when I got her. Her owner commented on that. Could she have had the disease at that point, in the early stages and it has now gotten worse? Or did bringing in the 3 new birds back in October stress her out, causing the disease to progress, or were they carriers and she got it that way?

I think she likely already had the disease, if that is indeed what's causing the lameness. The honking noise is quite common in respiratory issues. The funny thing is, I also had a hen infected with either MG or MS, who was also making a honking noise. I took her to the vet and got an antibiotic, and she's better now. I'm pretty sure the whole flock are now carriers. Maybe my hen has that as well.

She was always #2 hen, but I do think I noticed some pecking on her the other day. I'll watch more closely tomorrow. She used to peck a bit on them.

Yes, be careful she's not getting picked on. Chickens can notice diseases before we do, and once they start picking on the sick one, often the disease has progressed to a point where the chicken won't last much longer.

One day she slammed her leg against the wall when kicking backwards, as if on purpose. She did not walk normally for very long tonight after I put the Vaseline on her legs. The first time she walked normally for quite some time, but not tonight. However, I did carry her for most of the way back to the coop. I will reapply tomorrow and see how she does. I did notice right before I put the Vaseline on the first time she drank a ton of water as if VERY thirsty. I wondered about kidney disease. Tonight I thought she seemed rather warm right above the legs on one side, but maybe not. I did see her under the roost tonight at bedtime, which is unusual. She usually is one of the first to jump on it.

I don't know about you, but I always get worried when I see someone under the roost. It could be not a big deal, like she just got knocked off by someone, or it could be her legs don't work well enough to propel her up there.

That is when I picked her up and put Vaseline on her legs and fed her the catfood treat, and when I carried her back to the roost I placed her on it. I thought she ate way too much catfood, as if starved. I will make her some scrambled eggs first thing in the morning and see how she does with those.

That's another thing, if she's getting picked on they might not be letting her eat. For sure keep an eye on her tomorrow, and I hope she's doing better in the morning.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

@azygous would you mind taking a look at these posts and giving your opinion?

 

[Grecia]

I just read an article about gout in chickens, which usually affects both feet. I wonder whether that could be it. I am trying to find out which maladies Welsummer breed is most susceptible to.

 

[Grecia]

I think I will bring her inside in the morning and soak her legs in Epsom salt and warm water. Last time I did this was right before the first time I rubbed her legs with Vaseline. She loved it then; it seemed to relax her. It is fairly warm here now and I will be careful not to get her feathers wet. Then I'll watch how she walks and feed her her warm scrambled eggs and mixed greens and a catfood treat and give her plenty of water.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I just read an article about gout in chickens, which usually affects both feet. I wonder whether that could be it. I am trying to find out which maladies Welsummer breed is most susceptible to.

It could be gout, especially as both girls are fairly old.

I think I will bring her inside in the morning and soak her legs in Epsom salt and warm water. Last time I did this was right before the first time I rubbed her legs with Vaseline. She loved it then; it seemed to relax her. It is fairly warm here now and I will be careful not to get her feathers wet. Then I'll watch how she walks and feed her her warm scrambled eggs and mixed greens and a catfood treat and give her plenty of water.

Have you checked her for lice? My chickens do have lice right now, and I’ve seen some weird things happen. Like one of my hens started losing her balance and stumbling around, and after I treated her for lice, that went away. I know it could just have been a coincidence, but I’m pretty convinced it was the lice. So I treated mine just now, and we’ll see if it does anything different.

 

[Grecia]

It could be gout, especially as both girls are fairly old.

Have you checked her for lice? My chickens do have lice right now, and I’ve seen some weird things happen. Like one of my hens started losing her balance and stumbling around, and after I treated her for lice, that went away. I know it could just have been a coincidence, but I’m pretty convinced it was the lice. So I treated mine just now, and we’ll see if it does anything different.

She does not appear to have lice. I will post some pics of her I took this morning. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I will check her behind very closely this afternoon.

 

[Grecia]

Horse Girl, here are the pics you requested.