My 3-4 year old hen's toes curl under, incite please.

[wolfinator]

My hen, a red sexlink, is 3-4 years old and about a month ago her toes on both feet curled under. I thought she had been pecked in the head or had a spinal injury. She can move about using her wings and beak. She can sit upright and I've even seen her attempt to stand a little. I can get her toes on one foot to go flat but only lasts til she shifts her weight. Her appetite is good and she practically lives between the food bowl and waterer. I have her on the Save-a-Chick electrolytes and prebiotic. I've read this could be caused by a vitamin deficiencies such as B2. She's sharing a 100gal tank with a 6 month old light Brahma who has a hip/leg injury from a 4'x18" piece of plywood falling on her (still haven't figured out how since it had been secured and in place for 2 years), pinning her down. She walks with a big limp and uses the wall and her wing for balance. She's just needing time to heal as its only been 2 weeks. Both are fed meat bird feed with 21% protein (have ducks) to help keep weight up. I take the red sexlink out on occasion to let her nibble grass but I usually give them a leaf or two of greens daily.

Any extra incite and advice is welcome. No poultry vet around and I have very limited income currently so price on doing anything has to be minimal.

 

[Eggcessive]

B2 riboflavin deficiency is frequently a cause of curled under toes, and they also may walk on their hocks. Usually if treated early with riboflavin or vitamin B complex, it clears up in a week or so. Mareks disease also may cause this. Have you added any new birds to your flock in recent weeks or months? Do you give treats other than the meat bird feed that could dilute the vitamins?

 

[wolfinator]

L

B2 riboflavin deficiency is frequently a cause of curled under toes, and they also may walk on their hocks. Usually if treated early with riboflavin or vitamin B complex, it clears up in a week or so. Mareks disease also may cause this. Have you added any new birds to your flock in recent weeks or months? Do you give treats other than the meat bird feed that could dilute the vitamins?

Last August/Sept was last time I got any new babies. They aren't housed in same coop and she's only one presenting like this. She will try to stand and can do so by balancing on her wing for a minute. Her thighs are lacking muscle tone too from lack of walking.

I need to try giving her some B2 to see if it helps any. What form and how much, I'll need to find out.

 

[Eggcessive]

Only a little extra riboflavin is needed other than what the feed contains. If you can get human super B complex tablets, 1/4 tablet daily crushed into food or a few drops of water is enough. If you are using SaveAChick electrolytes with bitamins, those have riboflavin (B2,) but electrolytes should not be given indefinitely. Foods such as beef liver, which you can freeze and give only a little at a time have plenty of B vitamins.

 

[wolfinator]

Only a little extra riboflavin is needed other than what the feed contains. If you can get human super B complex tablets, 1/4 tablet daily crushed into food or a few drops of water is enough. If you are using SaveAChick electrolytes with bitamins, those have riboflavin (B2,) but electrolytes should not be given indefinitely. Foods such as beef liver, which you can freeze and give only a little at a time have plenty of B vitamins.

I'll get some B complex vitamins tomorrow and try her with it.

Thanks

 

[wolfinator]

I've got her on B complex liquid for the last several days with no change so far. I hope it's not too late for it to help her. I'm giving her a few weeks but if no improvement, then I'll have to cull her.

I'm also putting a few drops in my chicks/duckling water to give them a boost. They were all gotten discounted as they had visible health issues, vitamins seem to be helping babies.

 

[wolfinator]

I'm sad to report that I found the hen deceased early this afternoon. She had been rooming with a 6 month old light Brahma pullet that has a hip/leg injury causing her to have a limp and be off balance. They would sleep together and were company for the other. The Brahma had been more clingy with the hen over the last few days, perhaps she knew something I couldn't see. For the first time since putting them together, the pullet flew atop the tank (they were/are a 100 gallon galvanized metal type) so I had to put a wire cover over it. She had never tried that the 3 weeks they were together.

Thanks for the advice @Eggcessive

 

[wolfinator]

My hen, a red sexlink, is 3-4 years old and about a month ago her toes on both feet curled under. I thought she had been pecked in the head or had a spinal injury. She can move about using her wings and beak. She can sit upright and I've even seen her attempt to stand a little. I can get her toes on one foot to go flat but only lasts til she shifts her weight. Her appetite is good and she practically lives between the food bowl and waterer. I have her on the Save-a-Chick electrolytes and prebiotic. I've read this could be caused by a vitamin deficiencies such as B2. She's sharing a 100gal tank with a 6 month old light Brahma who has a hip/leg injury from a 4'x18" piece of plywood falling on her (still haven't figured out how since it had been secured and in place for 2 years), pinning her down. She walks with a big limp and uses the wall and her wing for balance. She's just needing time to heal as its only been 2 weeks. Both are fed meat bird feed with 21% protein (have ducks) to help keep weight up. I take the red sexlink out on occasion to let her nibble grass but I usually give them a leaf or two of greens daily.

Any extra incite and advice is welcome. No poultry vet around and I have very limited income currently so price on doing anything has to be minimal.

It seems spell check got me, last paragraph should have read insight, not incite. I hadn't noticed but it was brought to my attention.

 

[Eggcessive]

Very sorry for your loss. In WV the state vet will not perform a necropsy as most state vets will. That is a good way to fing out if Mareks is a possible cause of death. If you see any others with similar symptoms, I would try to get a pcr blood test for Mareks disease. RAL lab in TX will do one, and send you material and instructions on drawing a blood sample from cutting a toenail to collect it. Here is a link for them if you need to do that:
http://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf

 

[wolfinator]

Very sorry for your loss. In WV the state vet will not perform a necropsy as most state vets will. That is a good way to fing out if Mareks is a possible cause of death. If you see any others with similar symptoms, I would try to get a pcr blood test for Mareks disease. RAL lab in TX will do one, and send you material and instructions on drawing a blood sample from cutting a toenail to collect it. Here is a link for them if you need to do that:
http://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf

She's already been buried a couple feet deep. She was the only one of over 50 like that. She was able to somewhat stand, just her toes curled under preventing her from walking. She shared the tank with a pullet and other than her hip/leg injury, she's doing good. They spent 3 weeks together. I've checked into doing necrospies in the past but they are too expensive. I don't have the extra finances for that or having blood work done currently.