Polish Hen Can’t Stand Up

[ACros89]

My Polish Hen, Laverne, was attacked Tuesday night by our turkey hen. I didn’t see the attack, but I found her a few minutes after, lying in her back with her feet in the air. They had pecked her head completely bloody. I took her to the house, wrapped her up, cleaned her wound, gave her electrolytes and have been keeping her indoors for the past three nights. The problem is, she is unable to stand or walk. She kicks her legs like crazy, and is able to curl and uncurl her toes, and she scoot around the cage she is in on her side. Her head is healing very well, she is eating, drinking and pooping like normal. What could be the issue with standing and walking? Do I just need to give it time? When I try to stand her up, she sticks her one leg out and pitches forward onto her chest. Any advice would be so, so appreciated. She is a very loved pet, so please don’t suggest culling. Thanks!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you give her sweetened water? Also give her a raw yolk with a b complex vitamin crushed into it. Also for the head wound, clean with saline, and then spray with vetricyn and then cover with Neosporin without any pain reliever, anything with "caine" is toxic to chickens.

 

[nuthatched]

It could be neurological, Polish and silkies are susceptible to neurological issues and stress can set them off. Try some b complex vitamins for a few days. Treat her wound as you would treat yours.

anything with "caine" is toxic to chickens.

That's actually a myth, that unfortunately started here. Some birds, like some people have sensitivity to it but by and large it's ok. :]

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My Polish Hen, Laverne, was attacked Tuesday night by our turkey hen. I didn’t see the attack, but I found her a few minutes after, lying in her back with her feet in the air.

Welcome to BYC!

Sorry your Polish is unwell.

Since you didn't see the attack.. I wonder if the chicken was already down and that's why she didn't run away from the turkey??

What is her age and feed routine? Her comb looks pale like she hasn't started laying yet? (looking at possible reproductive issues like an egg pressing on a nerve type thing)

Is there any swelling, redness, or heat coming from the legs?

Issues with standing/walking.. very often come down to nutritional deficiency, Marek's disease virus, lymphoid leukosis, etc.

https://www.mypetchicken.com/backya...my-chicken-have-trouble-keeping-his-H222.aspx

I personally prefer to let the wounds get a scab and heal, over keeping them wet covered in creams.. the chickens body does this miraculous thing called making it's own antibodies!

Electrolytes are one thing if a chicken is dehydrated.. but there are good supplements that support immune system function when needed.. Poultry Nutri Drench, Rooster booster brand Poultry Cell or Poultry Booster are all excellent products.

Hope she recovers quickly!

 

[ACros89]

Can you give her sweetened water? Also give her a raw yolk with a b complex vitamin crushed into it. Also for the head wound, clean with saline, and then spray with vetricyn and then cover with Neosporin without any pain reliever, anything with "caine" is toxic to chickens.

I gave her some yolk scrambled. I’ll have to try the B vitamin!

 

[ACros89]

She was running around, like she always does, she’s a high energy hen, when the turkey grabbed her head, according to my brother, who saw part of the incident. This has been an ongoing issue with this turkey and this hen. Something about Laverne’s pouf of feathers gets her attention. She lays about once a month, small eggs, but she eats and drinks well. She doesn’t have any swelling or redness that I can feel in either leg.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

She was running around, like she always does, she’s a high energy hen, when the turkey grabbed her head, according to my brother, who saw part of the incident. This has been an ongoing issue with this turkey and this hen. Something about Laverne’s pouf of feathers gets her attention. She lays about once a month, small eggs, but she eats and drinks well. She doesn’t have any swelling or redness that I can feel in either leg.

Good information.

This is your wake up call. When will you be separating them permanently since you know there is an issue and chickens never fair well against turkeys. Turkeys are relentless when they get something in their mind.

Is the turkey also a "very loved pet"? Is rehoming it or making an enclosure to keep them separate a possibility? I think you can see at this point that it might be a life or death situation. No rudeness or ugliness intended. Just a hard conversation looking for long term solutions so this doesn't happen again. I can tell by your first post that you also don't want any repeats.

So, there may actually be some brain (or other cranial) swelling going on from the attack causing the neurological symptoms being seen.. I have no clue how to discern this.. but if you're not seeing increasing swelling externally then hopefully it will subside quickly and with no permanent condition to speak of. Seems like maybe some time is definitely called for here.

Is seeing an avian vet an option for your family?

Is there ANY reason to think it could be nutritional? Doesn't sound like it so far (though feed routine wasn't answered) but I do still think nutritional support *can* be good during times of stress, even if that isn't suspected as part of the cause.

Not sure how agreeable Laverne will be as an active (high energy) gal or how long this will persist but you might consider making her a chicken chair. Here are some ideas form google..

Perhaps a bungee cord (etc) across the back to help hold her in if needed?

One note about egg yolk.. if an individual (absorption issues) or flock is short on specific nutrients then their eggs may be short on the same nutrients and NOT do anything to support a deficiency condition though it will still provide very palatable and easily digested energy, (for birds less interested in eating). Without hatching mine and diagnosing some failures, I would have never known this. My nutrition is SPOT on, yet some hens still needed additional support to make hatching eggs viable. (or uhm don't hatch from those genetics is a wise option). By energy (calorie count), eggs are 34% protein and 64% fat.. with half the protein found inside the yolk as well as good portion of the nutrients.

 

[ACros89]

They are being separated permanently. No need for the snark. This was the second time she was pecked on the head. The first was a mild case. Her chicken chair is also in the works. I try my best as a new chicken keeper, but accidents happen, I don’t have an eye on them all the time. I certainly would never endanger any one of my flock. Thank you for the advice and the diagrams, they do help.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give it some time and a chicken sling chair (if she tolerates it) or a large nest box to recover in would be my approach. I had a hen who lost her balance for about 5 weeks, and although she could stand and scoot around, she could not walk without going sideways or falling backward. One day, she could stand and walk again, and lived a couple more years. She was 7 and was vaccinated for Mareks so we didn’t suspect that. I had to feed her wet chicken feed, cooked egg, canned cat food, and and b complex vitamins twice a day.

Polish chickens may have problems seeing with their poof of head feathers. Mine would get their feathers pulled out a couple of times a year, and one had her eye pecked and blinded after running into a flock mate. They can be a challenge in a mixed flock, but they are popular if you can manage them.

 

[ACros89]

I would give it some time and a chicken sling chair (if she tolerates it) or a large nest box to recover in would be my approach. I had a hen who lost her balance for about 5 weeks, and although she could stand and scoot around, she could not walk without going sideways or falling backward. One day, she could stand and walk again, and lived a couple more years. She was 7 and was vaccinated for Mareks so we didn’t suspect that. I had to feed her wet chicken feed, cooked egg, canned cat food, and and b complex vitamins twice a day.

Polish chickens may have problems seeing with their poof of head feathers. Mine would get their feathers pulled out a couple of times a year, and one had her eye pecked and blinded after running into a flock mate. They can be a challenge in a mixed flock, but they are popular if you can manage them.

I’m making the chair this weekend and hopefully she takes to it well. Thank you so much for the advice! I’m hoping it’s a temporary thing also.