What's up with this hen?

[luckychik]

Ok I will try to make this short.....a few weeks ago I found a hen wedged by the wall and her house she was freezing and near death. I brought her in put a light and blow dryer on her. I gave her vitamins and put her on antibiotics and kept her in the house for a while. Ok she was acting normal and I chose a nice day and put her back in the coop. Being that I live in AR 70 degrees in December is not odd! Ok I went out to let the chickens out and this hen the same one was laying on her side couldn't walk ....I brought her in and gave her a bath, she had mites. I treated her for the mites and did the same vitamins and antibiotics. She seemed to be doing better but Friday morning I went to put her outside just to get out of the tiny cage and she still could not walk...Saturday morning I got up her legs very stiff out in front of her and she cannot hold her head up. Several times I have thought she was dead but she's not! I assume she will die so I told my husband to put her down when he gets home tonight! Was this all just a combination of bad things happening to her? Or could it be something worse? I feel like such a chicken farmer failure! I hate it!!!

 

[Suzie]

You have done well by her..do not feel bad about this.she may have an underlying illness that you cannot treat, the only way to know is to have a necropsy done on her body.

There could be so many reasons as to why her behaviour has been strange..

Mareks

Toxic poisoning

Tumour

the list is endless... for your own peace of mind please do consider a necropsy.

So sorry to hear that she has not responded well to your wonderful help!

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry to hear about your hen. It sounds a bit like Mareks with both legs out in front, but as Suzie said, it's hard to know without a necropsy. Here are 2 links to read about Mareks (be sure to look at all 18 pics on the Cornell site
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

 

[luckychik]

Oh my cow! That's what she looks like!!!! Eeeek!!! Now I'm really worried what about the rest if my flock???? I hate to read anymore cause it just stresses me out! It kind of like googling that your toe is hurting and by the end if your research you think your dying! Thanks for the information, as always I appreciate it! I talked to my hubby and I guess we're just going to well we just don't know......I guess time will tell! Sniff sniff