whats wrong with my hen? *video* unbalanced...NEW VIDEO~post#385

[valsey]

Quote:
That's a good idea.

This is such a long post, I've forgotten. How old is your hen and have you been giving her the super doses of vitamin b?

 

[oliviad51]

I'm not sure how old she is. I got her at an auction about a year and a half ago as a full grown hen.
I have been giving her tons of vitamin B. I really don't think it seems to be working.

 

[melanie01678]

Hi all,

I've been following this post as I have a silkie with a paralyzed leg that hasn't been working for the last 3 + weeks. Not sure if it's Mareks, LL, or a vitamin deficiency, but she also is having a respiratory issue and lots of watery/yellow snot. I am trying to cover all of the bases in terms of treating her. I now have an extensive collection of spices, vitamins, cranberries, garlic, yogurts, etc...I've been making concoctions in the blender, trying to add as many nutritious and fortifying ingredients as possible. I will continue to treat her as long as she is able and willing to eat.
My family and friends think I am totally nuts - but i will do what I can to help her... I'm sure most of you have heard this too!
Anyway, I just wanted share this post in case any of you think you might be dealing with Marek's. The person who posts under the name Resolution has posted some incredible information regarding chicken nutrition/health - not to mention all kinds of other interesting info and pictures.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=290501&p=3

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi melanie, Sorry to hear about your hen seems like alot on here are seeing this problem. Thanks for the thread from Resolution Hopefully it will help some. And welcome to BYC

 

[chick818]

Hi I am not sure if this is the same situation, as our chicken may have just injured her leg. But it all started about 1 year ago she kept falling over on one side, we heard and thought all the same advice you are getting. And I followed just about all of it. I soaked her, I fed her yogurt, and gave her vitamins. Over time she started to walk a bit better but till this day she is not too steady on what appears to be her left foot. However, she is and continues to be the top hen out 4 of them. She does all else normal including eating, drinking and moving about the yard when they are out free. She does have a hard time climbing up and coming down the "ramp" to the coop which she has to flap her wings to help herself. I'm guessing this is as good as she will get and figure the leg may have been injured at the time and now she has a limp. Hopefully this is the case with your bird too and not a disease. I just thought I would mention it to give you a different spin on it.

Good Luck...

~ Tara

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had a problem a while back with a roo he grew very fast and was doing fine then he started to stumble around and had trouble standing, he was slated for the freezer, so instead of waiting to see if it was something the rest could catch we went ahead and put him down but buried him, that was about a month ago and everyone else is fine so I am thinking something genetic maybe. Is your hen laying? this roo was about 4.5 months old

 

[chick818]

She lays (her names is Pebbels) but not everyday. And like I said before, she is the queen of the flock, and a bossey one might I add. lol Funny to watch her peck at the others if they are out of line. Even with her disabilities she gets the job done. Setting an example for chickens everywhere "You can do it"....

 

[oliviad51]

I'm almost positive that my hen is not injured. She has been like this for 4 months now and would have slightly recovered. She has gotten worse. I'm in the process of moving my phoenix, red sex links, leghorns and guinea chicks to a bigger coop and the sick hen to the chick coop. It is very similar to a rabbit hutch. It was actually built for a rabbit.

Please everyone watch my video on post #385.

That's the only way you guys can tell if my hen is doing what yours is. Her legs don't seem to be paralyzed. She can move them. Its like when she walks, her legs are out of control. She has on her mind where she wants to go but her legs go insane and she ends up falling over.

I bought some tumeric and baby asprin. I'm hopefully going to start that treatment as soon as I move her to her new coop.

 

[Qi Chicken]

The tumeric capsules have a higher percentage of the active ingredient than just the spice, so I guess that's why Dr. Brown recommended them. He said three capsules per day, again, wrapped in bread and given down the throat. I'm just not comfortable doing that and the taste is pretty strong so Nan is only getting one cap per day. I dissolved the aspirin in her water and she is getting that. I also give her polyvisol daliy. The response for vitamin B deficiency should be pretty rapid. Some say within hours. I did 2 weeks with no effect.

Chickenlvr. Nan doesn't do anything like that. Looks like yours is almost having a spasm or seizure. Does she do that every time she tries to walk? How many times a day does that happen?? If she does that 15 or more times a day I would really think about putting her down. It is really painful to watch and although they don't think like people it must be distressing for her too. I am surprised she hasn't injured herself. I agree that putting her in a smaller space might help her.

Nan takes about 10-15 steps on her toe tips and her knees come together like she collapsing in the middle and then she just sinks down and sits on her hocks. I am going to keep her in the house until the weather gets too cold for her to go outside during the day. I think that gives her a little bit of quality of life. Sitting inside in a rubbermaid tub is not the way to live for a chicken.

GOOD TIP! I turned a pack and play (for babies) upside down and use it as a play pen for her. the sides are mesh and it protects her from the wind and sun. We live in a windly place and it hasn't blown over yet. Also very easy to move around and bring in, although I admit I haven't done it every night and as I don't plan on having any more kids this one goes to the chickens!

From everything I have read botulism runs its course within 2-3 days. It is usually food but my understanding is that it could also be stagnant water and stuff like that. I read to put your food in a galvanized metal can with a lid so that is what I did. Rodents can't chew through it. Then I read that the metal can trap moisture inside and you should use heavy plastic cans. I don't know!!! Mine is in a metal can and will probably stay there.

I hope this info is right. You never know if what you are reading is factually correct or not. Good luck to everyone with their lame-o chickens. Tough situation isn't it?

 

[oliviad51]

QI, if she was having seizures or spasms, wouldn't she just do this every few hours? My hen just does it constantly. She never stops walking like that. That's why I think its some sort of disease or something.
ARGHHHHH!!!!!! Its so hard! I wish so bad there was a poultry vet where I live.

I have started the treatment, and QI, I as well only gave her one with her scrambeled egg. It seemed very gross. I could barely stand the smell. I put the other 2 in her food do maybe she will eat it later. She wasn't panting but she was shaking her head and wiping her beak like she didn't like the taste.
The baby asprin didn't seem to dissolve for me. I put them in her water and came back about an hour later and they were still sitting there.

I did move her to the smaller coop and she seems to like it. She doesn't have to move around hardly at all. Thanks guys so much for all of the advice. Please keep the posts coming. !