17wk hen, all the sudden, won't stand up........

[bealaw]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this site and was hoping, someone might have a word of advice????
I have a 17 week old "Dominicker" hen, and all of the sudden, she will not stand! She eats and drinks fine! No sign of redness or anything..... No discharge or anything like that! Can someone help?
Thanks!
Aimee

 

[Nostalchic]

If she acts otherwise completely fine, alert, bright, eating and drinking, then I would speculate that she has injured a foot or leg or some other weight bearing part (well, what other weight bearing part is there in a chicken??) I've had this happen a number of times to my chicks and chickens. I don't know whether they have jumped down or otherwise injured themselves, but I have had them either hopping one-legged or not walking at all for a time. I have given them a safe, soft place to be with food and water within reach, and every time they have eventually started moving around and progressed within a few days to a week to walking normally again. You can palpate their feet and legs to see if there is an obvious fracture (you know, it will feel like a broken chicken bone, and they will jump if you touch the fracture site) which would be another matter depending on where the break is. But I think a lot of time it's a soft tissue injury, like a sprain or strain.

 

[Sweetpeaswan]

If you don't find anything wrong with her legs, there might be a vitaming deficiancy...there was a
interesting post about it just recently. I think they recommended Vit B. Check some of the older
posts..Good luck!!

 

[bealaw]

Thanks ya'll! I really appreciate it!!!
I have not found any type of broken bone, so I will check into the Vitamin deficiency!
Thanks Again!

 

[chicknfishn]

Hi
I am having this same problem right now with a 7 week old splash Orpington.

He/she eats like a horse and is very healthy otherwise. In fact he/she may be a little bit on the huge side.

I hope that either you or I will get some answers on what to do.

Good luck!