3 yr old Bourbon Red Hen won't walk

[Chicken Keith]

Help, please. My bourbon red hen may be dying. She cannot walk as of today. Her wings were droopy before but she would at least walk around the yard foraging. Any idea what has caused this and can you think of how to cure?

 

[DakotaDreamer]

That can be symptoms of lice, mites, being egg bound and/or possibly severe gout(although this one is most unlikely). Are there any other symptoms? I would look up these four and see if they match her symptoms. I hope she gets better soon.

 

[R2elk]

Help, please. My bourbon red hen may be dying. She cannot walk as of today. Her wings were droopy before but she would at least walk around the yard foraging. Any idea what has caused this and can you think of how to cure?

If your hen is laying and is not being fed layer feed with free choice oyster shell, these are classic symptoms of calcium deficiency. Loss of mobility is a major sign of calcium deficiency. If this is the case, the fastest way to get calcium back into her system is by getting a liquid calcium booster that can be added to her water. You want to be sure that this calcium enriched water is not available to any male poultry or hatchlings. Too much calcium can be harmful can be harmful to male poultry and very young poultry.

You can normally find liquid calcium supplements in pet stores and online.