4 month old Belgian Mille Fleur walks backwards and balance has issues.

[swadle]

Our 4 month old Mille Fluer seems have balance issues. She walks backwards and lowers her head to the ground. When you pick her up and set her down she puts her wings out to balance herself. She can walk forward but she seems to have a hard time keeping her balance. I am giving her some Rooster Booster "Liquid B-12 plus Vitamin K" and "Nuri-Drench". Because I have heard that it may be a vitamin deficiency. She talks to us fine, eats and drinks. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? Thanks

 

[azygous]

It could be a vitamin deficiency. It's easy enough to treat, and if she recovers her motor skills, you'll have diagnosed her problem.

Vitamin E 400iu and a sliver of selenium (25mcg) are the important ones for balance issues and walking backward. Keep up the B-complex. You need to do it until she's recovered. If she shows no improvement after a week, it's probably another issue, viral or bacterial.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully, it is just a case of wry neck. Sometimes Mareks disease can cause wry neck and imbalance. Vitamin E 400 IU, thiamine (vitamin B1,) and a tiny bit of selenium daily which can be found in cooked egg, tuna, or sunflower kernels is useful to treat wry neck.

Wry neck (torticolis, crook neck, encephalomalicia) is a neurological symptom. Sometimes walking backwards or in circles can be other manifestations. It can occur from head injuries, in certain diseases, and with vitamin deficiencies if feed is not complete or stale.

 

[swadle]

She is the only bantam hen. We have a rooster of the same breed. I am worried she gets picked on and is scared. We have her inside in a box and she backs into the corner and sits there. She will eat a lot and drink some. But she is defiantly having balancing issues. But she doesn't shake her head. She kind of jerks when she breaths Should I also give her Poultry Cell which has selenium. What about giving her some Tylan 50 in case of a respiratory issue?

 

[Eggcessive]

Both NutriDrench and Poultry Cell have selenium, thiamine, and vitamin E, and can be used. You may want to give a little extra E in a 400 IU capsule daily. I would not use antibiotics unless you are seeing respiratory issues—bubbly or swollen eye, nasal drainage, sneezing, coughing, head shaking, or gasping. Respiratory diseases can be viral, bacterial, or fungal in origin, and only bacterial ones such as MG or coryza will respond. MG signs are watery/foamy eye or swelling of the eyes. If you decide to use Tylan 50 injectable, give it orally at 0.25 ml per pound 3 times a day for 5 days.