5 month old Cochin hen needs help

[Donna Jeanne]

Hi. I have a hen who almost drown over a month ago. She’s been inside since with a series of issues. At first she just needed to rest. I tried to place her back in the coop and a rooster attacked her. She was unable to use her leg and her eye was scratched, I think, so it’s been closed. I’ve cleaned the eye daily and medicated. I removed the rooster and tried to put her back out to free range a couple weeks later and a different rooster attacked her. So she is still limping and now can’t move her wing. I wrapped the wing and “set” it in place. Yesterday I decided to try Kickin Chicken to see if it’d help her as she is still having trouble with the leg and cannot move her wing. Not sure if it’s related, but today I woke up and she’s now with her neck crooked, looking at the ground with the damaged eye. I’m kind of at a point where I don’t know what to think. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Mylied]

She's now a stranger to the flock, so you can't just put her back. You have to put her in a space others can see her but not touch. For a good week or two. Then let her back with them. Is kicking chicken a multivitamin? If so, keep up with it and a chicken feed.

 

[Donna Jeanne]

She's now a stranger to the flock, so you can't just put her back. You have to put her in a space others can see her but not touch. For a good week or two. Then let her back with them. Is kicking chicken a multivitamin? If so, keep up with it and a chicken feed.

Thanks. I’ve been reading all sorts of symptoms and causes. Do you think it could be a progressive disease that’s just coinciding with getting attacked? Her neck is worse and looks like wry neck. KC states: Kickin Chicken is an all-natural feed supplement for poultry. It provides a natural and unrefined source of the highest quality Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, plus vitamin E. Kickin Chicken provides valuable nutrition for health, energy and appearance so I thought it might help.

 

[Mylied]

Selenium is the fix for wry neck. If she's not been eating a proper diet, it could be that. Easy enough to fix. Nutra-drench for chickens, baby multi-vitamins without the extra iron, or a crushed up selenium vitamin with a squeezed out vitamin e vitamin and a little electrolytes. Being attacked stresses them out. You could get a fecal ran too to see if she's having a parasite problem.

 

[Donna Jeanne]

Selenium is the fix for wry neck. If she's not been eating a proper diet, it could be that. Easy enough to fix. Nutra-drench for chickens, baby multi-vitamins without the extra iron, or a crushed up selenium vitamin with a squeezed out vitamin e vitamin and a little electrolytes. Being attacked stresses them out. You could get a fecal ran too to see if she's having a parasite problem.

Thank you

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Donna Jeanne,

This case is very tragic, this hen has been through a lot.

Firstly, you should not try to re-integrate any chicken, until it has demonstrated that it has healed and is strong enough, to stand on it's own with the flock. Chickens, are very observant as to irregularities in the flock members. Unusual behaviors, postures or even off appearance, can trigger attacks. This behavior, is how the flock protects itself from disease, or chickens that can attract predators, due to weakness. Those roosters sensed something wrong with the hen. And this is something that you also sense. Yes, this could be a progressive disease that’s coincided with getting attacked, or even further back, with the chicken falling into the water.

I would keep the hen isolated from the flock. Many infectious viral diseases, are triggered by stress in a chicken. Once symptoms develop the virus can now spread. Your hen is exhibiting symptoms of infectious disease. Paralysis of the wing, legs and neck and also vision impairment, are classic symptoms for Marek's. Developing disease, may have been why she fell into the water, in the first place.

Of course, it is also possible that she sustained more injuries than you thought, but, I would not chance it. Keep her isolated and continue to provide good supportive care. You should also keep track of her weight. If she is losing weight this would be another critical symptom. Check her keel bone, does it feel prominent? Even if a chicken is eating, they may not gain weight, or, may even lose weight, due to the body fighting illness.

If she dies, you should send her body out for a necropsy to the local vet or state lab. That way you can be sure what died of.

I am praying for her, and you too, that all goes well.

God Bless and peace to you.

 

[Donna Jeanne]

Thank you for your response. I know Mareks is very deadly. How long does it usually take to kill a chicken if she does indeed have it? She’s been separated for five weeks, but just doesn’t seem to be making progress. I will go out tonight to buy different vitamins, although at the same time I’m afraid to reintroduce her if she does get better. She has been eating , drinking, and pooping a lot.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Donna,

First, let me say, it's entirely possible that the hen has something other than Marek's going on. There are other diseases and even nutritional deficiencies, that can cause paralysis. I just wanted you to be aware of possible scenarios. It's common for more than one thing to be affecting a sick chicken. So, as the keeper you have to keep an open mind.

Now, in response to your concern about Marek's, it's good that you separated the hen. Separating a sick chicken allows the keeper to conveniently administer meds, monitor progress, it also provides a quiet, safe place for the chicken to heal, and in some instances, protects the rest of the flock from infection. However, in the case of Marek's, the flock members most likely have already been exposed by the time a chicken shows any symptoms. There is a blood test to detect Marek's, but it is not accurate. Usually a necropsy is done after a chicken dies, and that confirms the diagnosis.

And then, there are the chickens that recover from Marek's, and are now carriers. Here is a link to an excellent article written here on BYC. It presents an interesting point of view regarding Marek's and is good to read. It will answer some of your concerns about reintroduction of the hen.

www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

I think it's good that you are giving extra vitamins to help the sick hen heal, just take care to follow product instructions. Boosting the chicken's immune system will also help. Since it is the immune system that will hopefully defeat any invading virus. I always include herbs to boost the immune system of a sick chicken. Goldenseal and Echinacea work together not only to boost the immune system, but can kill harmful bacteria that cause secondary infection. I have now added Manuka Honey, medical grade to add even more healing properties. But, even if you just administer some Echinacea alone, this is helpful. I will give you information on dosages if you like. Increasing the protein level is another helpful thing to do. Cooked meat, tofu, eggs, hemp seed protein, cooked peas, fish, etc., are good choices. Also, add fresh greens, cooked mixed vegies, and red and black fruits, diced up for easy swallowing and digestion.

Take time, to make the decision about reintegrating your hen. I know how hard it is when we have to deal with a sick chicken. I have done it many times. For the last 6 weeks I have been treating my entire flock of 8 hens and one roo, for Infectious Bronchitis. Each week one or two would come down with symptoms. Some became severely ill, and had to be put into the hospital crate for a couple of days. Then, some get well, only to relapse a week later. I could have just culled them all, disinfected the coop and be done with it. But, these are my pets, I don't depend on them for food or income. I will most likely wait for 6 months (the time recommended for IB)or more, before getting any more chickens, or I'll let my broody hatch some eggs, from the flock. The good thing is, I didn't lose a single chicken. So stay calm, be patient, learn more, and in all things, be grateful.

Like I always say, "Life on the planet...it ain't easy!".

These are some of my thoughts about your sick hen. I hope they are helpful.

God Bless

 

[Eggcessive]

I would say that Mareks could be a possibility, with weakness of a wing or leg, imbalance, and wry neck (torticolis.) The best way to diagnosis it is to have your state vet do a necropsy after she dies, or if you decide to cull her. You may get contact info for your state vet if you Google “Metzer Farms Poultry Diagnostic Labs.” Sorry that she is ill.

 

[Donna Jeanne]

Thanks for the info. She passed away this afternoon. I will be sending her in so I can find out for certain what caused it. I have another chicken who is starting to hang back, so I separated her and gave her a tote in the garage. The hens just started laying last week so I’m hoping it’s that.

My next question is this. I have 15 ten day old chicks that I hatched out in my basement. Plus a dozen eggs in the incubator. Should I vaccinate for Marek’s just in case? If so, I don’t think I could do the injections so is there somewhere that I could take them? I don’t even know where to look.