Advice please - drooping tail and difficulty/unbalanced walking

[missjaneaust]

Hi – Desperately looking for some advice.
I have two gorgeous Isa brown chickens approx. 2.5 years old who are free range in my backyard and every night returned to the coop to lay two beautiful eggs. About a month one of my chickens started laying soft eggs (no shell) and then stopped laying but still eating, drinking, and seemed happy enough. I put her behaviour down to the extreme weather temps (heatwave 35 degree plus days) we have been encountering this summer.

I mixed some calcium into their food and returned them to normal laying pellets rather than the deluxe mix they were eating. Then approximately a week ago her tail started drooping and she was struggling to walk. I have had her quarantined for the week and she is still eating and drinking well but is still struggling to stand/walk. We have given her a couple of bathes but can’t feel anything stuck. Any advice on what it could be? Or advice on what to do?

My other girl is fine just missing her friend.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chickchick323]

my hen has done this before she passed away shortly after I hope you figure out whats wrong with your hen. Following.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hi – Desperately looking for some advice.
I have two gorgeous Isa brown chickens approx. 2.5 years old who are free range in my backyard and every night returned to the coop to lay two beautiful eggs. About a month one of my chickens started laying soft eggs (no shell) and then stopped laying but still eating, drinking, and seemed happy enough. I put her behaviour down to the extreme weather temps (heatwave 35 degree plus days) we have been encountering this summer.

I mixed some calcium into their food and returned them to normal laying pellets rather than the deluxe mix they were eating. Then approximately a week ago her tail started drooping and she was struggling to walk. I have had her quarantined for the week and she is still eating and drinking well but is still struggling to stand/walk. We have given her a couple of bathes but can’t feel anything stuck. Any advice on what it could be? Or advice on what to do?

My other girl is fine just missing her friend.

Thanks in advance.

Will she drink water with vitamins and electrolytes? There are many illnesses possible for chickens to have. Mareks disease might be possible if she were a young pullet. But since she has been having some reproductive problems, she may be having some lameness due to internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis. Some hens can have a temporary paralysis due to egg binding. Vitamin deficiencies may cause leg problems. I would just keep her comfortable, let her friend in to visit her daily. If there is no problem, they could remain together in a large crate. Here is some reading about egg laying problems:
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx

 

[missjaneaust]

Thanks for this. The article on Egg Peritonitis pretty much describes her symptoms she is off to the vet tomorrow. so I'm hoping he can do something for her.

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know what the vet has to say. It never hurts to try vitamins or vits. plus minerals, and a bit of plain yogurt for probiotics and calcium and riboflavin.