- Mar 14, 2010
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Hi there -- we have 8 chickens (2 Buff O's, 1 barred rock, 1 dark cornish and 4 sex-linked) in town as well as 2 geese ... I enjoy these posts and have searched for information whenever I have a question.
Recently one of our 3 year old Buffs developed a one-legged limp, then a two-legged palsy, then a whole droopy being that we nursed for two weeks. We kept her in isolation during the day, outside, and brought her into our house at night. She went a couple days without eating or drinking (seemingly) so I tried to force her to eat and found it is impossible to hold a chicken's head still enough to force feed. It seemed a good sign that she was strong enough to resist me.
I found that if I dribbled the Green pastures X-factor butter oil, yogurt, cod liver oil and water along the side of her beak, she would reflexively take it in, but it seemed pretty meager fare.
I also gave her homeopathic Arnica first and then Hypericum, wondering if she had some neurological injury: trauma or virus.
She's back out in the yard with the rest of the girls, and only suffers a slight limp. She holds her head high, eats well, scratches the best she can, and keeps herself a little separate -- I think to avoid being picked on.
It seemed unlikely a week ago but I'm glad we persevered!
Recently one of our 3 year old Buffs developed a one-legged limp, then a two-legged palsy, then a whole droopy being that we nursed for two weeks. We kept her in isolation during the day, outside, and brought her into our house at night. She went a couple days without eating or drinking (seemingly) so I tried to force her to eat and found it is impossible to hold a chicken's head still enough to force feed. It seemed a good sign that she was strong enough to resist me.
I found that if I dribbled the Green pastures X-factor butter oil, yogurt, cod liver oil and water along the side of her beak, she would reflexively take it in, but it seemed pretty meager fare.
I also gave her homeopathic Arnica first and then Hypericum, wondering if she had some neurological injury: trauma or virus.
She's back out in the yard with the rest of the girls, and only suffers a slight limp. She holds her head high, eats well, scratches the best she can, and keeps herself a little separate -- I think to avoid being picked on.
It seemed unlikely a week ago but I'm glad we persevered!
