Americana hen fine this morning and now can hardly walk.

[70monte]

I have an Americana hen that is around 1.5 years old that was fine this morning. This afternoon I went to find her and she was under the back porch steps. I pulled her out and she could barely walk. She staggered around like she had no balance. She would also sit with her eyes closed. She also had her mouth slightly open. She was not making any funny noises while breathing. I put some water down her throat with an eye dropper but every time I would do that, she would open her mouth real wide.

What does this sound like and how could she get sick this fast? Thanks.

Wayne

 

[70monte]

An update: The day before yesterday I gave her some water with olive oil in it because she acted like she was having trouble breathing with her mouth open. The next day I put her by herself and during the day she laid a soft shelled egg. This also is the first egg she has layed since I got her about a month ago.

She now acts pretty normal but she still cannot walk very well. She mostly sits around but when she does walks, she walks like she is drunk. I don't know what the problem could be. I'm going out of town on vacation starting this Friday and there is no one to keep a close eye on her. It seems like lately something goes wrong with the chickens when I'm going out of town. I really don't exspect her to be alive when I return.

Wayne

 

[zebserema]

this happend to 2 of my chickens and 1 was only 2 months old i had to cul both of them but it is your choice just give her some time

 

[70monte]

I plan on giving her some time but I'm not very hopeful. We had to cull a Black Australorp that I initially got from the same people because of similar symptoms but the other case was more gradual. The RIR hen and Buff Orpington hen that I also have from this person are still okay. Time will tell. Thanks.

Wayne

 

[70monte]

Update: She is now walking normally so maybe she was egg bound and partially paralyzed for awhile. She has not laid an egg since the soft shelled one though.

Wayne