Brahma is sick and very thin

[PapaBrahma]

My Brahma got sick and very lethargic. I brought her inside and have been nursing her since. I believe she has gotten over the actual sickness,but now she is skin and bones. I have been bathing her and force feeding and watering her everyday with not much luck. Her left leg doesn't move at all but her right does. And now when I feed her,she stiffens up and her eyes and head start rapidly twitching. What could be wrong with her and should I euthanize or will she get better? Thanks! (Important Note:I live in Louisiana and we have had record breaking heat above a hundred for several days. Could it be heat stroke? And is that able to be healed from since she is currently paralyzed on one side?)

 

[SmiYa0126]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive please help!!! 911!!!!

 

[PapaBrahma]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive please help!!! 911!!!!

 

[The Chick Addict]

@aart

 

[azygous]

How old is this hen? It may be your hen has something more serious going on, such as an avian virus. When one leg becomes paralyzed, we suspect Marek's. I have lymphoid leucosis in my flock and it also can affect one leg like this. It's similar to Marek's. No, there is no cure for either.

I suggest tube feeding to try to help this hen gain weight, but it may not cure her. If you have a vet that sees other pets of yours, ask them to sell you a tube feeding kit for a small animal. Or you can fine plastic aquarium or oxygen tubing, cut it to about ten inches and find a large oral syringe that will fit the diameter of the tubing. If you can get tubing and a syringe that can handle liquid food, I will tell you how to do it.

 

[PapaBrahma]

My hen is 1 year old. I updated my original post about the heat I have been having and some chicken owners around me say it might be heat stroke. I have been feeding her and watering her with a syringe but she has no interest in it or eating on her own. She has gained some weight but is still acting the same.thanks

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her left leg doesn't move at all but her right does. And now when I feed her,she stiffens up and her eyes and head start rapidly twitching.

I agree, it may be Marek's or AVL, hard to know.

Tubing her may be more efficient than syringing food/water into her.

When was her last egg?
How long has she been like this?

 

[PapaBrahma]

I agree, it may be Marek's or AVL, hard to know.

Tubing her may be more efficient than syringing food/water into her.

When was her last egg?
How long has she been like this?

Her last egg was 3 weeks ago and she's been like this for 10 days

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would work on hydration and getting nutrients into her.

If she's not been laying eggs, then she may be struggling with a reproductive disorder like cancer, salpingitis, eyp, etc.

It would be a good idea to get a fecal float to rule out worms as a contributor of her decline as well.