Can chickens have strokes?

[emmak]

My Old English Bantam (my avatar picture) is acting very strangely. She is unsteady on her feet, and keeps throwing her head backwards and onto her wing, so she's kind of staring straight up. She is still eating and drinking on her own, although she's very wobbly. She is pretty old. Doesn't lay anymore. Anybody ever experience something like this?

 

[speckledhen]

I'm not sure that is a stroke you're describing, though I have had a chicken that I am positive had a stroke. She would stand and stare off into space-just found her that way in the pen one day. When you moved her, she'd just stand there, blank. She had weakness on one side only. When one of the hens she always got along with looked deep into her eye and then attacked her, we knew that was a bad sign, so moved her to a hospital cage. She was dead by the next morning. She had similar symptoms as a human who'd suffered a stroke.


Wish I knew what was going on with your hen. If she hasn't been laying for quite some time and is old, she may just be nearing the end of her life.

 

[FlyHigher]

The neurological symptoms match some typical symptoms of ND. I am not sure, maybe you can do some research on it.

 

[emmak]

What is ND?

 

[brotherjustin]

Whatever happened with your Bantam? I have a hen currently exibiting similar symptoms; ie constantly throwing her head back so that her right eye is up and twitchig it in a circular motion. Interested to hear what became of your girl.

 

[seminolewind]

Gosh that does sound like a stroke or some brain thing. I suppose chickens can have a stroke.

 

[SilkieGirl011]

I have a silkie bantam rooster who is experiencing an almost hallucinogenic experience where he almost drunk and I found him tucked in a corner in my coop almost 2 days later. I kept him overnight and I've had him in a cage since January 12th. He acts like a blind person and can't stand up but he has "stiff legs" and tries to flap around and can't eat or drink without me. i've been taking care of him for a week now and I'm wondering if he's suffering or not. I love my rooster but not enough to take him to the vet. I have to force him water but he's eating and drinking and pooping. It sounds like a stroke but im not sure. And ideas?

 

[momofaflock]

Whatever happened to your chicken? I have one who is acting the same way?

 

[MedfordChick]

This sounds more like wry neck than a stroke.

 

[Mellowmalt]

who cares. It was 7 years ago. Any particular reason to point out a post made nearly a decade ago could have been something other than it was...?