Can't stand after went broody

[RootsieTootsie]

4yo hen, broody for past 2 months.
Checked often: she has been coming out for water/feed and has not lost much weight.

Went to pen this morning and she was lying outside her nesting area, facing downhill. Thought she was dead at first, but found her to be in her normal state except she cannot stand up. When I pick her up she moves her legs, but her feet are kinda curled under and when I go to sit her down or straighten her feet/legs, she lays on her chest and stretches her legs out behind her. She drank water when I held her to it and she is not making any noises of discomfort or restlessness.

My fiance has been checking on her throughout the day. She managed to move herself closer to her nesting area, but no standing. I'm thinking of using an old sheet to make her a sling/hammock and cut holes for her legs to hang out so they can get some weight off and hopefully she will push on the ground to slowly regain strength? This worked for a duck for me. Unless of course this is a disease I'm not aware of. Our Tom is perfectly fine and they have been together for 4 years with never an issue. She is not torn up from him or anything like that. I tend to think it's all the lying down that has caused her to not have strength in her legs to stand.

Any advice much appreciated! Thanks

 

[sourland]

Brooding takes a lot out of hen - 60 days is excessive. Hopefully she is not so debilitated that she can not recover.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

This is a calcium deficiency. You may need to take her to a veterinarian for a calcium shot.

Give her tons of oyster shell, eggshells, and foods high in calcium and vitamin K (you cannot absorb calcium without vitamin K.) A little buttermilk would be good for her I think. Also try dandelion greens, plaintain leaves, etc.

 

[RootsieTootsie]

When I got home last night, I checked her. I got help to flip her over where she had more visible skin. She was pretty dehydrated. I gave her 120ml subq fluids and she also drank some electrolytes (water/powder mix). She is in better spirits this morning and trying to stand, but not able to. She does push herself with her legs and got me good with her wings, still strong. I also thought about the calcium deficiency because she hit her beak and the tip broke off. It was tiny, but when I picked it up I could bend it easily between my fingers. So since that happened and you suggested the deficiency, I will get her going with the calcium supplements today and see what my vet says about the injection. Thanks!

 

[FarmerMac]

Brooding takes a lot out of hen - 60 days is excessive. Hopefully she is not so debilitated that she can not recover.

When you say broody for 2 months, do you mean she has been sitting in her nest that long? I wont let our hens stay more than one month incubating the eggs.