Chicken can’t walk properly

[Dimondel]

Roma is my young, beautiful hen that I’m raising with three other chicks. Since getting her at a couple weeks old, her walking seems to be getting worse and worse. She’s well mannered and very friendly towards people, however she trips over her own feet and can’t get up afterwards, so she just chooses to sit down most of the day. She eats and drinks plenty, and talks to me, but I worry for her. I’m happy to care for her even if it effects her egg laying in the future, because I’m raising my chickens more for the companion and pet aspect. Unlike her young flockmates, Roma cannot jump up anything more than a couple centimetres and falls over on flat surfaces. If it’s an untreatable injury and I just have to make special exceptions for her that is completely fine. However if there’s any diagnosis or help I can give her, it would be greatly appreciated. Roma is unvaccinated so I understand there could be a large possibility of disease. The clip below is a show of her walking to treats, any further away and she won’t go for them, as much as she loves sunflower seeds. If you can, please help my lovely chicken.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post a video of her actions? Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

 

[azygous]

How long has this been going on? A few days, a few weeks, a few months?

If just a short period, it may be a riboflavin deficiency and can be corrected with vitamin B 2 or a B-complex such as B-100. Dissolve the tablet in water and let the chick have it as the sole water source.

If this chick is several months old and the issue is worsening, it may be a genetic issue or disease.

 

[Dimondel]

Can you post a video of her actions? Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

Not the greatest video but this is how she gets around when she finally decides to. Not the greatest video quality sorry.

 

[Dimondel]

How long has this been going on? A few days, a few weeks, a few months?

If just a short period, it may be a riboflavin deficiency and can be corrected with vitamin B 2 or a B-complex such as B-100. Dissolve the tablet in water and let the chick have it as the sole water source.

If this chick is several months old and the issue is worsening, it may be a genetic issue or disease.

She’s probably about 3 months old now and has been gradually worsening since we got her, though looking back she already had some of the problems from the start. Is there anything I can do to help her?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How long has this been going on? A few days, a few weeks, a few months?

If just a short period, it may be a riboflavin deficiency and can be corrected with vitamin B 2 or a B-complex such as B-100. Dissolve the tablet in water and let the chick have it as the sole water source.

If this chick is several months old and the issue is worsening, it may be a genetic issue or disease.

I would follow this suggestion and get some B-Complex to give to her. It won't hurt to try.

Thank you for the video, Carol may have other suggestions or even disagree, but with your description and seeing her move/the position of her legs, I would lean toward this being more of a genetic/developmental problem - especially since it's been a gradual decline over the course of a few months.

Supportive care with the vitamins, make sure she's eating/drinking well. I would keep her on chick starter or an all flock feed until she lays eggs, then you can decide if you want to switch to layer feed.

She's just a sweetheart!

 

[azygous]

Do you recall how old she was when the onset of symptoms occurred? If she was exhibiting leg weakness as a one or two-week old chick, it's more likely genetic.

From the video, she seems to have trouble with balance as well as strength in the legs. The wing used as a crutch indicates both of these issues.

However, if this continues to get worse, it may indicate a virus is behind it, a degenerative rather than genetic agent. The more quickly she loses control of her legs, the more it points to a pathogen in my opinion.

 

[Dimondel]

Do you recall how old she was when the onset of symptoms occurred? If she was exhibiting leg weakness as a one or two-week old chick, it's more likely genetic.

From the video, she seems to have trouble with balance as well as strength in the legs. The wing used as a crutch indicates both of these issues.

However, if this continues to get worse, it may indicate a virus is behind it, a degenerative rather than genetic agent. The more quickly she loses control of her legs, the more it points to a pathogen in my opinion.

Okay. At a couple weeks old (when I got her) she was away from her siblings, sitting down, easy to catch. Over the next few weeks we noticed that she was very ungrateful, and would sit in the middle of a tomato bush all day. Slowly, her movement got worse, so I started putting her on the grass so she would be encouraged to forage and walk a bit more. Things were looking up and she was walking a little more, albeit not very well, when she started to decline again. She picks a spot on the grass and doesn’t move more than a meter from it during the day. It’s really sad to watch the other smaller chicks run around, flap there wings and jump high and all she can do is fall flat on her face. If it’s genetic, is there anything more I can do for her. She sleeps inside with the others (coop is still being built) and sits in the same spot all night. Her food and water is within reach for her and she has no problem eating or drinking. I’m gonna build her a custom layer box on the ground of the coop especially for her, and I’m honestly considering the idea of making a wheelchair to her support her. Thank you for helping me, and if you have any other suggestions I will gladly take them. Anything for my (very first) beautiful, sweet chicken.

 

[Dimondel]

I would follow this suggestion and get some B-Complex to give to her. It won't hurt to try.

Thank you for the video, Carol may have other suggestions or even disagree, but with your description and seeing her move/the position of her legs, I would lean toward this being more of a genetic/developmental problem - especially since it's been a gradual decline over the course of a few months.

Supportive care with the vitamins, make sure she's eating/drinking well. I would keep her on chick starter or an all flock feed until she lays eggs, then you can decide if you want to switch to layer feed.

She's just a sweetheart!

She’s currently having a mix of fresh veggies, mixed seeds and starter. For the B-complex, am I able to just use the stuff for humans, or do I have to get something special for chickens? Thank you so much for your advice

 

[Dimondel]

I would follow this suggestion and get some B-Complex to give to her. It won't hurt to try.

Thank you for the video, Carol may have other suggestions or even disagree, but with your description and seeing her move/the position of her legs, I would lean toward this being more of a genetic/developmental problem - especially since it's been a gradual decline over the course of a few months.

Supportive care with the vitamins, make sure she's eating/drinking well. I would keep her on chick starter or an all flock feed until she lays eggs, then you can decide if you want to switch to layer feed.

She's just a sweetheart!

Would B12 vitamins work as well?