Chicken is suddenly not moving and can't walk

[resinchicken]

Hello fellow chicken lovers.
I have a 11 month old Jersey Giant who is suddenly not moving. Her legs look normal and she is alert and will eat from my hand, but will not get up or walk. She is normally incredibly skittish and unfriendly, so this is very concerning. I checked her vent, I don't think she is egg bound. Her face looks clear, no eye or nare changes, and her comb and waddles are still bright red. She had poop on her feathers near her butt which is unusual. I have not been able to take pictures or watch her because I'm at work, but I have been watching her from my chicken coop camera and she has not moved all day.

Any idea what could be happening? I let her and the rest of the flock free range yesterday and she would not come back to the run, I found her laying under the house and she only came out when I put scratch on the ground.

All of my chickens are supposedly vaxxed for Mericks..I say supposedly because they were also supposed to be vaxxed for Coccidiosis but I dealt with that this year as well (everyone made it out safely and are healthy thankfully)

Could this be worms? I have never dewormed my flock and not sure how to do it.

Thank you so much for any advice, this forum is incredibly helpful.

 

[Eggcessive]

Where is she lying inside the coop? Has she been going into the nest boxes, or is she just lying on the floor? Has she had any signs of being broody? Do you have a rooster? Could she have been hurt somehow? When you get home later, could you tell us if her tail is held up or down, if she is able to stand after you lift her up, and possibly get a picture of her and her droppings. Is she close to food and water? I doubt if worms would cause this, but injury or a reproductive condition might be a cause. Tumor or infection pressing on nerves, or other problem could be possible. Mareks can cause paralysis of one or both legs or wings, among other symptoms. It may take time to figure this out. Chicken slings can be helpful to get a lame chicken upright and out of their droppings, and to place a food and water station in front of them. Here are some examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[resinchicken]

Where is she lying inside the coop? Has she been going into the nest boxes, or is she just lying on the floor? Has she had any signs of being broody? Do you have a rooster? Could she have been hurt somehow? When you get home later, could you tell us if her tail is held up or down, if she is able to stand after you lift her up, and possibly get a picture of her and her droppings. Is she close to food and water? I doubt if worms would cause this, but injury or a reproductive condition might be a cause. Tumor or infection pressing on nerves, or other problem could be possible. Mareks can cause paralysis of one or both legs or wings, among other symptoms. It may take time to figure this out. Chicken slings can be helpful to get a lame chicken upright and out of their droppings, and to place a food and water station in front of them. Here are some examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

Thank you so much for your response! I came home and she hasn't moved. She is not stuck in the coop, I put her by the water this morning and she hasn't moved from there.
I gave her food and water by hand and she did eat and drink. I scrambled 2 eggs with crushed egg shells and garlic and she ate it easily, but will not stand or walk by herself. These are the pictures I took, I hope it will help. I didn't see her poop at all and even though she is holding her tail up in the pics, usually she had her tail down. She is not panting and I tried to feel around for possible egg bound, but I didn't feel anything? I attached vent pics just in case.
I also took pics of her feet in case it's bumble foot.

 

[Eggcessive]

I’m sorry that she is not doing better. Do her legs just give out if you try to lift her to her feet? Are her toes curled under, are they able to move, and does she grip your finger with her toes? I would probably try some human vitamins, B complex 1/2 tablet and vitamin E 400 IU daily given orally. Her vent area looks relaxed. So do you think she hasn’t pooped at all today? Or is it just hard to see in the bedding?

 

[resinchicken]

Yes her legs just give out when I stand her up, or she will take a few steps and then just plop down. I haven't seen her poop at all today but it's hard to say since I didn't get to spend a large portion of the day with her I put her in a wooden crate that's flipped on its side in the run and gave her food and water there that's easily in reach. She has been in there for about an hour but no poop I'm not sure if I should isolate her from the rest of the group.

Edit: forgot to answer about her feet and toes, let me check that

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I would try to separate her in view of the others. They may try to peck her since she isn’t moving around. A wire dog crate is great if you can borrow one.

 

[resinchicken]

Yes, I would try to separate her in view of the others. They may try to peck her since she isn’t moving around. A wire dog crate is great if you can borrow one.

Ok thank you so much, I did separate her in a dog crate and then loosely covered the crate with a blanket in the run. I tested her feet, her toes are opening and closing and did curl around my hand, so I'm really at a loss for what could be happening with her she is not friendly but her personality is wild and crazy and I love her
When I put her in the crate, she took a few slow, waddling, labored steps and then just crashed down.
I will try the vitamins you suggested in the morning and will update on her condition.

 

[Eggcessive]

Walgreens has some B complex for around $5.

 

[resinchicken]

Walgreens has some B complex for around $5.

I'll definitely grab some ASAP tomorrow morning to give to her. Do you think it's possible this could be egg yolk peritonitis or something similar? When she does walk after I stand her up, it's just a few waddling steps and then she's down again...but also I haven't seen her poop at all, not sure if that is a symptom of egg peritonitis

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be, but it may be hard to know. Whenever I have had a hen die, I usually do a necropsy to look for what might have been wrong.