Chicken off balance? UPDATE IN POST #5

[nuttyredhead]

My Partridge cochin hen is acting off balance. This just started this afternoon, she was fine until then. I cleaned the coop yesterday, thoroughly took out all shavings vac'd and but new shavings in. They are all being treated with Sulmet (per our chicken vet, due to a suspected respitory problem, not with her).

She spent a few hours standing in the sun today with her eyes closed, my daughter brought her in the coop tonight, she tried to go back out. She can't walk well, just off balance. She was shaking her head tonight when i checked on her, almost fell of the roost. Would you think worms?? With me cleaning the coop like that could she have pecked something that was turned up but not vac'd? She is my friendlist girl....

So far everyone else is ok.

 

[cochinGurl]

try examining her head closely. is there any brusing or blood? could be a head injury. maybe tho...keep us posted

 

[aymer]

this sounds like marek's disease to me. the symptoms you described are similar to symptoms one of my girls had a few weeks ago. the autopsy came back with mareks.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Just checked this morning, egg was half laid and stuck to her butt. It was also soft shelled. She seems to be doing better, balanced seems to be shaking her head alot. Crop is good, checked that already. Not sure what else to do....going to give her some yogurt see if she will eat it.

 

[daddysgirlz]

Check for mites...It is mite season and mine had mites and enough of them on her face and in her ears to put her off balance!! Treat quickly with poultry dust if you see mites as the hens can down hill quickly.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Ok it was post 6.... I checked her thoroughly. Nothing. The day after she laid the soft egg she started walking around again. I had her in a seperate cage to keep everyone away from her. I noticed the funny head shaking thing, so i treated her for worms. Tuesday she wanted out of her cage, that night she was roosting right in there with the rest. So far so good!!

 

[aymer]

glad to hear she is doing better!

 

[BWKatz]

So glad she's doing better. See...U can do it!

 

[nuttyredhead]

Quote:
You know something. I think in hindsight it was mites. I checked her but she is a very dark girl tough to see. I found mites on several of my others today. I treated her a few days back, and the rest today.

 

[daddysgirlz]

My hen died tonight from the mites...I think she was so weak that she stopped eating and drinking....I dusted her and the others but I think I was to late....