Chicken walks backwards

[camaro2016]

My 4 year old chicken occasionally puts her head down and walks backwards. She then stops. Shakes her head and walks forward normally.. any suggestions how to treat this.

 

[arianna7]

Walking backward is a bad sign, it usually indicates brain damage or a neurological condition. If it's an open crested breed, it could be a head injury, but it can also be an illness like coryza, kinky-back, marek's, etc.

Can indeed also be caused by vitamin E or selenium deficiencies that hit the nervous system. I would add tuna to the diet and search for a vet.

 

[Kiki]

What exactly are you feeding it?

 

[Eggcessive]

I wouldn’t get too upset if it is only done occasionally. If they walk backwards or in circles or have a twisted neck, it is neurological in nature. But I have seen one of my own hens do this exactly once, during molting. You can try some vitamin E400IU, 1/4 tablet of vitamin E, and a small portion of scrambled egg for selenium to treat her if it seen more often. Head injury, vitamin deficiency, and a disease which affects the brain, can be responsible for neurological symptoms. Make sure to make chicken feed (layer or an all flock feed) the majority of her diet, and limit any people food or scraps.

 

[camaro2016]

I wouldn’t get too upset if it is only done occasionally. If they walk backwards or in circles or have a twisted neck, it is neurological in nature. But I have seen one of my own hens do this exactly once, during molting. You can try some vitamin E400IU, 1/4 tablet of vitamin E, and a small portion of scrambled egg for selenium to treat her if it seen more often. Head injury, vitamin deficiency, and a disease which affects the brain, can be responsible for neurological symptoms. Make sure to make chicken feed (layer or an all flock feed) the majority of her diet, and limit any people food or scraps.

Thank you, she does this occasionally, she is going through a molt right now too. I feed her layer feed, meal worms for extra protein, scrambled eggs. I am giving her the vitamins now in tuna fish.

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how she gets along. I predict that she will be fine eventually. Don’t overdo the meal worms or the egg, but that diet should be fine.

 

[LeastinID]

Thank you, she does this occasionally, she is going through a molt right now too. I feed her layer feed, meal worms for extra protein, scrambled eggs. I am giving her the vitamins now in tuna fish.

We're experiencing the same thing!
Trying the same solutions.
It's 10 days since your last post . . . how's your hen doing?

 

[camaro2016]

We're experiencing the same thing!
Trying the same solutions.
It's 10 days since your last post . . . how's your hen doing?

She is still molting and she occasionally walks backwards with her head down, she then stops, shakes her head and walks forward. I get so upset.

 

[camaro2016]

I wouldn’t get too upset if it is only done occasionally. If they walk backwards or in circles or have a twisted neck, it is neurological in nature. But I have seen one of my own hens do this exactly once, during molting. You can try some vitamin E400IU, 1/4 tablet of vitamin E, and a small portion of scrambled egg for selenium to treat her if it seen more often. Head injury, vitamin deficiency, and a disease which affects the brain, can be responsible for neurological symptoms. Make sure to make chicken feed (layer or an all flock feed) the majority of her diet, and limit any people food or scraps.

She does not walk in circles or have a neck issue. I have been giving her the vitamins and eggs. She is very active and jumps on my
lap and lays down to be snuggled.

 

[camaro2016]

Let us know how she gets along. I predict that she will be fine eventually. Don’t overdo the meal worms or the egg, but that diet should be fine.

Thank you for reaching out. It's so nice to know others love their chickens as much as I do..