Chickens legs give out!

[marndan444]

Hey all,
We have a black sex link hen that is about 1 1/2 -2 years old. She was molting like a few of our others and then took an odd turn. She lost almost all of her feathers and had trouble walking. It almost looked like she had a stroke as she would be walking and then duck/dip to the side but wasn't actually dipping, her leg was giving away. At first I thought she was ducking away from the other chickens but they never bothered her and she did it when she was by herself too.. We brought her inside under a heat lamp as she didn't have any feathers and gave her terramycin. She has remained eating, drinking and pooping throughout this. Her feathers are coming back now but her legs still give out and she looses her balance. She will be standing then walking and then duck away and kind of loose her balance. Anybody ever had something happen like this? Thanks in advance, Marney

 

[GitaBooks]

It sounds like partial paralysis. This can be healed in some cases, and may get worse in others, depending on the cause and treatment. Make sure she is getting plenty of vitamins (including riboflavin) and other nutrition, as paralysis can be caused by improper nutrition, maybe caused by the stress of molting. Keep her warm and calm, but try to get her to continue using her leg. We lost one of our pullets to paralysis, it got worse, even though she continued eating she couldn't stand or walk.
Other causes include egg binding (older hens can have laying issues and leg issues) and marek's.

I really hope your hens starts getting better.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has your hen been exposed to any new chickens recently that might have been a carrier of Mareks? It could be just the stress of the molt, but many things can cause lameness including internal laying, vitamin or mineral deficiency, toxins or moldy feed, as well as Mareks. I would feed her some scrambled egg or tuna for extra protein. Gita's recommendation of poultry vitamins is very good. I hope she gets better after her molt.

 

[marndan444]

Thanks Guys,
I will need to add some vitamins I think to her diet as I am not sure she is getting enough.. Having said that her all around diet is good and it is the same as our other hens who are doing great. They are all molting for sure but nothing like this girl. I have had her inside and she still stands pretty evenly and seems to be doing it a bit more. They get meal worms as treats so have been giving her more of those as well. She hasn't been exposed to new chickens and has been with her three other ladies her whole life. I will try all the suggestions and just hope she gets better we call her big Bonnie as she was our biggest and most majestic, I hate seeing her like this.. Thanks again! Marney

 

[coopmama]

Is your chicken's gait similar to mine? Mine has been walking like this since July. I cannot find an answer either. The rest of this flock is healthy with no problems. Mine get vitamins & electrolytes in their water as well as a supplement in their food, so I am desperate to find an answer as well.

 

[GitaBooks]

Is your chicken's gait similar to mine? Mine has been walking like this since July. I cannot find an answer either. The rest of this flock is healthy with no problems. Mine get vitamins & electrolytes in their water as well as a supplement in their food, so I am desperate to find an answer as well.

That almost looks like a Penguin Walk, something chickens get when they suffer from liver failure. However, most chickens who get liver failure are old laying hens. How old is your chicken?

 

[coopmama]

That almost looks like a Penguin Walk, something chickens get when they suffer from liver failure. However, most chickens who get liver failure are old laying hens. How old is your chicken?

My hen is 6 months old and has never laid an egg yet. Her sisters have only just started laying eggs in the past 2 weeks. Thank you for replying and giving me something else to look into!

 

[jeni1209]

Hello, I'm having a similar problem with a 6 month EE. When was she last wormed and with what?

 

[marndan444]

She doesn't really walk like that, I should have taken a video.. Her legs actually gives out and she dips her whole body to keep balance. She will then stand fine on both then take a step and go down to her hock she will then walk a bit on her hocks while kind of using her wings for balance. I felt her feet and when I felt the bottoms she would grip my fingers.. It is so confusing and I feel bad for her.. She is still in the house and the other chickens are still fine..

 

[coopmama]

She doesn't really walk like that, I should have taken a video.. Her legs actually gives out and she dips her whole body to keep balance.  She will then stand fine on both then take a step and go down to her hock she will then walk a bit on her hocks while kind of using her wings for balance.  I felt her feet and when I felt the bottoms she would grip my fingers.. It is so confusing and I feel bad for her.. She is still in the house and the other chickens are still fine.. 

Oh, I see. I wish I could give you some ideas as to how to help your chicken. Mine also has strength and control of her toes. She is able to perch on just about anything including my arm and fingers. I've never seen her completely lose her balance or fall, nor have I ever seen her walk on her hocks. I hope you find a solution and you are able to heal your chicken! I wish I could help.