Disabled Chickens Forum

[Debbie292d]

In case that is wry neck, it wouldn't hurt to start him on a human Vit E pill twice a day, followed up with a little scrambled egg for the selenium to absorb it better. I did this once by just putting my hen in my left arm and using two left fingers to open her beak and popped it in. Some say pulling down on their wattles to open their beak doesn't hurt them and works too.

If it's warmer weather, how about giving him a bath, then take him outside with the blow drier on low. He'd lose a ton of his dander that way.

 

[Ellie76]

In case that is wry neck, it wouldn't hurt to start him on a human Vit E pill twice a day, followed up with a little scrambled egg for the selenium to absorb it better. I did this once by just putting my hen in my left arm and using two left fingers to open her beak and popped it in. Some say pulling down on their wattles to open their beak doesn't hurt them and works too.

If it's warmer weather, how about giving him a bath, then take him outside with the blow drier on low. He'd lose a ton of his dander that way.

Thanks so much, it sounds like it might be wry neck.. is dander the dandruff like sheath on the feathers?

Also curious to know why only one out of 10 chickens has this condition. All the other have the same feed and seem ok??

I'll try the bath/blow drier option and see how that goes.

 

[Kiki]

Thanks so much, it sounds like it might be wry neck.. is dander the dandruff like sheath on the feathers?

Also curious to know why only one out of 10 chickens has this condition. All the other have the same feed and seem ok??

I'll try the bath/blow drier option and see how that goes.

Bathing an already ill chicken can kill it. The shock/stress from a bath can kill it. One should never bath a sick chicken.

Can you post a few clear pictures of this feather issue?

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks so much, it sounds like it might be wry neck.. is dander the dandruff like sheath on the feathers?

Also curious to know why only one out of 10 chickens has this condition. All the other have the same feed and seem ok??

I'll try the bath/blow drier option and see how that goes.

I'm unsure why one chicken out of 10 would have issues. It sometimes just happens that way that one of the bunch may suffer from a deficiency and the others don't. He started out fine it seems since he's now nearly an adult though, so perhaps he just needs a vitamin boost.

I spoke of dander as it's all dander to me. Yes, including the sheaths.

A warm bath should help him relax and might be soothing for his neck too. If you can get him on some vitamin water and add the E + scrambled eggs 2X per day. I'd do this for a week and see how he is improving or not, and evaluate at that point.

They'll all love the scrambled eggs so make some for the others too.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thanks so much, it sounds like it might be wry neck.. is dander the dandruff like sheath on the feathers?

Also curious to know why only one out of 10 chickens has this condition. All the other have the same feed and seem ok??

I'll try the bath/blow drier option and see how that goes.

If he is able to breed the other pullets then it does sound like he had adapted well.

As for why this happens, each animal is a unique being, some have hardier systems than others do. I would go ahead and treat for wry neck, and I would start some physio.

If he is tame (sounds like he is) then some gentle massage on his neck, feeling all along the neck can show you if there are any deviations in the alignment. Try to see if he can turn his neck each way, find out the range of motion (ROM) of his neck.

If the treatment for wry neck doesn’t work, then it might be an injury, in which case again physio will help.

And the idea of a warm bath is a great one, start slow though chickens aren’t ducks so he might be a bit freaked out! A wet chicken is a scary sight, so be prepared for that - the first time I bathed a chicken I was the one freaked out!
Always keep the blow dryer on low and use your hand to help shield the air blowing onto the feathers you don’t want hot air blowing on him. Be prepared for sheath casing to fly everywhere!

I hear you on the feather sheaths - I help my kiddos with their also which most really appreciate.

Good luck with your wee fella - oh and don’t forget the treats.

 

[Ponypoor]

Hen with suspected hip dislocation

History:
Greeting all, I have a yr old hen who has injured her hip. The limb is aligned and there are no fractures that may can feel. But her hip does slip back and forth when I palpate it. And it clunks… making noise is never good for a joint.

Having dealt with many human patients with fractures hips, I know that their limbs are always misaligned, shortened, and absolutely no weight bearing.

Similar observations would be with a dislocated hip.

At first I was suspicious of a fracture of the femur off the actual ball joint. A call to my Vet resulted in a quote for over $800 for a consult and X-rays, so that was not an option.

So this hen has been on crate rest for the past week, she is allowed out for about an hr to socialize and eat some grass. Through the week the hip has continued to make noise when she thrashes if I hold her wrong or she doesn’t want to be held.

Today she has been out most of the day, she has actually improved with her lameness but she is still quite lame.

Medication:
Initially I gave the hen .25ml of Tylenol twice daily (dose is 10mg/kg for poultry the liquid I use us 80mg/ml therefore she received 20mg she is around 4lbs).

Thursday night I switched to 1/2 tablet of aspirin (40mg is half a low dose 80mg tablet) once daily at night

Each night she has received a 1/4 tablet of calcium in case it’s a fracture (1/4 of a 650mg caltrate).

Question for anyone:
Has anyone had a chook with a hip issue where the hip made noises?
How did you treat it?
Did the chook heal?
How did it fair long term?

Her name is Flopsy
She is an Azur Blue

 

[Debbie292d]

Hen with suspected hip dislocation

History:
Greeting all, I have a yr old hen who has injured her hip. The limb is aligned and there are no fractures that may can feel. But her hip does slip back and forth when I palpate it. And it clunks… making noise is never good for a joint.

Having dealt with many human patients with fractures hips, I know that their limbs are always misaligned, shortened, and absolutely no weight bearing.

Similar observations would be with a dislocated hip.

At first I was suspicious of a fracture of the femur off the actual ball joint. A call to my Vet resulted in a quote for over $800 for a consult and X-rays, so that was not an option.

So this hen has been on crate rest for the past week, she is allowed out for about an hr to socialize and eat some grass. Through the week the hip has continued to make noise when she thrashes if I hold her wrong or she doesn’t want to be held.

Today she has been out most of the day, she has actually improved with her lameness but she is still quite lame.

Medication:
Initially I gave the hen .25ml of Tylenol twice daily (dose is 10mg/kg for poultry the liquid I use us 80mg/ml therefore she received 20mg she is around 4lbs).

Thursday night I switched to 1/2 tablet of aspirin (40mg is half a low dose 80mg tablet) once daily at night

Each night she has received a 1/4 tablet of calcium in case it’s a fracture (1/4 of a 650mg caltrate).

Question for anyone:
Has anyone had a chook with a hip issue where the hip made noises?
How did you treat it?
Did the chook heal?
How did it fair long term?

Her name is Flopsy
She is an Azur Blue
View attachment 3969551

I'm currently dealing with, I believe, calcium toxicity in chicks, so the calcium I'm now touchy about, but does beautiful Flopsy get some? That and Vit D helps our creeky bones.

Other than that, I've never heard of this. Hopefully someone comes along that has!

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm currently dealing with, I believe, calcium toxicity in chicks, so the calcium I'm now touchy about, but does beautiful Flopsy get some? That and Vit D helps our creeky bones.

Other than that, I've never heard of this. Hopefully someone comes along that has!

Yea too much calcium in youngsters and Roos apparently causes issues.

I would say that laying hens would have Hypocalcemia (low calcium); there are some really interesting articles on the affects of low calcium levels in laying hens.

 

[Debbie292d]

Como is the worst. His right leg juts forward, and his left leg juts backward. He couldn't even manage to keep them under him to sit. This is a few days of B-complex (1 whole one crushed and mixed in mash that four of them share) and physical therapy. He can now sit but still one or both may jut out making him tip over. He used to lay on his back with each leg going a different direction. If he winds up on his side now, both legs are under him.



Quinn was dragging his left leg. It appears to be almost dead, but when working with it, it's got strength as it has managed to be able to sit on his own and use that leg for balance, but not to walk, yet. He's most improved.


These are two of six hatched/raised by a hen 9/15/24 in the very large breeding pen. They got their feed (Kalmbach's Flock Maker), plus vitamin water and occasionally they'd pick at the Henhouse Reserve which is the scratch treat for the adults. I knew this couldn't be a vitamin deficiency, so the only thing I could think of was they got into the dish of oyster shell. One worse than Como died. One is Miracle, a chick that for another reason has been raised in the house. One got crossed beak about the same time as these two developed leg issues, but has no leg issues. We've never had a crossed beak in our flock. One "Six" is still in the pen with momma, by all accounts, normal. We had pulled the oyster shell and stopped with the HHR treats the day the first one presented with issues.

This all happened about a week ago, when they were nearly a month old. B-complex plus physical therapy is showing improvements!

 

[Ponypoor]

Como is the worst. His right leg juts forward, and his left leg juts backward. He couldn't even manage to keep them under him to sit. This is a few days of B-complex (1 whole one crushed and mixed in mash that four of them share) and physical therapy. He can now sit but still one or both may jut out making him tip over. He used to lay on his back with each leg going a different direction. If he winds up on his side now, both legs are under him.

View attachment 3969842

Quinn was dragging his left leg. It appears to be almost dead, but when working with it, it's got strength as it has managed to be able to sit on his own and use that leg for balance, but not to walk, yet. He's most improved.
View attachment 3969844

These are two of six hatched/raised by a hen 9/15/24 in the very large breeding pen. They got their feed (Kalmbach's Flock Maker), plus vitamin water and occasionally they'd pick at the Henhouse Reserve which is the scratch treat for the adults. I knew this couldn't be a vitamin deficiency, so the only thing I could think of was they got into the dish of oyster shell. One worse than Como died. One is Miracle, a chick that for another reason has been raised in the house. One got crossed beak about the same time as these two developed leg issues, but has no leg issues. We've never had a crossed beak in our flock. One "Six" is still in the pen with momma, by all accounts, normal. We had pulled the oyster shell and stopped with the HHR treats the day the first one presented with issues.

This all happened about a week ago, when they were nearly a month old. B-complex plus physical therapy is showing improvements!

Gosh how scary! Sure hope they will be ok. Our pets sure like to give us stress don’t they?

Meanwhile they sure are adorable!