Easter Egger limping, falling when walking

[cheeptrick]

Hi all,
I have a 12 week old eater egger I think rooster who for the last 3 days has been wobbling, tripping, and basically roosting on the floor while the rest of the flock are high on the roosting bars. He/me thinks he's a rooster has ranged a little but stays near the coop and run when I let them out for free ranging. He does not appear to have any bodily injuries; but appears droopy and falls frequently. He will not eat or drink...
Today I decided to treat the whole flock for cocci and got the drinking water sulmet and started the first dose. I've applied DE to the shavings and run and some also in the feed in the last week. I've switched to grower feed x1 week.
Help...we are all worried about the poor dear!
Thanks for any help...

 

[dlhunicorn]

separate him and monitor poos and such so you can give us more clues (could very well be cocci or might be nay number of things

)
Your bird needs to drink...especially when he is getting meds in the water (if he does not drink sufficiently he will also not get the therapeutic dose which is in the waterer)

 

[cheeptrick]

ok...I separated her/he and she did eat some raspberries my daughters picked and we did get her to drink a small drink once. Still having the same problem with falling down, unable to walk, and wobbly. I've treated the water with sulmet and I've got my fingers crossed its nothing; but I fear its getting worse because now the chicken just lays on the ground and does not attempt to walk around at all. I will try to syringe some medicated water every couple hours.

 

[cheeptrick]

I syringe fed the medicated water...maybe got 1 tbsp in. After I laid him next to the feed and he pecked at it several times. I did palpate around his body and his crop did feel hard...I lightly massaged it. I did give the whole flock some raspberry pulp/seeds (making jelly) with olive oil all over it last night. He pecked at that a little...
Its really strange how he seems to be falling over and cannot walk like his legs just won't work. When he stands up he teeters back and forth on his shanks and then flop he falls down on his side. His wings seem to be droopy and he has pooed a couple times...which appears normal to me. I've been reading and fearing botulism because he seems to be exeperiencing paralysis!

 

[farmgirl2477]

I had a hen that went from a limp to loss of leg use with no known reason. I separated her and gave her a special diet and she eventually walked herself back out to join the flock. No idea what caused it, or if what I was doing really fixed it or if it was time, but Ill pass on what I gave to squeecker.

First gave her lots of room to move, but also things to lean against. Checked on her constantly. Gave her V&E (vitamin and electorlites) in her water. Mixed plain yogurt with her food. Also squeezed a vitamin E tablet into her mouth nightly. gave her hard boiled eggs, some cooked oatmeal. Basically anything good for her and high in nutrients. It took some time, but she healed.

I hope your girl snaps out of it faster then mine.
Good luck
Shannon

 

[ruth]

Hi - I am new to this site (as a member) but found it a few weeks ago when I ran into my first problem with the new chicks I had bought. I am also new to chick ownership. Anyway, after buying and reading every book in bookstores and every on-line thing I could find I still couldn't find an answer to my problem. I have joined this site because it was so helpful in so many ways so I thought I would share my experience with Ruth with everyone else. I bought my first 4 black sex links in April and have had no problem. A month later I was having so much fun at chick ownership I bought 5 (supposedly Auracaunas which I now know are Easter Eggers at best). After about 4 weeks the one I thought was so cute and quiet and bashful and sleepy - would quietly walk up to feed dish and eat - was found laying on the floor of the pen and the others were just trampling all over her. She wasn't moving and my husband proclaimed her dead. After I took her out and examined her I saw she was still breathing. For those old Monty Python fans - he declared her "mostly dead" and said he would "take care of her in the morning if she was still breathing". Anyway - my theory is "Nothing dies on my watch". So here's what I did. First, since she was barely breathing I began dropping a watery milk solution straight down her throat with a medicine dropper. I did that every few hours till she could sit up. Slowly I made it more of a watery mush, mixed with cheese, cat food, egg yolk and anything else of high protein content that I could blend, mix, melt in microwave and drop down her throat. I know you are all going to tell me about the dangers of drowning her but I had nothing to lose since she was desparately trying to die and I just was not going to let her. She eventually began to open her mouth for the food like a baby bird would do. When she regained strength I found that she could not walk, could only spin in circles, feet and legs paralyzed and head twisted to left in horrible S shape and would fall asleep in a heartbeat. Still I would not let her die. Kept her isolated in her own little bin inside with heat lamp and kept up the food. I also fed her a vitamin E capsule each day. Eventually she began to eat on her own and with a serious appetite. She dove at the pieces of cat food in her bowl (mixed with milk and egg yolk) and ate like a vulture. It was day after day of this routine. She would only eat if I held her and held the food mix to her. Today it's been about 4 weeks and I'm happy to say that Ruth is very much alive and well, is a pet, comes when called, runs up my legs to get on my shoulder, and is now in the new coop/run that we have recently built with the rest of the flock. She even has claimed dominance over 3 of her fellow hatchlings and actually runs up and chest butts them and chases them away even though she is one-fourth their size. I'm going to try and attach pictures of Ruth - but this site and how it all works is new to me so bear with me.

Ruth's neck is almost straight but I continue to massage each day as I've done from the beginning. Her body feathers are just starting to come in and her wings are much bigger than her body but she is growing and doing well. I still isolate her for feedings because she is still a slow and delicate eater and still eats much better if I hold her. I'm posting this lengthy response in the hopes that anyone else looking for help on twisted neck, paraylized legs, sleeping chickens will be able to use my experience. I'm believing that it is a vitamin deficiency of some sort or a disease that TLC can see them through. I'm also a devout believer in God and the power of prayer and that He cares for all of his creatures.

 

[dragonlili]

BRAVO for your efforts. And what a reward. Keep up the good work:yiipchick

 

[cheeptrick]

Thank you Ruth and everyone for your kind support! Freckles is doing a little better...I'll tell you what I've done.
I separated her for 2 days in the brooder I used when raising her as a chick. She did make a huge mess and spilled the water more than I wanted...but I did keep her fed. Second, I fed her really anything she would eat which was bananas, grapes, cottage cheese and her feed. I crushed childrens chewable vitamins in with the food and much of it was ingested. I only gave her a fraction of the vitamin powder. She still is wobbly, twisting her neck now, and flopping down...but after much research I realized it could be a vitamin deficiancy. I went ahead and added vit and electrolytes to the font and hope this will help. Last evening I even put her in the coop with the others...she seemed lonely. This morning she ran out with the others...still flopping and wobbly...but she made it out to range all on her own! She's still alive after 5 days of this...so I'm happy for that. I'll keep you updated on her progress and my vitamin regiment. I did go ahead and purchase the Wazine for deworming. After Freckles is all better, I'll deworm the whole flock. They are loving free ranging in my garden; my lettuce is going to seed so I allowed them to embibe a little! Now to just keep them away from my heirloom tomatoes!

 

[ruth]

I'm so glad to hear that Freckles is better. Good job. I too believe it is caused by vitamin deficiency. I would continue to isolate Freckles for feedings and give her meat, cheese and all the protein and veggies she will eat. Otherwise you won't know if she is actually eating and how much. That's how Ruth got so bad. I would see her slowly walk up to the feeding tray with her little head all pulled into her body and walking like she was tip toeing and thought it was cute. Everyone thought she looked like a little owl. I never realized until I found her laying on bottom of cage "mostly dead" that she had not been getting enough to eat. Even now Ruth is still too slow and wobbly to keep up with the others when they eat because they are like a shark feeding frenzy. After reading many posts on this site concerning giving meat to chickens - I sliced up some honey ham sandwich meat this morning and gave to all the chickens with their morning veggies and they ate all the meat first. Before, I had never given them meat other than grubs and worms that I dug up for them. But in nature these birds are omnivores and would eat mostly worms, slugs, and other meat sources as well as dirt and vegetation. While the commercially made foods may be good I just don't believe they substitute all that God intended. Good luck.

 

[SpottedCrow]

That's great news!!
And Ruth is absolutely gorgeous!!!