EMERGENCY! Hen not walking on one leg.

[Riverbend Farms]

I went out to check on my chickens, and I noticed my silkie seemed hot. I doused her in some cold water and now all of a sudden, she cannot walk on leg. She seems to be sleeping/tired and she can stand, but doesn’t want to. She was acting fine before. She is not currently laying (Not eggboundness, hasn’t laid for weeks) and she is breathing fast.

 

[SmiYa0126]

I went out to check on my chickens, and I noticed my silkie seemed hot. I doused her in some cold water and now all of a sudden, she cannot walk on leg. She seems to be sleeping/tired and she can stand, but doesn’t want to. She was acting fine before. She is not currently laying (Not eggboundness, hasn’t laid for weeks) and she is breathing fast.
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@Riverbend Farms Hi! Do you have fish mox? Calcium citrate? I would dose her with both, she could be egg bound or have an infection.

 

[Riverbend Farms]

No calcium citrate or fish mox. It seems unlikely to be egg bound because she was perfectly normal earlier today

 

[SmiYa0126]

Do you have any human grade amoxicillin? Maybe leftover in the fridge?

 

[Riverbend Farms]

No, we don’t

 

[SmiYa0126]

What do you have on hand in your at home chicken pharmacy? Do you have access to an avian vet?

 

[Riverbend Farms]

Thank you for the help, she passed away. I am going to get her a necropsy at the state vet

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. How old was she? Cold water should never be used on a chicken. Tepid water to stand in is better to cool off the legs. Even warm soaks can be dangerous to a very stressed or weak or gasping chicken. Good idea on getting a necropsy. I do mine at home, where I have seen several with reproductive disorders or ascites. It is always good to know what is affecting them. This probably would have happened eventually but the cold shock could have exacerbated the death. Please let us know if your state vet gives you a necropsy report.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Thank you for the help, she passed away. I am going to get her a necropsy at the state vet

I'm so sorry . I would recommend that you read through the articles on this site and build your own chicken pharmacy. It has saved five of my hens and one of my roosters. Unfortunately as chickens are prey animals when they start showing visible symptoms it's because they're in the peak of the illness, and it seems it's in the evenings and on weekends.

I would start with getting a bottle of fish mox on TSC and a bottle of calcium citrate. Also keep plain antibiotic ointment and saline on hand for wounds.

 

[Riverbend Farms]

@Eggcessive @SmiYa0126
She got stomach cancer