Heat exhaustion or other? Legs paralyzed

[hanginggatefarm]

I attached it to the side of the tractor so it blows across the birds. My friends and visitors laugh that my chickens have air condition ! I find that by blowing across, the birds spread out more. We reached 100 degrees yesterday and the birds seem to be doing well.

 

[froggiesheins]

Thanks! Then I am doing it the better way...

 

[Garciafarm]

the only thing that i am worry about is if you leave her out of the coop for a long period(in my expirience over 4 days) they will put her at the bottom of the pecking order and peck on her , i hope she gets better.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

I don't know if she is eating and drinking enough. I've got food (layer & meatbird crumbles) in front of her as well as water, but she hasn't ingested much of either, and she doesn't like when I try to give her water with the eyedropper. I gave her two cherry tomatoes and a couple tablespoons of yogurt earlier which she did eat all of it. Her poops are funny today though, the consistency almost of peanut butter, dark brown and REALLY stinky. While I do deep down consider her a pet and she's really sweet, I also know that if she doesn't recover full use of her legs that I'll have to cull her. She can't stay in my bathroom forever, and I couldn't possibly send her back out to the coop if she couldn't walk. Poor girl has had a hard life till I got her, she came from a factory egg farm down in Arkansas, has been de-beaked, and they were skin and bones when I got them.

It is much cooler today for the other birds, I have fans blowing across them. But then after this evening we go back into the stratosphere for temps, day and night.

 

[terryg]

I once had a hen that exhibited those symptoms, but in her case she'd eaten too much vetch which can be toxic on an empty stomach. With TLC and my "spa treatment" she recovered. (And she's still here, years later!) It does sound, in your case, like heat stroke, but the "treatment" can hurt, and might just help. See it here:
\http://hencam.com/the-spa-treatment/

 

[ChickChickChicky]

I once had a hen that exhibited those symptoms, but in her case she'd eaten too much vetch which can be toxic on an empty stomach. With TLC and my "spa treatment" she recovered. (And she's still here, years later!) It does sound, in your case, like heat stroke, but the "treatment" can hurt, and might just help. See it here:
\http://hencam.com/the-spa-treatment/

Thanks for that info, I'm going to try that epsom salt soak for her tonight.

 

[chickfan]

I will tell you of my experience with a chicken whose legs quit working, maybe 1 1/2 years ago. I read on this board somewhere, to try Vitamin B Complex. I got some capsules (for humans) at the grocery store, and started pouring the powder from each capsule, into all this chicken's water and food. I had her separated from the others, and made sure every single thing that went into her beak had this powder. I didn't even pay attention to how much I used, because it couldn't hurt her. After two weeks, she suddenly started getting strength back in her legs. I spent several days putting her out of the cage for awhile, while I watched, and she was unsteady on her legs for several days, and of course had to get re-established in the pecking order. I always joke that the Vit. B is strong stuff, because suddenly "she" started crowing. Now he is very big and has the biggest and strongest legs of any rooster out there.
So...you might try this. It can't hurt, and might help.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

The girl is doing a little better today. She can move one leg, and with the other leg can curl her toes, so she IS healing up. I have been trying to go in there every few hours and roust her to keep her from developing pneumonia or getting bedsores and also to keep her muscles at least a little bit in shape. When my husband was sick (cancer) the nurses told me that it takes at least 3 days of being up and moving to recover the muscle strength you lose in just one day of being bedridden (use it or lose it!). So while she can't stand on her own, I am making her flap her wings, attempt to balance herself as I "drop" her while cradled in my hand, and am moving her legs around for her. She is eating and pooping well, and laid another egg yesterday. I think it will be a kind of slow process but am hoping that by the beginning of next week that she can at least stand for short periods. She is a great egg-layer and has a sweet personality, so unless she seems to be suffering or it looks like she'll never walk again, I'm willing to work with her.

 

[froggiesheins]

GREAT NEWS!!! You are a GOOD chicken MAMA.... How about a picture of your sweet girl??? Keep up the good work, get a towel and watch a movie together tonite....miss hen would LOVE that.............:cd

 

[ChickChickChicky]

While my hen is SLOWLY getting better, I fear it's going to be a much longer process than what I'm equipped to handle. I found out I will soon be working many more hours and unable to devote much time to her. If there is anyone out there who feels willing and able to take her on with her special needs, I would love to see her go to a home where she can get the attention she needs. As I said she is right around 1 year old, debeaked, and at present cannot stand, let alone walk. I honestly do not know what her prognosis is... she might eventually recover fully, or may never improve much at all (although she has been getting A LITTLE better each day, at this rate it is going to be a long road). She is still laying a jumbo egg nearly every day, which I've been throwing away because I don't know how long the botulism toxin might stay in her body. She has a sweet personality, doesn't mind being handled or given her epsom salts soak or even rinsed off in the shower. Even before she got sick she enjoyed getting a few minutes of petting every day. Since she's been in the house she's never been noisy, instead she coos softly every time I enter the room. I wormed all of them (Safeguard) about a month ago plus treated for lice (eprinex). She eats Nutrena layer crumbles mixed with about 1/3 Nutrena meatbird crumbles. I'm located in the Kansas City area. If you think you might be interested either reply here or shoot me a private message.