Help-Chicken couldn't stand on one leg now can't stand on both

[cfeliz]

I have a Banty hen don't know how old, maybe 4 lbs. She's very under weight and weak and can't stand up. It started 2 weeks with her not being able to stand on one leg so I put in a little pen by herself but in with other chickens and now she can't stand at all. Her poop has been green and runny. I thought maybe the rooster hurt her but don't know. No broken bones. She was eating scratch and water but yesterday it seemed like she hadn't been eating or drinking anything. I took her to the vet and they said she was extremely weak, dehydrated and under weight so they gave her a calcium shot and some glucose and told me to force feed her and water her if she didn't eat and to feed her layer crumbles. I have in my house to monitor her and she has been eating and drinking. I'm using pine shavings for bedding. The vet doesn't know what is wrong with her. Could she have gotten to cold? I was told chickens can handle the cold and haven't been turning the heat lamp on at night. Plus she didn't have the other chickens to snuggle up with.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sorry your girl is having trouble.

4 # seems like it would be heavy for a bantam to me. What breed?

I ALMOST have to disagree with your vet about feeding layer... with the exception of asking WHAT were you feeding before... including treats and supplements? IF she was eating scratch as her sole ration... you are very likely seeing the result of long term nutrient deprivation. In which case layer would be better. My preference is flock raiser, grower, or unmedicated starter. Protein and it's amino acids are HIGHLY important. Even though most feeds are mostly corn, the difference is scratch doesn't have the added amino acids, vitamins and mineral that ANY of the formulated rations will contain. Feeding "layer" usually has 4% ish calcium. For birds that aren't laying that is too much and *can* )doesn't mean will) cause gout or even kidney failure if fed long term.

Sounds like it COULD be either a severe vitamin deficit or Marek's. Best resource I have found regarding Marek's is...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

No.. I don't think you should force feed her. She will die of dehydration before starvation. Get some vitamins and electrolytes into your water. Simple recipe is... 2 cups warm water, 2 tablspoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and baking soda. Stir until dissolved and serve full strength. If you have poultry nutri drench add some in. Consider getting if you don't. Baby vitamins with NO iron can be used in a pinch.

Did vet even run a fecal float to check for worm or cocci load?

Here is a tool that MIGHT help you narrow down the illness according to symptoms...
http://www.poultrydvm.com/symptoms

I rarely see it work, but all cases are unique... Selenium and vitamin E could help.

Scrambled egg is an excellent source of easy to digest nutrients... and would be what I offer... In addition to other higher protein snack like tuna, mackerel, chicken, cooked beef, live meal worms. If she doesn't have any grit while confined.. that may have some impact.

Adding your general location to your profile might help others make better recommendations. Do you mind sharing how much your vet visit costed? Were there any mention of checking for parasite or what possibilities it might be? Sadly (and thankfully) BYC is often a better resource than many vets. Glad you found us.

Hope she feels better!

Any help or thought... @Eggcessive, @Wyorp Rock, @casportpony

 

[cfeliz]

Attached is a picture of what l'm feeding her as of yesterday. I've been feeding scratch with sunflower seeds. They don't eat the crumbles much when I give to them and I haven't been giving them grit at all I totally forgot about that...

 

[cfeliz]

The vet didn't mention parasites and it cost $88 for the visit!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She was eating scratch and water but yesterday it seemed like she hadn't been eating or drinking anything. I took her to the vet and they said she was extremely weak, dehydrated and under weight so they gave her a calcium shot and some glucose and told me to force feed her and water her if she didn't eat and to feed her layer crumbles.

I'm sorry your hen is not doing well.

She may be suffering from an underlying condition, but it would be hard to know since it sounds like she is deficient in vitamins/nutrition. Hopefully by getting her on a balanced poultry feed, hydrated and giving extra vitamins as suggested by @EggSighted4Life she will start to improve.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I've been feeding scratch with sunflower seeds. They don't eat the crumbles much when I give to them

Most scratch is about 7% protein, and it doesn't have any added vitamins, nutrients, or amino acids. Anything other than a formulated ration should be fed at not more than 10% total daily.

Your chickens may not eat crumbles or any formulated ration if they are offered much scratch and sunflower seeds (I don't know their nutritional value but are high in fat) (also black oil or regular?) Those are like potato chips to them. Delicious, but void of much nutrients. Chickens will eat to meat their calorie content and not their nutritional content. I suggest using your scratch and seeds only as a treat specific to you, or doing what you want them to do like come inside the coop. I know some people use it as a boredom buster, but there are other ways.

That ration will be fine for your birds and far better than scratch. Still be sure to offer your compromised girl EXTRA protein! Did I miss her age somewhere?

And if you are able to, Poultry nutri drench is available at feed stores and amazon. It's really useful. There are other supplement that are said to be good (rooster booster type) but I am unfamiliar with those.

So your vet weighed her and she was 4#? What breed?

I don't supply grit, but my coop is lined with washed river sand of various sizes and they get some from the pasture dirt.

If she does recover she will need help rebuilding her leg strength, like physical therapy. Consider building a chicken sling to get some weight off her legs and maybe be able to straighten them out and try standing some as vigor returns...

Though I would consider prognosis dismal, anything can happen.. and I've seen some peeps here get results with overcoming both nutrient deficit AND Marek's. It did take considerable work on their part. The fact that you took the chicken in and spent that much already shows a fairly high level of commitment, so I suspect you still may aim for recovery even if it takes months on your part... But should you decide that isn't feasible or fair for either of you.. no one here would blame you if you decided to seek Euthanasia. Did you discuss that option with your vet?

Should this gal pass and you really want to know what happened then I would recommend refrigerating the body and sending in for necropsy. It is free or affordable to back yard keepers in many states as a means of protecting our food supply chains. A couple links that should have contact info and packing/shipping info...
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/

Rooting for y'all.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Oh and suspecting nutrient deficit in this case.. I would consider tube feeding if she is too weak to eat and and that is something you are comfortable with... AND because it is likely human caused verses being true weakness of genetics. No finger pointing, those are things we consider in my household is all I'm saying. I have never tube fed so you would want to research that.

You aren't the first person to make this mistake (if that is what it is). So please don't beat yourself up! We do our best and change it up when we learn something new. With BYC at your finger tips, you should be able to get answers to most any question.

 

[cfeliz]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sorry your girl is having trouble.

4 # seems like it would be heavy for a bantam to me. What breed?

I ALMOST have to disagree with your vet about feeding layer... with the exception of asking WHAT were you feeding before... including treats and supplements? IF she was eating scratch as her sole ration... you are very likely seeing the result of long term nutrient deprivation. In which case layer would be better. My preference is flock raiser, grower, or unmedicated starter. Protein and it's amino acids are HIGHLY important. Even though most feeds are mostly corn, the difference is scratch doesn't have the added amino acids, vitamins and mineral that ANY of the formulated rations will contain. Feeding "layer" usually has 4% ish calcium. For birds that aren't laying that is too much and *can* )doesn't mean will) cause gout or even kidney failure if fed long term.

Sounds like it COULD be either a severe vitamin deficit or Marek's. Best resource I have found regarding Marek's is...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

No.. I don't think you should force feed her. She will die of dehydration before starvation. Get some vitamins and electrolytes into your water. Simple recipe is... 2 cups warm water, 2 tablspoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and baking soda. Stir until dissolved and serve full strength. If you have poultry nutri drench add some in. Consider getting if you don't. Baby vitamins with NO iron can be used in a pinch.

Did vet even run a fecal float to check for worm or cocci load?

Here is a tool that MIGHT help you narrow down the illness according to symptoms...
http://www.poultrydvm.com/symptoms

I rarely see it work, but all cases are unique... Selenium and vitamin E could help.

Scrambled egg is an excellent source of easy to digest nutrients... and would be what I offer... In addition to other higher protein snack like tuna, mackerel, chicken, cooked beef, live meal worms. If she doesn't have any grit while confined.. that may have some impact.

Adding your general location to your profile might help others make better recommendations. Do you mind sharing how much your vet visit costed? Were there any mention of checking for parasite or what possibilities it might be? Sadly (and thankfully) BYC is often a better resource than many vets. Glad you found us.

Hope she feels better!

Any help or thought... @Eggcessive, @Wyorp Rock, @casportpony

Tha

Oh and suspecting nutrient deficit in this case.. I would consider tube feeding if she is too weak to eat and and that is something you are comfortable with... AND because it is likely human caused verses being true weakness of genetics. No finger pointing, those are things we consider in my household is all I'm saying. I have never tube fed so you would want to research that.


Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge!

 

[cfeliz]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge!