HELP! circling hen

beektoria

Chirping
Mar 1, 2009
73
2
89
Everett, Wa
My 1 year old rescued-from-the-pot small ee, started circling today. She was running acoss the yard with her 2 other coop-mates just 2 days ago. She lets me pick her up and examine her, not usiual behavior. head turning to over her back. no visable mites or other critters. stumbling. unable to stay on the roost branch. I have her isolated.
Please anyone with advice deeply appreciated
 
Circling,head turning to over back and stumbling are all typical symptoms of ND.
If there is respiratory symptoms at the same time, then it will be ND for sure. IMHO.
 
She is not showing any respiratory sx, no swelling around eyes, beak or ears. No sneezing or coughing. What else would fit these neuro appearing sx? Thank you for any suggestions you can give me. I just love this funny little hen.
 
GG seems to be improving slightly, I have let her out with her 2 coopmates. She is eating and drinking more. She seems to prefer to 'fly' where she wants to go rather than run or walk. She's a funny little bird who doesn't appear to want to give up.
 
This is the 3rd occurence and by far the worst. the other 2 times with isolation and close watching, feeding and watering, she pulled through.
This time however, It seems much worse. For the last week I have been using a 12 cc syringe to water her. I use glucose sometimes. Sometimes I have even used a few drops of childrens ibuprofen in her water. I use a 6cc syringe (3-4) to feed her yogurt, liquidy scrambled eggs,very thin oatmeal. She has no balance, she flops around when she does move. Her head is turned all the way across her back. She's not wheezing, her ears are clean, her nose is clean. When she opens he eyes they seem to be quite clear. I know there are those who will say cull but she has recovered from this 2 other times. If she is not better by Tuesday (my next day off) I will take her to be euthanized. If she does get better she will be a patio hen that will not free range without supervision (the tractor). I can't help but think this is some sort of toxic plant she gets into. My 2 other hens are doing just great. She is my pet and my favorite. I'm so sad.
 
Your mention of the possibility of a toxic plant made me wonder about her food. She's not gotten into anything moldy, has she? Has her food gotten wet and molded or has she been eating from the compost pile?
 
Compost all in containers, no mold in their food that I can detect. I found some info on wry neck. I am going to try the vitamin E and electrolytes also a tiny dose of selenium. It seems there are some merits to this tx, that is if it is wry neck.
I had thought to put her down (completely against my beliefs but I guess one must accept the Karma to help someone out of their suffering, and no I don't attribute human thoughts or feelings to my animals but I do believe in Ahimsa) but by overdose of klonopin with ambien (another twisted neck chicken story) but their chicken popped back up all happy and nl.
I must confess I did go ahead with a bit of klonopin in the hopes that this was a seizure thing but she just cuddles down in and goes to sleep. I am at work on my 30 min lunch break. no time to go home and give water. I will prevail upon my daughter to try to syringe some drops into her mouth. If she is still with me when I'm off work I will get the vits and give it a try.
 
Thank you forum friends for your responses. GG went early Tuesday am. I'm so relieved for her...sad for myself. She was a feisty little chicken. My very alpha Chinese Crested, Gracie would try for some of their feed. My other 2 hens would just move away. Not GG man, she'd come running across the yard and peck that dog right on the head!! She was a cuddler too though. I miss her already. Still, I will get another couple of hens that would otherwise be headed for someone's soup pot . Thanks again everyone.
 

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