Help! Hen not able to walk/stand up???

[77horses]

Quote:
Thank you.

I'm really hoping *May doesn't have Marek's, either.

 

[77horses]

UPDATE: May seems to be doing a little better today! She is able to stand up again on her own for a short period of time, although she's still pretty unbalanced and still can't walk very well. But at least she's not getting any worse.

It's really hot outside right now, so I've been a little worried about her having to stay in the coop all day, but I opened the windows and opened the big door so she can get as much fresh air as possible. Right now, she's just resting on the coop floor in a nest of pine shavings in front of the open coop door, where she can still get some air and sunlight. Plus, the waterer and food is nearby so she won't get dehydrated/hungry. She still has a good appetite and eagerly drinks water when I offer it to her. I've been making especially sure that she stays hydrated when it's so hot out by holding the water up to her every once in a while so she can drink it herself, dipping her beak in it, and even getting a drop on my finger and she will drink off of it. And I've been making sure to bring her fresh grass/leaves to help make up for the foraging that she's missing out on, and putting the laying pellets in my hand for her to eat from rather than just from the dish. So as of right now, she's just resting and it seems to be helping her. In fact, she seems to be enjoying all the pampering!

I'll keep you all updated!

 

[77horses]

UPDATE: May still isn't able to stand very well, but she's eating/drinking. She's been resting next to the broody hen, Hope, and I noticed that she may also be acting a little broody...She tried to roll one of Hope's eggs under her, as if they were both sharing the broody job.

Also, she finally laid an egg today!

 

[77horses]

UPDATE: May is still not able to walk properly...she can stand on her own now but has a really bad limp if she tries to walk. But she appears to be healthy otherwise, and she's able to eat/drink on her own. Also, as crazy as it sounds due to her current condition, she's definitely broody!

I'm not sure whether I should give her a couple eggs to sit on or not right now...but she's definitely broody because she keeps trying to sit on any eggs laid by Jasmine that she can find, and she growls/puffs up her feathers whenever anyone goes near the coop.

As for the other chickens, they're doing okay...none of them are showing any signs of sickness and none of them are limping like May still is.

 

[NewToFarming]

I am so very sorry about May!!! I hope she pulls through!!!

I had a younf silkie/leghorn mix that developed those exact same symptoms!!! She was my house chicken for about 2 months. I did have her to a vet which was really a waste of money. She obviously did not know chickens like she said she did. However not knowing that at the time, I did what she suggested which was nothing but to keep up the good nutrition. However during the last week of her life, I was able to finally locate an excellent avian vet and too bad I did not find him in the beginning.
Backing up a bit, Sugar would have periods where she would seem to be doing great and then go downhill but never got the use of her legs again. I gave her vitamins, Harrisons parrot food, a special mix of mash with egg for added protein...it wasn't helping.

The trip to the second vet was too late. He didn't think she would pull through and she didn't. He did prescribed antibiotics and metacam but she wasn't coming back this time. He didn't think it was MAreks but some other sort of infection more specific to her meaning it would not spread to others.

I did choose to have her put to sleep within 3 days after seeing him because I could tell she couldn't fight it anymore. I also had a necropsy done which didn't really explain anything either. It too 1 1/2 months to have it come back from the state and all it really said in the end was there is evidence there was a prior infection in the gut...that's it. Maybe just do a round of antibiotics just in case. I believe if I had found the better vet in the beginning she might have done better.

She became my little buddy and I really miss her. I made her a little doughtnut type ring to keep her in an upright postion when eating especially.

Please let me know if you have any questions! But it sure sounded like the exact same symptoms as my girl and she was about 3 months when it first started to show.

 

[77horses]

UPDATE: May is still hanging in there. She seems completely fine right now, in fact if it weren't for her limping you would think she was a perfectly normal, healthy hen. She's slowly growing back the feathers she lost from the others picking on her, and she's still eating/drinking like she always has. She has also acted broody a few times, and when she's not hobbling around the enclosed chicken run, she's helping Hope, one of the broody hens, with the broody job by sitting on some of the eggs. Hope actually doesn't seem to mind her being there, either.

It's funny to watch them share the nest box and take turns sitting on the eggs!
Also, her droppings look normal and she looks okay, besides the drop in egg production and her missing feathers on her head from where the others picked on her. But they're separated from her now (except for the broody hen, Hope) and can't bother her anymore.

 

[NewToFarming]

That is good news and I am glad she is coming around and has a buddy!!!

 

[atief1253]

I'm wondering if someone can help me with the same topic almost. Yesterday my rooster was on his side, could not get up, he walked backwards very well but fell when going frontwards. I isolated him and he has been laying on his side all day with food and water. He just can't get up. He's 8 months old. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm going nuts trying to find an answer for him. Could he have sprained or broken his leg?

 

[Debbie Churchill]

Thanks. (I miss her -- we only had her for 6 weeks but we got so close to her caring for her the way we did. Eventually she ended up in a large dog crate in the kitchen so we could hand feed her several times a day, surrounded by 3/4 quarters of a box to keep give her something to lean against (the corner) and rolled up towels to help keep her propped up (both her front legs would push straight out and she'd go up and over or fall over), she even tolerated the occasional test sling. She developed a hankering for the baby food version of mixed berries.

I SO want to be wrong on what Mary has going! Praying you find a swelling, or a thorn or something you can remove and make her all better. Will be looking for the updates.

I UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN OLD ARTICLE. wAS TRYING TO SEARCH FOR WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH MY HEN. iT SOUNDS LIKE SHE HAS THE SAME THING YOUR mARY HAD. Was Mary cured ok? I dread having to put Myrtle down

 

[Lady Hermione]

if all else seems to be normal with her, no mites, lice worms, respiratory issues, I would try a vitamin treatment on her. either get some poultry vitamins from the feed store and electrolyte solution too into her water and make sure she drinks it or you can get some vitamin B complex human vitamins and open up the pill tab and sprinkle the powder onto her food/favorite treat. this will take about two weeks for her to get back to walking if her sudden onset of leg paralysis is due to a vitamin deficiency. I also had a 1 year old hen suddenly be unable to walk but otherwise seemed fine. looked it up her in the search and tried this vitamin treatment and it worked she has been fine now for over a year. give her vitamin E also just not everyday since it gets stored in the aft and stays in the body longer. good luck

One capsule in how much water ?