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

[Lady Chicken Keeper]

Quote:

That's what I feared.

I really hope it isn't though, because I read that it's highly contagious. Now I'm paranoid about the others getting it, too...

If it is Marek's I have no idea what I'm going to do. There's no treatment for it and once a chicken gets it, they'll carry it with them forever and pass it on to other birds very easily. The only way to stop it is to remove the bird and put it down, which I could never EVER do (mostly because I've raised these chickens since they were chicks, and I'm a vegetarian).

But I really hope it's not Marek's!!!

Oregano tea will fend off the mareck's

 

[Lady Chicken Keeper]

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?

Walking backwards is a different thing

 

[Lady Chicken Keeper]

I have an Ameraucana/Cochin mix hen, named May, that can't walk or even stand up, and she seems to not be able to lift her wings very well either. About a couple weeks ago I noticed that she had a slight limp on her right leg when she walked (and when she ran, it was obvious that she favored the right leg because she kind of hopped on it so her stride seemed very unsteady/wobbly). She was acting perfectly fine and foraging with the two other hens (her two sisters, Hope and Jasmine) and my rooster, Ivory. She ate/drank perfectly fine, in fact she was usually the first to get to the food and water. I looked at both legs and couldn't see anything that could possibly be wrong with them (especially the right one, the one she's been limping on). She was the top hen in the pecking order, until the limp appeared and Hope recently went broody (and still is right now). After that, I noticed that Jasmine, the youngest of the group (and previously in the bottom of the pecking order) began picking on May and Hope, but especially May. Also, May is going through a molt right now and I also noticed that she stopped laying (probably from the molt, right?).
Right now, she doesn't appear to be sick...no watery eyes, she eats/drinks perfectly fine, etc...I haven't had a chance to check her droppings, but the last time I checked they looked normal. But she can't stand, and when she tries to (or when I tried to help her up a couple times), she will spread her left wing out to try and balance herself while lifting up the right leg higher than the left one, and she ends up making a distressed clucking sound (like when you pick them up and they cluck in surprise) and loses her balance. She has tried to stand up, but she just can't seem to. None of the other chickens are having any problems whatsoever.
This problem was really started a couple days ago, when I was watching them all (except for Hope, who was sitting on her eggs in the coop) foraging in the yard. I saw Ivory mount May, like he usually does (she seems to be his 'favorite'

), but when he got off, she just laid there for a few minutes and it really worried me. She eventually stood up and hobbled away (again, favoring the right leg) and stayed under the back porch for the rest of the day while the others foraged. I waited for a little while, but she stayed under the porch until I went out to check on her. She wouldn't stand up so I brought her to the coop and she stayed in it with Hope for the rest of the day. By night time, the others were roosting and when I went to close up the coop, I saw that May was the only one not roosting. She still hadn't stood up and since a couple days ago, she's still unable to stand or walk properly. (btw, Ivory really isn't that rough with any of the hens, so I know he's not the cause of her limping, although he definitely doesn't help it at all.)

May is about one year old now, just like Hope and Jasmine. I feed all of them laying pellets and any other table scraps, plus they free range around the yard. They always have water available to them and are locked up in their coop every night.
As of right now, I'm not sure what to do with May but currently she's still resting in the coop on a soft foam-like mat on the coop floor. I placed the food and water nearby her so she can reach it without having to stand, and I've been trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. Hope, the broody one, has been keeping her company (even though she's broody, she doesn't seem to mind having May nearby her nest). Also, I've been making sure that both Jasmine and Ivory don't bother her at all.
Is there anything else I can do for her? What could possibly be wrong with her? Let me know if you need any more information and I'll try my best to give it to you if it helps with figuring out what could be wrong with her.
Thank you!

I know this is an old post but I'm having the same issue right now with my chicken named Birdie. Did you give May any vitamins?

 

[Lady Chicken Keeper]

Check the bottom of her feet for a dark in color round scab, if you see one, it could be bumblefoot and will require minor surgery to remove it.
Also, it could be that she has somehow sprained or pulled a tendon or ligament, possibly from jumping down from a high place. She will need plenty of rest and relaxation for it to heal, she must not try walking on it, it will only aggravate the injury, possibly making it worse. Vitamin B complex tablets purchased at a pharmacy might help speed up recovery. Crush a couple of them and sprinkle the powder into her feed to eat. After a week of this, try to see if she can walk. If not, try one more week of vitamin B complex in her feed, then stop.
These types of injuries can take one week to heal, several weeks or months to heal depending how severe it is. In some cases, they never heal. I had a Black Star hen that never healed but was able to hobble on one leg just fine and continued to lay eggs. She had to be seperated from the others because she always got picked on. Good luck.

If I put out some water with b complex mixed in it is it okay for the other chickens to drink?

 

[jodiefoster]

I have an Ameraucana/Cochin mix hen, named May, that can't walk or even stand up, and she seems to not be able to lift her wings very well either. About a couple weeks ago I noticed that she had a slight limp on her right leg when she walked (and when she ran, it was obvious that she favored the right leg because she kind of hopped on it so her stride seemed very unsteady/wobbly). She was acting perfectly fine and foraging with the two other hens (her two sisters, Hope and Jasmine) and my rooster, Ivory. She ate/drank perfectly fine, in fact she was usually the first to get to the food and water. I looked at both legs and couldn't see anything that could possibly be wrong with them (especially the right one, the one she's been limping on). She was the top hen in the pecking order, until the limp appeared and Hope recently went broody (and still is right now). After that, I noticed that Jasmine, the youngest of the group (and previously in the bottom of the pecking order) began picking on May and Hope, but especially May. Also, May is going through a molt right now and I also noticed that she stopped laying (probably from the molt, right?).
Right now, she doesn't appear to be sick...no watery eyes, she eats/drinks perfectly fine, etc...I haven't had a chance to check her droppings, but the last time I checked they looked normal. But she can't stand, and when she tries to (or when I tried to help her up a couple times), she will spread her left wing out to try and balance herself while lifting up the right leg higher than the left one, and she ends up making a distressed clucking sound (like when you pick them up and they cluck in surprise) and loses her balance. She has tried to stand up, but she just can't seem to. None of the other chickens are having any problems whatsoever.
This problem was really started a couple days ago, when I was watching them all (except for Hope, who was sitting on her eggs in the coop) foraging in the yard. I saw Ivory mount May, like he usually does (she seems to be his 'favorite'

), but when he got off, she just laid there for a few minutes and it really worried me. She eventually stood up and hobbled away (again, favoring the right leg) and stayed under the back porch for the rest of the day while the others foraged. I waited for a little while, but she stayed under the porch until I went out to check on her. She wouldn't stand up so I brought her to the coop and she stayed in it with Hope for the rest of the day. By night time, the others were roosting and when I went to close up the coop, I saw that May was the only one not roosting. She still hadn't stood up and since a couple days ago, she's still unable to stand or walk properly. (btw, Ivory really isn't that rough with any of the hens, so I know he's not the cause of her limping, although he definitely doesn't help it at all.)

May is about one year old now, just like Hope and Jasmine. I feed all of them laying pellets and any other table scraps, plus they free range around the yard. They always have water available to them and are locked up in their coop every night.
As of right now, I'm not sure what to do with May but currently she's still resting in the coop on a soft foam-like mat on the coop floor. I placed the food and water nearby her so she can reach it without having to stand, and I've been trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. Hope, the broody one, has been keeping her company (even though she's broody, she doesn't seem to mind having May nearby her nest). Also, I've been making sure that both Jasmine and Ivory don't bother her at all.
Is there anything else I can do for her? What could possibly be wrong with her? Let me know if you need any more information and I'll try my best to give it to you if it helps with figuring out what could be wrong with her.
Thank you!

 

[jodiefoster]

How did your chicken make out? I have one that is wobbly, her legs turned blue but no other symptoms. She still has circulation in her legs and feet as they are nice and warm. Very hardy appetite and is preening and trying to do everything she would usually do. She went to the vet and they ruled out Mareks and Cocci. We think it may be extreme vit B deficiency or genetic neurological problems. I took her home and am trying to give her vit B and protein. Just wondering if yours recovered or if anyone else has stories of recovery after wobbly legs. Or if anyone has had the chickens legs turn blue?