Help! My Chicken Can't Stand or Walk

[ChicChicblossom12]

My chicken is about three years old and when I went to let the hens out to free-range she was laying in front of the door. She can not stand and when she tries to she falls onto her hocks or to the side. She is very healthy looking and I don't think she is egg bound. She does have diarrhoea, but she is eating and drinking. It seemed to happen overnight because she was running around perfectly fine just yesterday. Any idea what I can do to help her, or what is causing this. Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Have you added any new chickens to your flock in the last few months? Do you see any swelling, redness, or green bruising over the entire legs or feet? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease?
If she normally lays eggs, I would insert a clean finger into her vent just to make sure that you don’t feel and stuck egg.

I would place her in a basket or crate to confine her or make a chicken sling. Other chickens sometimes may attack or peck at chickens who become lame. She could have jumped and fallen, or possibly been jumped on, and injured. Sometimes they can get an inflammation in the abdomen which can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing paralysis. Mareks disease could also be possible. I would watch her closely, place her near food and water. I had a hen last year who lost balance and spent 5 weeks in a basket. She could stand, but not walk without falling backward or sideways. She recovered. Here is a link for how people have made chicken slings:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[ChicChicblossom12]

Thank you and I do believe that she was vaccinated. We got baby chicks recently, but they are in another coop far from the older hens. I don't see any color change or swelling. I have taken her into her own crate and I will try making the sling tomorrow cause she can no longer sit upright. Thank you for your help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how she is doing tomorrow. If you should lose her, it would be good to contact your state poultry vet ahead of time and get details of how to get a necropsy performed, to find out what was wrong. It never hurts to try some vitamin B complex (not B12) tablets 1/2 tablet daily crushed into food, which can be good for leg health and appetite.

 

[ChicChicblossom12]

Hi sorry for the long time without update and thanks for the help. She is seemingly much happier and looks much healthier, but she still cannot stand or walk. I bring her around the yard nearly every day to exercise her legs slightly and so she can have dirt baths. Every now and then she can hold her own weight for a couple of seconds before falling over. Shes developed this way of "walking" where she spreads out her wings and rocks to her sides with a series of kicks to move in a different direction. When she does this I am worried that she may injure her wings, but she is handling this whole ordeal pretty well.

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi sorry for the long time without update and thanks for the help. She is seemingly much happier and looks much healthier, but she still cannot stand or walk. I bring her around the yard nearly every day to exercise her legs slightly and so she can have dirt baths. Every now and then she can hold her own weight for a couple of seconds before falling over. Shes developed this way of "walking" where she spreads out her wings and rocks to her sides with a series of kicks to move in a different direction. When she does this I am worried that she may injure her wings, but she is handling this whole ordeal pretty well.

There is a FB group Crossbeaks and special poultry that should be able to give you info on making a 'chicken wheelchair' or support chair for her. You will have to PM the administrator for permission to join... good luck

 

[Eggcessive]

So glad that she is doing well, but sad that she still is unable to walk. A sling is much easier to build, especially if she is not able to move her legs at all. There are so many designs for homemade wheelchairs online. If you have someone close to you that loves to build things, that would be a hood project. Here are many pictures to click on for idea:
https://www.google.com/search?q=chi...WoAZ0JHU7YD-4Q_AUoAnoECAsQAg&biw=1024&bih=643