- Jun 1, 2012
- 3
- 1
- 9
Question:
Has anyone here dealt with a chicken that appears to be having seizures?
Background:
We have an American Game hen (Lucy) that is 7 years old. She was a rescue so I have no history on her. Upon meeting our rooster she went broody and promptly laid 6 eggs which all hatched into adorable little chicks which she has cared for with no interference from us. She has been a very devoted mama hen. Because we have a mixed flock (layers and not) we feed them organic grower/developer feed along with crushed egg shells and oyster shell they can eat when needed. The hens spend the morning in the run with access to feed and shell material. Afternoons they mostly free range so I think their diet is pretty varied. In the evening (before roosting time but after they have eaten feed) I give them left over fruit/veggie and table scraps from the day.
Lucy's first seizure was quick and happened when her chicks were about 4 weeks old. She sort of lost balance and fell over. Within a minute or so she was right back to normal. This time it was a bit more frightening. As I was closing up the run at roosting time I heard a loud thump from inside the coop. Peaked in the door and saw Lucy lying on her back on the floor below high roost - feet clenched and pointed upward. After checking to make sure none of her body parts looked broken I scooped her up (still on her back) and held her. After a minute her head popped up and she looked at me kind of like she was confused. I turned her over so she was back facing up and held onto her. I offered her water which she drank. I then carefully put her down and she went to food bowl and ate and then went back to roost. This morning she seems fine. I gave her some oatmeal, banana and yogurt for breakfast. When I left for work she was hanging with other hens. About a week ago she weaned her chicks (10 weeks old now) and laid her first egg. She has laid an egg every day since. Shells are hard and eggs look normal. So, trying to figure out if she is just old and having old chicken problems or if we are doing something that may be causing the seizures. She eats a varied diet but am worried maybe she has a vitamin or calcium deficiency ... especially since she is old and went through stress of making and raising chicks and is now laying eggs again. Can a vitamin or calcium deficiency cause seizures in chickens? She seems healthy in every other way. She is active, her feathers are beautiful, she eats well, no mites, poop looks chicken normal. I plan to buy Poly-Vi-Sol without iron vitamins this evening and start her on that for a few days. I left her with other hens because she is low chicken in pecking order and I think removing her and then having to reintroduce maybe harder on her than just staying with them while I figure this out. Not sure what else I can do though?
Any thoughts or ideas as to what can be causing this and/or what I should do for her.
Thanks - Gia
Has anyone here dealt with a chicken that appears to be having seizures?
Background:
We have an American Game hen (Lucy) that is 7 years old. She was a rescue so I have no history on her. Upon meeting our rooster she went broody and promptly laid 6 eggs which all hatched into adorable little chicks which she has cared for with no interference from us. She has been a very devoted mama hen. Because we have a mixed flock (layers and not) we feed them organic grower/developer feed along with crushed egg shells and oyster shell they can eat when needed. The hens spend the morning in the run with access to feed and shell material. Afternoons they mostly free range so I think their diet is pretty varied. In the evening (before roosting time but after they have eaten feed) I give them left over fruit/veggie and table scraps from the day.
Lucy's first seizure was quick and happened when her chicks were about 4 weeks old. She sort of lost balance and fell over. Within a minute or so she was right back to normal. This time it was a bit more frightening. As I was closing up the run at roosting time I heard a loud thump from inside the coop. Peaked in the door and saw Lucy lying on her back on the floor below high roost - feet clenched and pointed upward. After checking to make sure none of her body parts looked broken I scooped her up (still on her back) and held her. After a minute her head popped up and she looked at me kind of like she was confused. I turned her over so she was back facing up and held onto her. I offered her water which she drank. I then carefully put her down and she went to food bowl and ate and then went back to roost. This morning she seems fine. I gave her some oatmeal, banana and yogurt for breakfast. When I left for work she was hanging with other hens. About a week ago she weaned her chicks (10 weeks old now) and laid her first egg. She has laid an egg every day since. Shells are hard and eggs look normal. So, trying to figure out if she is just old and having old chicken problems or if we are doing something that may be causing the seizures. She eats a varied diet but am worried maybe she has a vitamin or calcium deficiency ... especially since she is old and went through stress of making and raising chicks and is now laying eggs again. Can a vitamin or calcium deficiency cause seizures in chickens? She seems healthy in every other way. She is active, her feathers are beautiful, she eats well, no mites, poop looks chicken normal. I plan to buy Poly-Vi-Sol without iron vitamins this evening and start her on that for a few days. I left her with other hens because she is low chicken in pecking order and I think removing her and then having to reintroduce maybe harder on her than just staying with them while I figure this out. Not sure what else I can do though?
Any thoughts or ideas as to what can be causing this and/or what I should do for her.
Thanks - Gia
