Hen can't keep her balance and her legs are stretching behind her

[CrazyCritterGal]

I have some young bantam chickens that I've been raising for a few months now. I've been on vacation the last couple of weeks and returned yesterday - my neighbors who used to have chickens were caring for them while I was away.

I went to put my birds up for the night last night and one hen was flopping all over the place when she tried to walk and couldn't stay upright if she wasn't on straight flat ground. She was alert but way more chill than she usually is (it would usually be a battle to pick her up but I only got a few half hearted clucks and she sat still in my arms all the way back to the house). Her crop was empty, but I assumed it was because their food (Flock Raiser) and water stay in the coop and she was unable to get in there with the balance issues. I set her up in a warm box with food and electrolyte water. She hasn't eaten or drank since then. This morning, her legs were starting to stretch out behind her while she sat and if I didn't set her with a wall behind her, she'd fall over backward.

This morning when I went to let the other chickens out, another other hen I got when I got her was just starting to stumble a bit. I brought her in right away and she happily ate. I haven't seen her drink, but they have water in the coop, so that isn't surprising to me. She's still a bit skittish like she usually is, but as much as normal.

The neighbors say they didn't give the chickens anything new while I was away. They said that everyone was normal yesterday morning and the night before. Their food is dry. Their water is clean. As soon as I get the chance, I'm going to run to the store for some supplements for the rest of the flock and I'll totally replace the bedding in the coop and likely the food and water. Their coop has chopped straw on the bottom. When I looked this morning, none of the poop in the coop looked funny.

I'm worried this may be something like Merick's disease but am thrown off by the use of the word paralysis. She can still move her legs, I think, while I hold her. It seems like she is moving them, but maybe they're just moving into a holding position of their own accord? But her toes curl in most of the time, even when her feet are on the ground.

Any clues that this could be Merick's or maybe not? Any clues for what else I can do for my two that aren't feeling well or for the rest of my flock? These birds have brought me so much joy the last few months and I am hoping there's something I can do for them!

 

[coach723]

Pictures and/or video would be helpful, so we can see what they are doing.
Curled toes can be from riboflavin deficiency. It's not uncommon. Get some super B complex tablets or capsules, human ones, and give one daily. It will not hurt anything and it may help. Make sure they are eating and drinking, see what droppings look like. Separate them if they are at risk of injury or of being kept from food and water.
If it's Marek's, and I can't possibly know from here, they have all been exposed and there is nothing you can do except supportive care. But try the vitamins first. If you end up losing one of the ones with issues then a necropsy would be the best way to determine what exactly is going on.

 

[CrazyCritterGal]

Pictures and/or video would be helpful, so we can see what they are doing.
Curled toes can be from riboflavin deficiency. It's not uncommon. Get some super B complex tablets or capsules, human ones, and give one daily. It will not hurt anything and it may help. Make sure they are eating and drinking, see what droppings look like. Separate them if they are at risk of injury or of being kept from food and water.
If it's Marek's, and I can't possibly know from here, they have all been exposed and there is nothing you can do except supportive care. But try the vitamins first. If you end up losing one of the ones with issues then a necropsy would be the best way to determine what exactly is going on.

Would I feed those B vitamins in addition to the electrolyte water and how do I make sure they eat them? Should I crush them up and put them in the water?

The poop is coming from the blonde chicken, as best I can tell because she has been eating. And it looks normal. I think I may feel a tiny bit of food in the brown one's crop, so that's a good sign. I've been trying to regularly dip her beak in the water just so I know she's at least getting some moisture.

The two who have been acting funny are together away from the others. They were already buddies, so I'm glad they can be together now. They seem to be happy together too. Their box is a bit small (I had only intended it for one barely mobile chicken) so I'll be getting them moved here shortly.

I've attached some photos and a video. Please excuse the blurriness - my camera lense is scratched. The first photo you can see the brown one has her leg in the front. She had pulled it back a bit by the time I got the picture. The second was when I came in to check on them quickly. She was listed to the side. And the video is what happens when she is set down. Though sometimes, she tips over backward too, like I said. I can't get a good photo of the other hen because she doesn't list as much as the brown one and so it's hard to see in the photo, but I've attached one nonetheless.

The brown one does very well sitting in the little "notch" of my crossed legs, too.

 

[coach723]

You can just put the tablet or capsule in their beak and push it back a little, they will swallow it. Alternately you can empty the capsule or grind the tablet up and mix it in a small bit of moistened feed, so the vitamin sticks to it, and then make sure they each eat all of theirs. It won't mix in water, it will settle out. Honestly, giving pills or capsules is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Electrolite water can be helpful but I would give it for half the day and then switch to plain, fresh water for the other half of the day.

 

[CrazyCritterGal]

You can just put the tablet or capsule in their beak and push it back a little, they will swallow it. Alternately you can empty the capsule or grind the tablet up and mix it in a small bit of moistened feed, so the vitamin sticks to it, and then make sure they each eat all of theirs. It won't mix in water, it will settle out. Honestly, giving pills or capsules is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Electrolite water can be helpful but I would give it for half the day and then switch to plain, fresh water for the other half of the day.

Thanks, I'll get some of those later and try that. Can I overdo it and give them too much B vitamins? If so, how do I dose it?

 

[coach723]

Any extra B's will be excreted, no worries. It's one of the safest things you can give.