Hen can't keep her balance?

[mysweetgypsy]

BO hen 20+ weeks old, not laying, had cocci at 6 wk old, seemed to recover fully.
Recently started staggering when she ran. And laying down a bit more. Thought it might be an electrolyte, vit, mineral deficiency so I started a suppliment yesterday.
Today the red skin around her eyes is swollen, just slightly, and very red. No discharge from any where, poop seems a little runny but normal.
She eats layer pellets, oyster shell, fresh veg and whole grain bread (as treats).
Just to watch her graze she seems fine, and looks really good. If someone bumps her she falls over, if I come out, and they all run, she falls over while she runs

It is a little funny to watch. But I'm getting worried since the suppliment didn't seem to perk her up as I had hoped.

When I threw bread to them she caught some in mid air, so I know she has good vision, and is still some what coordinated.

Any suggestions?

 

[Swiffer Duster Frizzle]

Everytime I read about balance I think about Marek's. Only because my flock is experiencing a problem with balance at this very moment. Yesterday, I took three of my most affected hens to the state lab for necropies. Maybe I am being paranoid. I posted yesterday and today. Whatever is going on, it's slowly working it way through my flock.

 

[ReikiStar]

Swiffer, I don't think you're being paranoid (Mareks does make one nutty looking for symptoms though), my first thought was a possible Mareks infection too since our bird had the exact same symptoms. Looking, eating, pooping fine but starting to lose her balance.

Mysweetgypsy. -- how is her weight? With Mareks they is marked weight loss pretty quickly.

 

[mysweetgypsy]

She is losing weight. I lost another bird a few weeks ago. Couldn't get a necropsy with the state but talked to a regular vet, they thought I was over reacting. She thought the hen had complications from Cocci, and a deformity in her crop. She grew too old/large to digest and absord her food properly. This is a hatchery chick, the only chicks I've lost have been hatchery chicks. They were vaccinated. What are the odds they'd both have Mareks, and the unvaccinated birds are fine? (so far)

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

Is one leg going out in front or just falling over? I thought I had Mareks in some birds that just started to stumble and then could not walk. I thought broken back or Mareks. They were fat and healthy tough. I brought 2 in for necropsy and found they were not absorbing vitamin E. I would put it in the water and it didnt help so I did a no-no and warmed some E up from gel caps and shot approx .25 cc in the back of the neck on the last 2 birds and in 4 hours they were up and running. I now give vitamins in water several times a month to insure they are getting what they need. I hope its not mareks and you find out whats going on. Good luck!
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[mysweetgypsy]

She loses her balance, literally. Like a drunk person. She stands fine, walks ok slowly, but if she runs or gets bumped she falls right over. The only odd thing was the swollen eye skin, it's so very slight, but as her "momma" I noticed it right away. I was thinking a deficiency also, so I got a generic electrolyte, vit/min supplement.

The state vet,and the other vet I talked to, thought I was way off with Mareks. They said it's not as comman as I think it is, but if you get it in your flock, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks! I'll look into a Vit E supplement in addition to what we're doing now.

I chceked on her just now and her poop is much looser than yesterday. Too much supplementing? Is that possible? She also gets worse the more she runs around, I was throwing treats, almost like her head is spinning (not literally). She stumbles and trips, but gets up and keeps going.

Let me know what I should do as far as the E supplement. Liquid, powder? Can I OD her on that? Yikes!