Hen Can't Stand HELP

[sillycmoy]

HELP…. I just went outside to give the girls a snack of bananas and apples, and my Hokey Pokey didn't come running. So I walked into the coop thinking maybe she was actually in the nest box, and she was still up on the top roost. She had both her wings completely spread out. So I got her down, and put her on the floor and she falls right over. So I brought her in the house, and looked her over, and I can't see anything wrong, and she is not coughing or sneezing or anything. I stuck her in a dog crate lined with paper towels and gave her food and water. And she is just laying there, so I tried to see if she can stand but both her feet are curled in a fist, so I spread them out and placed her back down, and she falls head first. She is now just laying in the crate, but she is talking, up a storm. Just quiet little chatting. Help what can I do.. I don't' know what is wrong with her, and I love my NN/SG polka dot outside I just want to cry. She was 100% fine yesterday.

HELP…...

 

[Michael Apple]

Was the hen vaccinated for Marek's at a day old? If not, that could be the problem. If so, are the droppings normal, not watery, white, or bright green? Check the vent. Is it moist and clean? What does the crop feel like? Is it swollen and hard or soft?

 

[sillycmoy]

No she was a backyard hatch. Not sure on the poop she hasn't pooped in the crate, but I did check her vent, thinking maybe she had an egg stuck. She has hatched in August, so I don't think she has started laying yet, but I have 18 outside, so I'm not sure who is new layers, because it went into winter and I dropped to 4 eggs a day, and now I'm getting around 10 and I don't use lights, because it doesn't matter to us about the drop in eggs.

But her vent is clean, her crop is fine, and she is eating in the crate, just laying down because I put water in there. Her eyes are bright, and she is not closing them, she is actually looking all over the place in the crate, but just sitting. So she's really alert.

 

[Michael Apple]

I lost a number of chicks to Marek's once that I allowed a hen to hatch in a brood pen. Lesson learned is I will not buy unvaccinated chicks, and in the future, would incubate in house and vaccinate at 1 day old. usually Marek's strikes causing wing or leg paralysis. You are doing the right thing for her. I'd either cull her in the case of Marek's or do my best to help her along, treating it as a possible egg bound problem, with vitamins-electrolytes in the water. Vitamin D is important for the utilization of calcium. Allow her to get sunlight when possible. Avoid hard to digest foods like apples and such. Feed a well balanced lay ration, and you can moisten feed or oats with some buttermilk. The only other advice I could recommend would be to seek an avian vet and have her examined.

 

[sillycmoy]

Well they get oyster shell, layer feed, free range, and I mix up fruits and vegs all the time. She was fine yesterday. And today she is like this. I'm so dang said. 1/2 the flock outside is vaccinated, and other half are from people I got off here, as backyard hatched or incubated and hatched. Shoot.

 

[sillycmoy]

Well she has been standing up on her own for the last few hours, I was surprised to see her up when I did, she still doesn't look right, maybe she hurt herself somehow. I guess I will just keep watching her. Everyone one else outside seems just fine,

 

[sillycmoy]

UPDATE: She is still in the crate in the house. She is standing up on her own today, and is eating/drinking. She even laid an egg. But still doesn't want to walk about.