Hen curtsying and walking backwards

[valsey]

Hope someone knows what this is

Otherwise healthy, 4 year old RIR has been walking with her head and chest to the ground. Also walks backwards. Seems neurological - not behavioral. She's starting to molt. Don't know if she's laying - probably not - only a coupe of them are at this point. He poop is runny. Any ideas?

Will try to post a video later

Thanks

 

[chkn]

Somebody here actually had a video of their hen walking backwards. I don't think I followed the thread but it sounds like the same thing. It's probably been within the last couple of months or so.

 

[caspernc]

Here is the post with vidio. I can see that you would be concerned. I haven't finished looking at the tread yet but here it is.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4904879

Here is something else, its kind of technical but I understood some of it, well most of it. But there is A Lot of it.

http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies&action=display&num=1160928615

 

[corliss]

I am not an expert but it sounds like your hen may have wry neck. There are lots of forum entries under Wry Neck so read a few and see if the symptoms sound correct. If that's what it is, you need to give those liquid baby vitamins (Poly Visol without iron) with a dropper, as well as squeeze some vitamin e down her throat. My RIR got this when she was just days old - she ran backwards with her head tucked between her legs, sometimes somersaulting backwards. Someone on the forum diagnosed the problem and I adminstered the liquid vitamins and vitamin e for about 5 days before she recovered. My chick wasn't eating either because she couldn't get her head to the food so I also gave egg yolk by dropper every few hours. Good luck.

 

[valsey]

I haven't had a chance to really research this, but it looks like with wry neck, they walk backwards with their head down - beak pointing toward feet. My hen has her head straight out forward, pointing up but lowered - with her chest down also. As if she's bowing as she's backing away from royalty. Does wry neck ever look like that?

Unable to get video today - will try tomorrow

Thanks

 

[valsey]

Here's a link to a video of my hen. It doesn't look really pronounced, but it definitely is not normal walking. She's not doing the back up thing much, but you can see she walks with her head and chest lowered. Almost crouched on her hocks.

Two other things that ay be coincidental. Her feet are red - no swelling, but have some red in them And she threw up a little bit yesterday

Anybody have any ideas? Could use some help...

 

[valsey]

Any ideas out there?

 

[lilchick]

Sounds like Mereks disease... Do some research on it....