Hen having issues with walking

[angelmpalmer]

Whatever she likes would you say she's smaller then standard?

If the standard weight is 5lbs, I think read read that in some other threads then yes. We weighed my mom and then my mom held her and we took the difference to get her weight cause the scale wasn’t registering just her. So it came out to 3.8lbs, so 1.2lbs less than the 5lbs average if that’s correct. She didn’t like the tuna . I broke up so pieces of ham and she seemed to eat that much better. I gave her some Greek yogurt cause it’s high in protein and mix it with some water and she gobbled that up. I wonder if take her feed pellets and making like an oatmeal texture with water would work or should I stick with actual food?

 

[angelmpalmer]

This isn't a good sign. I'd feel your other hen to see what a vent area should feel like and compare it to Fenx. If Fenx does have a hard lump(s) it could indicate a reproductive disorder like internal laying or perhaps a tumor-causing disease. Particularly with her inability to walk it would be a bad sign as birds can become lame from internal masses pressing on the sciatic nerve. *If* she has a reproductive disorder then an antibiotic *might* help her, but it's really hard to know for sure what is going on.


There is fungus pretty much every where in the environment... She could have gotten a scrape infected or she may just have a weaker immune system than her sister. Fungus prefer warm, moist and dark places which might be why it's on the underside of her comb and getting worse inside. You need to treat it with the antiseptic type of iodine, either the 2% iodine tincture or the povidone-iodine you can get at most pharmacies.


No sign of scaly leg mites or worms in the pics, though you usually won't see worms in the poop until they have a very heavy load.


You can give a whole calcium citrate pill a day (most are about 600mg). If you start noticing her having a lot of urates in her poop (the white caps) it could be due to excess calcium so I'd stop at that point.


I'm really not sure what to make of the bald spots on her leg, but if she likes epsom salt baths by all means let her soak.

Thanks for all of this. Super helpful! I will go to the store a get some calcium pills and the iodine. I’ll have my mom check her vent area again tonight and see if it’s still hard. I have no clue what I should be feeling, when I pick her sister the only difference I feel is their weight really. Do you think putting her in the pin outside is still ok to get some sun and eat the grass and such or should we keep her inside? I don’t think it’s anything contagious or her sister would be sick too, right? Is the antibiotics something I could get online or would we need a vet for those?

 

[SmiYa0126]

If the standard weight is 5lbs, I think read read that in some other threads then yes. We weighed my mom and then my mom held her and we took the difference to get her weight cause the scale wasn’t registering just her. So it came out to 3.8lbs, so 1.2lbs less than the 5lbs average if that’s correct. She didn’t like the tuna . I broke up so pieces of ham and she seemed to eat that much better. I gave her some Greek yogurt cause it’s high in protein and mix it with some water and she gobbled that up. I wonder if take her feed pellets and making like an oatmeal texture with water would work or should I stick with actual food?

Yes, try the mushy pellets. Keep her appetite up.

Give her half a tablet morning and night.

 

[angelmpalmer]

This isn't a good sign. I'd feel your other hen to see what a vent area should feel like and compare it to Fenx. If Fenx does have a hard lump(s) it could indicate a reproductive disorder like internal laying or perhaps a tumor-causing disease. Particularly with her inability to walk it would be a bad sign as birds can become lame from internal masses pressing on the sciatic nerve. *If* she has a reproductive disorder then an antibiotic *might* help her, but it's really hard to know for sure what is going on.


There is fungus pretty much every where in the environment... She could have gotten a scrape infected or she may just have a weaker immune system than her sister. Fungus prefer warm, moist and dark places which might be why it's on the underside of her comb and getting worse inside. You need to treat it with the antiseptic type of iodine, either the 2% iodine tincture or the povidone-iodine you can get at most pharmacies.


No sign of scaly leg mites or worms in the pics, though you usually won't see worms in the poop until they have a very heavy load.


You can give a whole calcium citrate pill a day (most are about 600mg). If you start noticing her having a lot of urates in her poop (the white caps) it could be due to excess calcium so I'd stop at that point.


I'm really not sure what to make of the bald spots on her leg, but if she likes epsom salt baths by all means let her soak.

Also for the calcium it looks like some have vitamin d as well would this be helpful too or just get the straight up calcium citrate?

 

[angelmpalmer]

Yes, try the mushy pellets. Keep her appetite up.

Give her half a tablet morning and night.

Thanks! Do you just crush it up and mix it in the food or water? How did your girl take it?

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Do you think putting her in the pin outside is still ok to get some sun and eat the grass and such or should we keep her inside? I don’t think it’s anything contagious or her sister would be sick too, right? Is the antibiotics something I could get online or would we need a vet for those?

As long as she is alert I'd think she would like being outside and benefit from the fresh air and sunshine. It is possible that a virus like Marek's or ALV is causing her issues, but her sister as undoubtedly been exposed to anything she has so I wouldn't worry about isolating her.

Antibiotics can be bought online here: https://allbirdproducts.com/collections/chicken-antibiotic-medications. Or you can also sometimes find aqua mox tablets (amoxicillin for fish) in some pet stores.

Also for the calcium it looks like some have vitamin d as well would this be helpful too or just get the straight up calcium citrate?

Vitamin d is good--it helps with calcium absorption. You can either pop the whole pill into the back side of her mouth and let her swallow or crush it into some food she likes if that is easier.

 

[angelmpalmer]

As long as she is alert I'd think she would like being outside and benefit from the fresh air and sunshine. It is possible that a virus like Marek's or ALV is causing her issues, but her sister as undoubtedly been exposed to anything she has so I wouldn't worry about isolating her.

Antibiotics can be bought online here: https://allbirdproducts.com/collections/chicken-antibiotic-medications. Or you can also sometimes find aqua mox tablets (amoxicillin for fish) in some pet stores.


Vitamin d is good--it helps with calcium absorption. You can either pop the whole pill into the back side of her mouth and let her swallow or crush it into some food she likes if that is easier.

As long as she is alert I'd think she would like being outside and benefit from the fresh air and sunshine. It is possible that a virus like Marek's or ALV is causing her issues, but her sister as undoubtedly been exposed to anything she has so I wouldn't worry about isolating her.

Antibiotics can be bought online here: https://allbirdproducts.com/collections/chicken-antibiotic-medications. Or you can also sometimes find aqua mox tablets (amoxicillin for fish) in some pet stores.


Vitamin d is good--it helps with calcium absorption. You can either pop the whole pill into the back side of her mouth and let her swallow or crush it into some food she likes if that is easier.

I did think she kinda fit those symptoms but her wings still work, so I was hoping it isn’t that. I did take her out in the pin for a few hours today and she ate some grass and drank a bunch of water.

Would it be ok just to give her antibiotics or will that hurt her in if it’s not an infections?

I got the calcium citrate tablets tonight. I crushed it up and she just ate it straight like that. Is that normal? lol

 

[SmiYa0126]

I did think she kinda fit those symptoms but her wings still work, so I was hoping it isn’t that. I did take her out in the pin for a few hours today and she ate some grass and drank a bunch of water.

Would it be ok just to give her antibiotics or will that hurt her in if it’s not an infections?

I got the calcium citrate tablets tonight. I crushed it up and she just ate it straight like that. Is that normal? lol

That's great that she ate it for you! I just stuff the whole pill into their beaks and make sure they swallow. I only had one that ate it out of my hand.

Im not getting notified when you reply for some reason, can you tag me? @angelmpalmer

 

[angelmpalmer]

That's great that she ate it for you! I just stuff the whole pill into their beaks and make sure they swallow. I only had one that ate it out of my hand.

Im not getting notified when you reply for some reason, can you tag me? @angelmpalmer

@SmiYa0126 what do white caps look like in her poo. I know someone mentioned to stop when she has “white caps”. I thought white in their poo was normal?

 

[SmiYa0126]

White is normal, I've haven't heard that before. I'm not sure what that means. I stop when I see that the chicken is behaving normally, eating and drinking, good poops, actively scratching and exploring. @angelmpalmer