Hen having seizures

Croaky

In the Brooder
Jul 11, 2023
11
0
32
I have a rhode island red bantam hen who we hatched a couple of years ago under a broody hen.
Over the last year she's started having what I assume are seizures, started off with her leaning back and her legs and wings going stiff with her head stretched down but then coming out of it just as quick as it came on.
Now we are at the point where she falls over and kicks her legs and flaps her wings, eyes closed whilst shaking but again once she's out of it she jumps back up and carries on with what she was doing.
Once she was running down the garden after me and the other chickens, dropped to the ground and had a seizure before hopping back up and flying the rest of the way down the garden to catch up.
Ive never seen anything like this before.
Has anyone had any experience with anything like this?
I'm wondering am I doing the right thing by keeping her alive.
Currently she is behaving normally, eating, drinking, laying, dustbathing, interacting normally and a good weight, but with seizures randomly and when she gets excited or stressed.
 
I would personally separate her, but that's up to you. My favorite hen died last year after having similar symptoms and I wouldn't want you to have to go through that.
I honestly don't know what to advise you to do, but for my chicken, the other hens would bully her while she was seizing, and that's why I suggested possibly separating her.
Up to you though... it's good that she snaps out of it quickly. How often does it happen? Is she a pet that you're really attached to?
 
Sorry for the late reply, I completely forgot I posted this on here!
So we got to the point where it seemed like she was having them every half hour, I was getting ready to cull her as it seemed to be getting so much worse but life got a bit crazy so I put it off. The other hens leave her alone but it's a very small flock right now of only her and her sister as everyone else is separate with chicks or broody.
But I noticed this last couple of weeks that she wasn't having as many seizures and today I spent all afternoon in the garden and I didn't see her have one!
I've been reading up on mereks
As she's over 2 now, could it still be mereks? Even with a year of seizures?
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom