Hen is walking unsteadily

[kidd42]

This all started about 3 weeks ago. We have a year and a half old Black Austrolorp, who 3 weeks ago came charging out of the coop with the other girls when I let them out that morning. I noticed that by late afternoon she was sitting in the shade by herself and wasn't acting herself. This has been going on for three weeks now. She will put herself to bed in the coop, but will not get up on the perch with the rest of the flock. Her comb has gone from bright red to almost light purple, her tail is drooping, and she has runny poo's. She is eating and drinking and stay's with her flock. I have started to notice that she is walking at times unsteadily almost like she is drunk. She will stop and pause then walk a little farther sometimes stopping to sit down. She doesn't appear to be in any pain and is very alert. Any ideas out there?

 

[dawg53]

Have you inspected her for lice/mites? Have you wormed your chickens?

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

sounds like it might be mereks? Maybe vitiman E? Mine did that with lack of E and I had others that had Mereks last year and were drunk. Good luck. I hope is lack of E.

 

[Lobzi]

You might give crushed vit B multiple a try. Mix in food and add to water. If it is paralysis causing her unsteady gait, it could be a vitamin B deficiency.
Please let us know how her recovery progresses.

 

[kidd42]

The girls get Rooster Booster in their water on a regular basis. This has Vitamins & Electrolytes with Lactobacillus. I have just started mixing Poultry Booster in with their food last week. This is loaded with minerals and vitamins. Hoping I'm doing all the right things. Thank's for your input.

 

[kidd42]

Any more advice?

 

[kidd42]

Well today she is laying under the deck and would not come out for a treat. I took a tomatoe to her and she layed there and picked at it. She stil doesn't seem to be in any pain that I can tell, and again got up and out of the coop this morning. Any more advice? I'm beginning to wonder if I should just put her down.

 

[Lobzi]

If she is not in any apparent pain, why kill her? I have one that I cant figure out the issue and its been days now. I thought egg-bound but now not sure. She is eating well, alter and moves the best she can though she acts like she is bottom heavy. She laid one double sized egg two days ago and now nothing. Im cant imagine killing her if she is not in pain.

 

[kidd42]

thank for the feedback, but sadly I put her down. I honestly don't think she would have made it through the night. Very tough thing to do, it took me about an hour to finally do it. This is the part about owning chickens I dislike. This is my first full grown hen to put down, and when you have had them since they were a day old and you are attached to them it's even harder.

 

[Lurken Turken]

Hello,

I am sorry to read your last post. I was hoping that I could help some.

I see you are from Valley Springs. I live just down the hill from you, very close to Lockeford.

I wanted to say that 4 weeks ago I had a respiritory thing going on with my older hens. And it started out the same way. I fought it forever with the derimycin (sp?), the Vetrx alternating between the two. I felt nothing was happening, neither getting better or worse. It was like it was just masking the real issue. So, I stopped it all. Thats when the breathing hard and the mucus started in. Finally, I knew what I was treating. I treated them all with Tylan 50. All are doing great now. And hopefully stay that way!

Our weather here has been rather goofy...cool nights and warm days make a great climate for respiritory stuff.

Sorry again about your chicken.