Hen lying down, sticks legs out to the side, and can't get back up

[casadepollo]

Four and a half month old amerauracana. She is eating and drinking well. She has been healthy and active until two days ago, we came home and she was on her back in a small ditch and couldn't get up. When we picked her up she started to walk around, but kept her head low and her weight forward. We have her and two other hens in a 4 x 6 enclosed coop with a run, pine shaving bedding and a run of the whole yard during the day. They roost in eaves of the coop, and I am worried that she possibly injured herself getting down. They are on half medicated chick feed and half lay feed as we make that transition to full lay feed. She walks, eats, pecks and preens with her head and neck pretty low, but when she down, she sticks her legs out to one side and then can't roll herself over to get back up. I can't remember what else was on the stickies to include. Anyone have any ideas? I would like to try to take care of her myself, if possible.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Do you know how long she might have been in the ditch? (I'm assuming it was dry; let me know if I'm wrong, pls.)

What are her droppings like? Can you tell us whether she feels thin or fat? Can you please examine her very very carefully and tell us whether or not you see any parasites? (Look carefully where the feathers meet the skin.) Was she of Marek's vaccinated stock, from a hatchery? Did you feel her crop - is it very empty? How normally is she eating?

Does she hold her head low but can pick it up at all?

It's possible she had an injury; I would certainly check her entirely for one, and feel the alignment of her neck bones and see if anything feels amiss.

I would also recommend keeping her in a smaller area where if she tumbles she might be more able to right herself.

Without being able to see what's going on inside her, there are a number of things that could be happening. Certainly something either neurological or muscular (or both) is happening to her that she cannot right herself. I'll be honest - the way she's sticking her leg out so reminds me of Marek's, but she wouldn't be able to walk around on it. SO I'm holding out hope for something else.

Her diet is relatively appropriate. Is her comb turning red and her wattles reddening already? The other girls? The vitamins are all there. There's still apossibility that either the feed has degraded. Have you bought it within the month and is it stored in a cool, light proof, airtight container? Is there any chance that she could have gotten into any mushrooms, fallen fruit or vegetables, feed or grain that got wet, composts, maggots (even in decaying vegetation), manure piles, algea water, ponds? Any chance of her having ingested any mildew or mold? Has the weather been wet there, or changing? Or very very hot? Any kitchen scraps, old bread, canned goods, meat or milk products?

First thing I would do would be "feed her up". Electrolytes and vitamins in the water (poultry vitamins/electrolytes from a foil package or similar - designed for poultry needs). I would make a daily damp mash of yogurt (to keep her digestion and good bacteria steady in case it was fungus/mold), some boiled and mashed egg (for the rich nutrients in it), her crumbles, and some water.

I would also give her vitamin E daily for neurological healing. 400-700 IU oil capsules are readily available in most stores. You will slit the end and give her the contents directly in the beak. If she had neurological damage that isn't worsening, or if she has inflammation, the vitamin E will help reduce inflammation and forge new neurological pathways to replace function. (This takes time).

If there was ANY chance of mildew, fungus, soured feed, damp feed, etc - I would do a gently flush with a little molasses in water (1/8th teaspoon to a cup of water as her sole source of water for four hours) and then follow up with yogurt or probiotics (live bacteria) and her regular feed. That can flush toxins out without being a harsh flush. Do this if you see diarrhea, particularly if it's green and smelly.

I would highly consider giving her additional B vitamins, particularly if her toes are at all curled. B-complex tablets are also available at most stores. YOu'll crush one and mix it in a treat, like boiled egg, to hide it. At least 1/2 to one tablet daily for a week.

In the mean time, while we wait for more information, there are some things (above) that you can do to support neurological and muscular (inflammation) healing, rehydrating her, increasing her immune system, etc.... til we have more info.

SUMMARY:
Keep her apart from the others so that you can monitor her droppings and feed her special stuff.

Daily for one week: damp mash of yogurt, crumbles, egg.; 400-700 IU vitamin E; 1/2-1 B-complex tablet.

Immediately: A 'flush" of molasses in water followed with yogurt if there is diarrhea.

Please be sure to update *this* thread as you'll have at least one subscriber offering to help you.

 

[casadepollo]

Thank you so much! I did feel her neck and it doesn't feel right. The bones don't seem to go straight! Wow! What could we do about that!

I haven't noticed any diarrhea in the run or coop, but I will seperate her to be sure. We have the feed in a dark garage, it has only been about three weeks, but it is not in an airtight container (which we will change). She could've gotten into anything like that in the yard. We live in Oregon, but have had a dry month, so there isn't a ton of mold or fungus around (although, under the mulched leaves under the trees there could be some). We have a pond, but I haven't seen them near it and it is fed with a spring, so it is not stagnant. We only feed them greens and fruit from the table.

Her toes are not curled at all, her eyes are bright, and she's walking around this morning. Oh yes, and the small ditch she was in was dry, like she had been dust bathing herself and fell over.

Thanks again. I will try the vitamins and mash, seperate her and keep you updated! I appreciate the advice and insight. I had chickens as a child, and this is my first foray into a small flock for pets and eggs as an adult.

 

[threehorses]

So do you feel a bone out of alignment, like an injury - or is the entire spine in the neck curved - as if in a cramp? Like a bent snake?

On the feed, yes - keeping it airtight is important to keep out rodents, bugs, etc - and keep the vitamins more intact.

Since her toes are not curled, you could possibly not do vitamin B supplementation. And it doesn't sound like her feed got wet.

I wonder about injury, honestly - particularly being found in a ditch on her back. Of course any wounds would be closed up by now. Any chance anyone could have hit her? A malicious neighbor, or neighborhood kid?

Definitely try the vitamins - it'll take a while to kick in if this isn't something like Mareks - but again Mareks usually paralyzes, doesn't allow the bird to stand at all. She sounds more like she has something that has caused weakness or an imbalance. I would definitely update us, and if there are no changes let us know here in this thread anyway in a week - let's reevaluate at that time at least.

IN the mean time, you have my well-wishes and prayers for her and your flock. Especially since you're coming back to chickens as an adult.

That's much like how I came back to them. Welcome back!

 

[aymer]

i have a now two month old chicken with what i thought had crooked neck. the local feed store was going to kill her so i took her home with me. i gave her vitamin e/selenium and b complex for 5 weeks with no change. as she got bigger i was able to feel her spine better. her spine starts off straight and then curves to the right and back to the left (like the letter C). even though her head is stuck on the left side of her body she is able to do all the things the other chicks do (eat, drink, peck, fly, dust bathe). she has a hard time flying and walking straight but she tries hard! i have stopped the vitamins to see if anything changes. after two weeks i have noticed nothing. she is smaller than the rest of her siblings so i give her scrambled eggs for breakfast every morning. is there anything else i should be doing? she also has less energy than her siblings and takes a lot of naps.

 

[Grandma Quinn]

I have a 4 year old chicken (barred rock) hen that cannot stand but can kick her legs and curl her toes. Today her right eye is closed but the left one is open. She is eating and drinking out of a saucer today. No mucus around nose. Around eyes are red. Any ideas?

 

[Cindysue4]

Quote:

Do you know how long she might have been in the ditch? (I'm assuming it was dry; let me know if I'm wrong, pls.)

What are her droppings like? Can you tell us whether she feels thin or fat? Can you please examine her very very carefully and tell us whether or not you see any parasites? (Look carefully where the feathers meet the skin.) Was she of Marek's vaccinated stock, from a hatchery? Did you feel her crop - is it very empty? How normally is she eating?

Does she hold her head low but can pick it up at all?

It's possible she had an injury; I would certainly check her entirely for one, and feel the alignment of her neck bones and see if anything feels amiss.

I would also recommend keeping her in a smaller area where if she tumbles she might be more able to right herself.

Without being able to see what's going on inside her, there are a number of things that could be happening. Certainly something either neurological or muscular (or both) is happening to her that she cannot right herself. I'll be honest - the way she's sticking her leg out so reminds me of Marek's, but she wouldn't be able to walk around on it. SO I'm holding out hope for something else.

Her diet is relatively appropriate. Is her comb turning red and her wattles reddening already? The other girls? The vitamins are all there. There's still apossibility that either the feed has degraded. Have you bought it within the month and is it stored in a cool, light proof, airtight container? Is there any chance that she could have gotten into any mushrooms, fallen fruit or vegetables, feed or grain that got wet, composts, maggots (even in decaying vegetation), manure piles, algea water, ponds? Any chance of her having ingested any mildew or mold? Has the weather been wet there, or changing? Or very very hot? Any kitchen scraps, old bread, canned goods, meat or milk products?

First thing I would do would be "feed her up". Electrolytes and vitamins in the water (poultry vitamins/electrolytes from a foil package or similar - designed for poultry needs). I would make a daily damp mash of yogurt (to keep her digestion and good bacteria steady in case it was fungus/mold), some boiled and mashed egg (for the rich nutrients in it), her crumbles, and some water.

I would also give her vitamin E daily for neurological healing. 400-700 IU oil capsules are readily available in most stores. You will slit the end and give her the contents directly in the beak. If she had neurological damage that isn't worsening, or if she has inflammation, the vitamin E will help reduce inflammation and forge new neurological pathways to replace function. (This takes time).

If there was ANY chance of mildew, fungus, soured feed, damp feed, etc - I would do a gently flush with a little molasses in water (1/8th teaspoon to a cup of water as her sole source of water for four hours) and then follow up with yogurt or probiotics (live bacteria) and her regular feed. That can flush toxins out without being a harsh flush. Do this if you see diarrhea, particularly if it's green and smelly.

I would highly consider giving her additional B vitamins, particularly if her toes are at all curled. B-complex tablets are also available at most stores. YOu'll crush one and mix it in a treat, like boiled egg, to hide it. At least 1/2 to one tablet daily for a week.

In the mean time, while we wait for more information, there are some things (above) that you can do to support neurological and muscular (inflammation) healing, rehydrating her, increasing her immune system, etc.... til we have more info.

SUMMARY:
Keep her apart from the others so that you can monitor her droppings and feed her special stuff.

Daily for one week: damp mash of yogurt, crumbles, egg.; 400-700 IU vitamin E; 1/2-1 B-complex tablet.

Immediately: A 'flush" of molasses in water followed with yogurt if there is diarrhea.

Please be sure to update *this* thread as you'll have at least one subscriber offering to help you.

I have a two year old Americana who wasn’t roosting and found laying on her side. I put her in the house in a dog crate. She’s eating fine. Her toes seem to curl so I’ve given her the vit E and will get my vit B from the barn and give. Usually chickens I find who won’t roost die pretty quickly either from old age or illness. She’s been like this for Almost a week.