Hen not able to sit down, sinks down to one side

[Just2chickens]

Since yesterday she' s starting to eat and even forage a bit, but her leg issues were worse then the day before...
Today she got her second dose of vitamine E and third of the B complex, her leg issues seem to be a bit better... And I found 2 roundworms... I think when she ' s a bit stronger, I will start the mebendazol, I hope it doesn' t make things worse...
But the vitamine E seems to realy do the trick, thank you so much!

 

[azygous]

I'm relieved that the E is producing improvement because there is another much more serious cause of leg issues that we don't want to have to deal with, namely avian viruses.

A vitamin E deficiency often is resolved by only a few days of the E. But do keep on with the B-complex, as well.

Worming can be done safely at any time. About the only risk would be if she has a particularly heavy load, and then it could stress her system. You can avoid that by giving her an electrolyte solution with a little extra sugar in the two days before worming.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes I ment molt, sorry, English is not my native language..
But thank you for your concern... Yes I agree, that would be a nightmare...
I just gave her the first vitamin E capsule... So relieved that I finally began real treatment...

So…. I once had a pullet that did this same thing, and also backing up walking in circles, sinking to one side.

This really upset me as I had no idea what her problem was. But I could see that she had absolutely no issues with running after treats I threw down and hopping up on things; she had issues flying up on tall things as she was in a very heavy moult. But she had no issues with running and zipping around if she had to.

Then I noticed she did the sinking down sideways thing when I touched her - I realized it was her pin feathers coming in, I imagine the sensation of those feathers on her belly and legs were uncomfortable to her and she was moving in a manner to try and avoid the discomfort. And when she was distracted by treats those symptoms disappeared.

I have had horses so similar things for Sweet Itch on their bellies, having that experience helped me make the connection with the pullet.

At the moment I have a hen that is moulting and she is doing the same as your girl, I will try to get some video of her gait so you can compare.

I see you’re giving Vit E and B which is fine; but as Vit E is stored in fat I would limit how much you give, too much of a good thing can cause it’s own issues; B vitamins are generally excreted if there is an excess in a body, so that is safer to give. If you can find a proper poultry vitamin mix that you can add to water, you might want to give this to your flock while moulting.

Re: wormer Mebendazole, I would wait until your birds are done moulting as a
similar med (fenbendazole) which is also a ‘benzimidazole’ compound can cause feathers to grow back with defects on them.

 

[Ponypoor]

Since yesterday she' s starting to eat and even forage a bit, but her leg issues were worse then the day before...
Today she got her second dose of vitamine E and third of the B complex, her leg issues seem to be a bit better... And I found 2 roundworms... I think when she ' s a bit stronger, I will start the mebendazol, I hope it doesn' t make things worse...
But the vitamine E seems to realy do the trick, thank you so much!

Here is some video of my wee Flopsy, it’s subtle but you can see that she is not wanting to walk in a straight line.

 

[azygous]

FYI. Molt can cause some chickens to lose their appetites, they eat less, even lose a lot of weight, and that can result in nutrient deficiencies in some. I've even had to tube feed a chicken when their appetite has shut down and they get too weak to eat.

 

[Just2chickens]

I really hope it' s not a virus, we live in a village with more chickens then people, so that would be a nightmare, but I guess that Lisa would be ill too then...
I don' t want to get my hopes up just yet, but today Mona seemed much better... She's also much more relaxed...
Will continue the E and B- complex, till she's better, and I will get a poultry vitamin after that, I' ve seen those in petshops...

I also thought of the molt as a reason for her leg issues, and I think the sitting down was because of that, because now she sits without problems, but the sinking down sideways while walking I think is neurological, because she doesn' t have control over her legs at that moment. She looks to where she wants to go, but her body goes in the oppositie direction, kind of in a circle. But indeed she can run!

I really appreciate both your posts ...

Thank you for the video, I love how relaxed Flopsy is around you!

Thank you for the tip about the electrolytes before worming, I will do that, and I will wait till she's done molting.

 

[Just2chickens]

FYI. Molt can cause some chickens to lose their appetites, they eat less, even lose a lot of weight, and that can result in nutrient deficiencies in some. I've even had to tube feed a chicken when their appetite has shut down and they get too weak to eat.

Wow, tubefeed! sometimes it really gets them good!
Yes she didnt eat much in the 5 days before she got this, and before that I was gone for 2 days so she couldn't forage, and I know these 2 don't eat much if the' re in their run, ther food is practically untouched, that's why I don't like to leave them, but my sister got married so I had to go..
Really appreciate this, I must remember that for next year that I try harder to make them eat, and that I give them vitamins in their water, just in case..

 

[azygous]

During molt, I feed my flock canned mackerel once a week, and if I see a chicken "shrinking" due to poor appetite, I offer a cooked egg. I also supplement with farro whole grains and couscous just because they will eat that when they aren't excited by their regular feed. And I toss out BOSS (sunflower seeds) often.

I learned all these feeding tricks from my mother's strategies to get me, the pickiest eater ever released from a womb, to keep me from starving myself as a small child.