Hen not able to stand or walk

[sassychickengal]

HELP PLEASE...Got a six month old Buff Orpington at our County fair yesterday...Came home yesterday afternoon...She was eating, walking and looked healthy...Put her in a nesting box last night...She woke up this morning and would not get out of box...I picked her up and she just layed on the ground....would not move or stand up...All morning she just layed on a towel on my bathroom floor...would not get up to got to water or food..Tried several times to stand her up, but to no avail...Her eyes are clear...no coughing..etc..She is bright eyed and does not seem to be in any distress...I boiled and egg, and put it right next to her...She ate it with gusto!...

I tried to google "chicken paralysis" and only two things really stood out....botulism and Marek's disease....

Does anyone have any ideas? If it is Marek's...she is a goner, and may have infected my two year old hen, who slept in a nesting box next to her....No, I stupidly did not guarantine, because our County fair has such rigid health examinations and criteria to have a chicken entered into the fair...

Just beside myself on what could have happened...

 

[jjthink]

If she gets worse or does not soon improve, can you possibly get her to an avian vet?

It's hard to judge this one since you just got her (and so we don't know her history) and since she seemed fine yesterday. It's strange! Although I did have a hen last September seem absolutely fine one morning and incredibly weak by afternoon - turns out she had infection/inflammation from who knows what (I rushed her to the avian hospital where blood work revealed this) - in her case, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories rallied her. But in your hen's case, it's so hard to say what is happening here without more to go on. Glad she is bright eyed and eating at least.
JJ

 

[4-H chicken mom]

It sounds weird but maybe she has just gone broody. I know she may be a little young for it, but we had an australope go broody and her symptoms were very similiar to yours. We thought she was a goner. She was very limp when we picked her up and she would not stand at all but if we put food next to her she ate fine. I hope that is just that simple. Good luck, I hope she will be OK.

 

[ghulst]

More likly Botulism. Hope for the best.

 

[sammi]

how is she now?

has she continued to eat?
eating is a god sign..
describe the droppings..color and consistency.
post back any other symptoms.

my thought is that she is just stressed..traumatized from the sale and change..
get her some electrolytes and poultry vitamins..
electrolytes will help with stress..
if you can't find a commercial mix.,..you can use diluted Pedialyte for electrlytes..unflavored or red.

and also possible she is broody...

hope she's ok..

 

[tclews]

I had the same thing happening to my chicken. On Monday afternoon, we found her in our goat's hay basket on the wall. She looked like she was stuck, but when we freed her, she couldn't walk. We've had her in a crate in our basement for two days. Up until today, she's been eating. Her right leg seems to be broken or dislocated, as it sticks out in front of her while she's laying down.. She is unable to stand up. I really need some help.

 

[sammi]

tclews...
start a thread and describe all symptoms in detail..

 

[tclews]

Thanks Sammi! I started a new thread as you suggested.