hen not walking for over 2 weeks, eats, alert... just weak legs..14 months...help me please :(

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad to hear that she is still with you.

If she is molting, provide her with extra protein and poultry vitamins - look for one that has B Vitamins.

It's so hard to know what's going on with her. It's possible she may be struggling with disease like Marek's, internal laying/reproductive disorders or something else. Having a fecal float to see if she has worms would be a good idea.

Sounds like you are doing everything you can for her - if she is still eating/drinking on her own, the sometimes it's a wait and see game.

Watch the raw areas underneath her so they don't become infected or flies lay egg on her, this can turn nasty quickly. Getting her on the roosts at night is great.
Some people place an limited mobility chicken in a sling for a few hours every day (monitored) to get them on their feet with support - it may be something to think about.
Marek's information: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[hughes homested]

we constructed a sling for martha the day we pulled her from the coop. my son made it from an old tee shirt with a wooden frame. i will try to attatch a photo tomorrow. it was adorable and helped her stay off her tummy a great deal. she almost acted like she was happy to get into it because she put her little feet where they were supposed to go every time. and in the entire rehabilitation time that she spent in it (over 3 wks, daily) she only soiled it twice. she would always wait for me to take her out into the grass to do her poop i would randomly move her from her crate, to the sling, to the green grass, repeat, repeat. my husband became annoyed at my constant doting on 'the chicken' but....she is doing a little better now. shes happy to be back with her sisters. she can walk for a good distance before tiring out. she eats well. she even got onto her roost (which requires a walk up a ramp and a hop over to her perch!) tonight. i went down to help her up and she was already there. she is wobbly after standing/walking for a while, she cant scratch the ground with her feet yet because she becomes too unsteady and weak (she uses her beak while sitting), she sits mostly but she seems to be content. she is definitely the most friendly hen ever after all the loving she has gotten! i am nervous that she may have a hard time coming off roost in the morning but this getting up before daylight to go sit her onto the ground is a struggle so we will see how she does. i am not sure that an injury isnt to blame for all of this. or maybe a heat stroke. either way it has been and continues to be a long haul for my sweet martha. i am not sure if she will ever be like she was before but as long as she has a happy and reasonably normal chicken life, i could care less if she ever lays another egg. i love my pets whether they give us eggs or not

 

[hughes homested]

i am concerned (& have been from the beginning) that egg yolk peritonitis may b to blame for her condition but i have just not seen any of the swelling associated with that. she hasnt laid in a long while (atleast 8 wks) but then she is in a heavy molt. she is still dropping feathers and now a couple of her sisters have started to do the same. the difference is, they seem as spunky as ever but she is like she is. if she is one of the cases of e.y.p. that i have read about (through my constant studying on this matter!) where it takes 6 months for the disorder to actually kill the hen then i am in for a hard row to hoe.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad to hear that she's gotten to the point she can rejoin the flock - even if she is still a bit unsteady. I feel like this is the best if it can be managed.

You have done well taking care of her. It's so very hard to know what's going on -so many possibilities. Injury, EYP, molting, disease - it could be one or a combination. Molting can be very hard on some, while others seem to go through it no problem.

It can be very frustrating when we can't seem to "fix it". You are doing all you can for her. You do become attached to them when giving extra care - and they seem to enjoy it too - a bonding. LOL about your husband - they get this glazed look when the subject of chickens come up That's where BYC helps a lot - we can talk about chickens nonstop and someone will try to listen, give support, a hug or their opinion.

Thanks for the update - I hope she continues to improve. Even if this is as good as it gets and she doesn't fully recover or she declines, you know you have done the very best you could for her and that's what counts.

 

[hughes homested]

martha continues to be about the same. she has good days and not so good days. she LOVES attention from me now..she will follow me rather than run off with her flock when i let them out in the morning and head back to the house. maybe shes expecting more hand fed boiled eggs and treats?! she walks over to me every time i go to put her on roost in the evening like "what took u so long?!" and she seems thrilled to see me coming when i help her off at daylight. she has ventured outside the coop on her own pretty much daily for the past week but never gets all that far away like her sisters do. she will just peck around for a while, then find a nice sunny spot on the perimeter of the coop to lay down. i was super excited 2 days ago when i saw her scratching with her feet and foraging--for the first time in 2 months!!!!--- but then today she seemed to feel down again. she walked with her tail down (which she had started not to do in the last 2 weeks) & she didnt seem excited about her food...een when i put it in my hand. she hasnt has any obvious reasons for her inability to walk for the past 2 months but 3 days ago i noticed a swollen red ankle area (looked like a blood bruise)...then yesterday that ruptured. she now has a sore there. i am wondering if that isnt an injury she incurred one of the times she got herself on and off roost...?...or could it be an external sign of what we have been fighting this whole time......?????

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of the foot?

Since it seems like it could be a wound or the sore ruptured on the leg/foot - without seeing it - general care would be to soak in betadine or Chlorehexidine to help get it cleaned. Leg/foot sores can become infected quickly since chickens walk/sit in the dirt (and poop). Dry the area well, apply triple antibiotic ointment. It may be beneficial to wrap the foot/leg to help keep it cleaner/drier. A lot depends on what/where it is, but she also may need a round of antibiotics - you can use Penicillin or Amoxcillin. If you have a vet that can take a look and prescribe meds, that would be best.

 

[Eggcessive]

You certainly have been doing all you can do to keep her comfortable and help her through this illness. They certainly become pets when you are nursing them back to health. Thank you for keeping this thread updated.

 

[hughes homested]

Yet another update on our Martha girl. She is still around she is the most friendly light Brahma u will ever have the pleasure to meet. She has been going in the coop to sleep all by herself for about 3 weeks now. Only occasionally do we have to go put her in. She is still slow to walk and we are sure she still doesn't lay eggs. She seems happy to just putt around as she can. We do still look to see if she makes it inside at night since it is SO cool (& she had been only able to sleep on the ground in the run if we didn't help her inside the coop). We take her "goodies" each day. When we free range the 8 girls, she doesn't always make it out of the run even tho her sisters will knock u down for outside time. We sneak her goodies while her sisters are out and she seems to love the attention and the food! She does come out some of the time but stays close to the coop. She seems to be staying the same. Still not sure if we r dealing with an injury of some kind, egg yolk peritonitis, or heat stroke but it has been 5 months and out martha girl just ate goodies from my hands today and loved it so I call that a happy ending so far

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the update

I'm glad to hear that Martha is able to be with the others and is still going.

 

[Deannadeanna]

this group has been a wealth of info to me over the past 14 months of having my flock so i'm hoping that you guys can help me save "Martha" now. she is a 14 month old light brahma. this started about 4.5 weeks ago when she started sitting & panting more than her sisters (& walking with her tail down whenever she did walk). it is hot here in alabama so i added watering stations, iced their water daily & put fans in the run of their coop. she & her favorite sister started sleeping outdoors in a secured run since the heat set in so i figured it was just that she couldnt tolerate it as well. she started to walk strangely, not like a waddle but more like a sumo wrestler...chest out, tail tucked, and almost like she had to force her legs to move. two weeks after noticing these symptoms she started to not walk at all so i separated her. She sits in a sling we made for her & sleeps in a dog kennel. she is alert & eating. poop is a little loose but okay. she is panting less but then again she just lays under the fan directly all day. she was ordered from a hatchery along with her sisters & was vaccinated. she was wormed back in april. she has layer pellets, mealworms for treats, free choice oyster shell & they free range supervised probably 4 hrs a day 4 days a week. i have given her polyvisol for a week thinking maybe vitamin deficiency, added electrolytes & minerals to water, added apple cider vinegar to water just yesterday, olive oil only twice out of desperation these past couple of days just in case of a stopped up crop (no swelling or smell anywhere on her though), she has been treated with permethrin despite no obvious signs of parasites. she has had vaseline treatment for scaly leg mites a few weeks ago when she began to limp just because with feather legs i couldnt tell if she might have them. if it were an injury wouldnt she be improving by now? i keep just adding treatments when i see that the others dont work after a few days. figure at this point it cant hurt she will stand momentarily & will even take about 3 steps but then uses her wing to lower herself back down. what else can i possibly do? i dont want to give up on her but i also dont want to prolong this if she has no hope of ever walking again. she is not currently laying but she is losing feathers like crazy & growing in lots of pin feathers so im sure this is her first molt as well. her tummy seems fine, missing feathers but no swelling..she doesnt have bumblefoot (& im experienced with it so i know its not that). she has a red comb & wattle. no drainage, no respiratory issues at all. sorry so wordy...just at a loss here. thanks for your time and hopefully some advice......

This is EXACTLY what is going with my Brahma. Same thing for weeks and I can't find any answers.