Hen sitting/walking on hocks

[Birdfull]

Hi. I have a 21 week old sapphire gem who has been sitting on her hocks for a week. Can move around on her hocks pretty well. Her balance is good. Other than this she’s great. Looks great, eating and drinking like a champ, laying every single day. No bumblefoot. Not egg bound in the least. Trills softly at me. She is confined in the house because the others were attacking her. Also don’t know what’s up. Been giving her rooster booster poultry cell all week, lately in undiluted doses. Eats lots of scrambled eggs and watermelon. And her layer feed. Gave an epsom salt bath, moved her legs, they seemed uninjured.

She didn’t pedal her legs or try to stand. I plan to switch from pcell to a b complex w riboflavin. Has this happened to anyone and what was the outcome? THANK YOU for reading!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give her the super B complex for a few weeks, and I hope that it helps. It could be riboflavin deficiency, or an injury, and Mareks can sometimes cause this at her age. Make sure that she can reach her food. Sometimes the other birds will pick on a hen with leg problems, so keep an eye out for that and separate inside a wire dog crate with food and water. But do keep her with the other chickens so she is more comfortable and still part of the flock. Let us know if her condition changes.

 

[Birdfull]

I would give her the super B complex for a few weeks, and I hope that it helps. It could be riboflavin deficiency, or an injury, and Mareks can sometimes cause this at her age. Make sure that she can reach her food. Sometimes the other birds will pick on a hen with leg problems, so keep an eye out for that and separate inside a wire dog crate with food and water. But do keep her with the other chickens so she is more comfortable and still part of the flock. Let us know if her condition changes.

Thank you. I’m noticing the pcell has 28mg of riboflavin and this b complex pill has 1.7mg. Perhaps I’m confused but isn’t 28mg more than 1.7mg? Is that right? If so the cell would be better?

 

[Birdfull]

I have switched to a better b complex that has 100mg riboflavin per pill. She got half yesterday and a quarter today. I’m concerned about muscle atrophy at this point. I attempted a sling in a tote w fabric w holes for legs, which she tolerated for 5 minutes while I stroked her, before she started flapping. I’m getting a chicken medical bag thing today that looks like a purse. This might be better because then I can access her legs and maybe do rom/massage. Also her hocks look red so I put liquid bandage on them. She’s going back w the other girls today in the run, my husband built a little pen for her. Thanks for the advice. She is Still laying an egg a day.

 

[chickenrunsquad]

Hi there! I am experiencing this exact scenario! My sapphire gem of 4 months laid her second egg about four days ago but stopped walking after that. Her legs look exactly like the one in your photo. She is panting frequently, which I believe to be because of pain Do you have any updates on your girl? I almost immediately gave her rooster booster, scrambled eggs and Kirkland B Complex vitamins

I don't have a photo of her sitting on her hocks, but I do have this of her in a laundry basket. She is so dang cute!

 

[Eggcessive]

Hi there! I am experiencing this exact scenario! My sapphire gem of 4 months laid her second egg about four days ago but stopped walking after that. Her legs look exactly like the one in your photo. She is panting frequently, which I believe to be because of pain Do you have any updates on your girl? I almost immediately gave her rooster booster, scrambled eggs and Kirkland B Complex vitamins

I don't have a photo of her sitting on her hocks, but I do have this of her in a laundry basket. She is so dang cute!

Can you give your pullet a human calcium tablet with D 3 orally? What are you feeding?

 

[chickenrunsquad]

Can you give your pullet a human calcium tablet with D 3 orally? What are you feeding?

Hi! Yes, I also have calcium tablets around and can give her some. Both her eggs were hard-shelled and looked healthy though, so I didn't think calcium was the issue. Yesterday's egg was passed quietly (I was in the same room and didn't hear her struggle or anything, just suddenly found an egg underneath her). Do you think the calcium is related to her loss of leg movement?

We have purina 16% layer feed that she eats, oyster shells and grit. One scrambled egg a day, and some grasshoppers. I also brought her outside this morning and she munched on grass.

 

[Eggcessive]

@chickenrunsquad Some hens may have temporary problems walking if an egg is stuck, or if they have been having trouble passing one. Make sure that she gets riboflavin (B2) daily. Hopefully that will take care of her problem.

 

[Birdfull]

Hi sorry you are having the same issue! I switched my girl to a b complex vitamin with occasional poultry cell in water three weeks ago. She improved but is not healed as her “default” is to sit all the time. When I stand her up she can remain standing on flat feet and straight legs for a minute or so and will run a few steps. She lays an egg almost every day. On warm days she pants a bit because I’m giving her a work out but I give breaks when she seems tired. I’m not sure what to do next. I may bring to a vet for more insight. She does not appear to be in any pain and enjoys lap time and strokes to the back and leg squeezes. It sucks because I don’t think it’s safe to be with the others. So she’s living in a pen in the run (which is predator proof) where she can at least “be” with them safely. I think she misses being a normal chicken but seems ok and not hurting. I give epsom salt baths sometimes I may step that up. I “met” a woman on FB who has a sapphire gem about the same age who got hers at TSC as I did. And is having the exact same problem as us!! We are both in PA. Not sure where you are but did you get your girl at a TSC? Could be a genetic thing? Good luck!!

 

[chickenrunsquad]

W

Hi sorry you are having the same issue! I switched my girl to a b complex vitamin with occasional poultry cell in water three weeks ago. She improved but is not healed as her “default” is to sit all the time. When I stand her up she can remain standing on flat feet and straight legs for a minute or so and will run a few steps. She lays an egg almost every day. On warm days she pants a bit because I’m giving her a work out but I give breaks when she seems tired. I’m not sure what to do next. I may bring to a vet for more insight. She does not appear to be in any pain and enjoys lap time and strokes to the back and leg squeezes. It sucks because I don’t think it’s safe to be with the others. So she’s living in a pen in the run (which is predator proof) where she can at least “be” with them safely. I think she misses being a normal chicken but seems ok and not hurting. I give epsom salt baths sometimes I may step that up. I “met” a woman on FB who has a sapphire gem about the same age who got hers at TSC as I did. And is having the exact same problem as us!! We are both in PA. Not sure where you are but did you get your girl at a TSC? Could be a genetic thing? Good luck!!

Wow I wonder if it is genetic? My Sapphire Gem came from a small hatchery in Iowa, and I purchased her through a local farm store. I'm based in Minnesota.

I'm really glad to hear that there has been progress where she can stand and even run! Today, my girl moved around a bit more which is really promising - the previous two days she wasn't moving at all. She is still panting but eating and drinking normally. I actually went to the vet when she was showing the beginning signs of not walking and they thought it was heavy metal poisoning...an x-ray later, they didn't find anything, so they think it's a vitamin B deficiency.