Hen staggering and walking funny; UPDATE: Mites??

[PioneerPrincess]

I read your post ("She can't walk") Mimichick and I will definetely keep reading it. I hope your hen gets better. My hen is having those same symptoms as yours. I will put in a slice of apple, and I'm going to offer her some yogurt and garlic (to be like an antibiotic). How do you get electrolytes? Can you make your own? It does seem strange so many people hens/pullets are getting this.

 

[PioneerPrincess]

Update: I felt and tested her legs yesterday. I put my finger between her front and back toes and moved her leg back and forth to see if she could grip. Her right foot can and her left can't. I figure that is why she is almost always having her wings out as balance and why she is laying on her side.
I've put her in a cage in the garage. To keep her company I put in one of the four chicks, since she is always roosting with them.

 

[jaimslee4u]

Deffinatley check that post.... This is how my hen started too. No one has actually figured out what it is. Even the vets don't know.

 

[horsejody]

Read up on Marek's. It almost always starts on the left side.

 

[PioneerPrincess]

Update: I was looking at Faithful's legs today and I noticed that one of her legs was different than that of the other. The scales are raised and it looks like there is black underneath them. I am thinking that they might be mites. Can mites make a chicken lame? If she has mites what should I give her to make them go away? Thank you for your help!!

 

[PioneerPrincess]

Any ideas??

 

[dancingr6]

Try getting some mite dust and fully dusting all chickens. Then try petroleum jelly and cover the entire leg. Try to keep it covered in it to suffocate the mites. When the mites get into the leg, they are really hard to get rid of. If they cripple the bird, about the only way to get rid of them is perscription. Yet, the best way I have found with the legs involve suffocating them. Permetherin (sp) or another type of insectacide should be used to treat the entire area. If there are mites at all, they need to be eradicated through spot and environment treatment. I have also found that alot of the IGRs (insect growth regulators) work well on mites (area treatment), but they need to be used way away from food or water. DE, or diatamaceous earth (food grade) may be spread all throughout the area to eradicate the mites, just make sure that there is contact (with the birds and the area) for five days (in order to dehydrate the insect).

 

[Michigan Transplant]

I am having the same problems with one of my month old chicks. She will stagger to walk and lays around most of the time. She will get up and fight her own battles but the others will walk
all over her. She is eating and drinking so not sure what is wrong. I am a new chicken raiser so not sure what I should be doing or looking for. Someone PLEASE help me. Deb

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
You will probably get more responses if you start a new post.