hen suddenly can't walk -- i see no telltale signs why

[chicknmania]

How is everyone now? Moppit is on the rollercoaster thing again; up one day, down the next. We have treated her for lice and also dewormed her with Fenbendazole two days ago; she was terrible next day; but much better today again. Stopped the antibiotics and resumed the avian vitamin/ electrolytes; again she is improving, and since we have resumed the vitamins and had her in the sunshine for a few hours EVERY Day, her nosebleeds seem to be decreasing. . She can kick her legs and flap her wings now but still very weak when standing on her own two feet; flapping her wings is enough to make her fall. Will be sending a fecal sample tomorrow for analysis. I noticed she's not preening as much since we treated her for lice. We are trying so many things it's impossible to tell what's working, and what isn't, if it's a combination of things or if anything we're doing has anything to do with her improving or getting worse.

 

[chickenannie]

My hen is mostly the same, but I swear one of her legs is stronger than the other one. She still doesn't move hardly at all, just sits on her chicken butt, but she seems a teeny tiny teeny bit better. May just be my imagination though.

 

[chickenannie]

If you can believe it, this crippled BO hen just laid an egg today! She is in the exact same condition -- still can't walk. I am still caring for her separately in a hospital pen with avian vitamins. When it's sunny I put her outside in the sandbox for dirtbaths, or in the lawn for grass-eating. But I couldn't believe it when I saw the egg!!

 

[d.k]

* Well, it seems SOMETHING is working again!!!! Now if we could just figure out how to get her on her feet, eh!!! So- maybe a tack under her rump???

 

[Pinenot]

Sounds to me like if there is a balance problem, you need to treat for cocci, even if you see no blood in the stool. Have you done that?

 

[chickenannie]

Her poo is normal -- nothing unusual like diarrhea or weird colors, so I'm confident she doesn't have cocci.

 

[TerryW]

Just thought I'd post an update on my rooster. He slowly regained use of his feet, he worked on it every day. He's now even running - but is still a little clumsy. He's still not roosting yet and sleeping on the ground. Time will tell if he gets completely back to normal or not but it looks like he's well on his way. I still don't know what caused this, one possibility could be a scorpion sting I guess but I don't know if something like that would've been this long lasting.

 

[Nana59]

I realize this is an old post but here goes.

I hope Moppit and all the others are doing well. I am new at chickens, these 6 were my first. I am down to 2. The rest of them died. As some of you said they just died. I couldn't see anything on them as far as a bite or injury. No blood.
Although, one of these, a rooster did have a breathing problem for a day or so, then he died. But the first hen was my hen who was laying each day. She seemed fine but I went out and there she was in usual spot at back of house DEAD. My chicks are just now 5 months old.
AND I have a hen who was walking but now seems to not be able to. She eats and drinks. They were on medicated food until a month ago not they are on scratch. It has been extremely hot and dry in our area.
I just don't know what could have happened!

 

[alaskafarmgirl]

I have a black sex link with the same problem -- one day, she was walking on her "elbows," and I thought I should put her down. But she was so perky, ate when I helped her out, drank water. I checked her legs, and they were not broken. I tried to isolate her, but none of the flock would have it, so she pokes her head in a corner and hangs out. It's been about 4 weeks. I give her extra special love (petting), an occasional baby aspirin, and put electrolytes/vitamin for poultry (small, small amount, about 1 tablespoon to 8 gallons of water), and make sure no one picks on her (they others don't -- in fact, she has a hen buddy who brings her stuff to eat and looks after her).

She is much better now. She's walking upright, but has to sit at times when she goes too far. She is not roosting, but she is making it into the nesting box to lay, and she's productive and alert. Occasionally she goes back to elbow walking, but I don't see this as a problem, as long as she's vibrant, eating and laying. I am worried about her roosting, for warmth and fellowship, in the cold Alaska winters, but we'll see how it goes.

I believe she jumped from the roosting area to the ground and landed awkwardly. Possible broke her hip/back, and injured her wing, which sometimes flaps off to the side as if it is not part of her. But she seems to be getting it together. She would have been chicken stock had it not been for the look in her eye, her overall perky demeanor, and a neighbor who could harvest her was unable to do so that day.

I give her Ecotrin (coated) 81 mg low-dose aspirin about once a week. The only thing is, early on, she would then feel well enough to do too much, and then she seemed worse the next day. So I quit it for about 3 weeks and let her recover on her own. She seems to be up on her legs just fine now, in no pain, and she's a survivor. Just give her love, time, electrolytes/vitamins, and help her eat and drink. I set up a chick water feeder near where she likes to hide, and even though the other birds drain it, too, I think it helped. I then just gave everyone electrolytes/vitamins in their water, and it's all good now.

I thought about running some methylpredinisone through her, in a very small dose, but it's expired, and I don't want to make her so mobile that she hurts herself again.

That's my story!
Alaska Farm Girl