Hen suddenly struggling to walk, almost like she is drunk

[uderwwaterwelde]

Edit: reddit link that has video:
https://reddit.com/r/BackYardChickens/s/EUP7RzlYyU

In the attached video you can see the way my hen is walking weird. Has anyone ever seen this? What might be the cause? I'm running out of options.

*the chicken in question is vaccinated for mereks. All if not most of my chickens are vaccinated. This is the only chicken doing this*

*No mites or signs of injuries*
*Temperatures outside are hot, but cooler than they were in the previous 3 weeks*

*she is 9 months old*

*her poop has been perfectly normal every single day, and she has laid a normal egg as I write this (September 3rd.)*

*her pupils do dilate when exposed to bright light. I see no sign of ear infection with my bare eyes.*

September 1st I noticed she was walking with a slight wobble and would sometimes fall. I assumed maybe she landed wrong and hurt/sprained her foot. She was eating, drinking, acting normal besides this.

September 2nd morning she was still acting this way. She quickly degraded, by mid-day she was walking like she is in this video. Very wobbly. Almost like she is drunk.

I gave her vitamin B complex, tumeric+ cummin, and some tums in yogurt. She ate it all up, along with her regular food and water (water has Hydro Hen in it.)

That night I let her sleep inside in the cool air.

September 3rd, morning time, she was waking a lot better with only a slight wobble. I gave her more of those vitamins and suppliments again. Then I let her out. After 2 hours she is walking bad again like in the video. I immediately brought her in again. It's been 8 hours, she is still like she was in that video.

Has anyone ever seen this, or have an idea what the cause might be? Thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

What doses are you giving for the vitamins?

 

[uderwwaterwelde]

What doses are you giving for the vitamins?

I'll have to check again for the exact dosage on the bottles but I believe they're 500mg each pill. I crushed up about a quarter of each pill, gave her a quarter of each pill yesterday and today. In total I calculate that she consumed 60-70% of what I offered her. She has this alongside her regular food and water.

I also gave the rest of my chickens these vitamins of about the same dosage and they're all doing fine.

 

[nuthatched]

I'll have to check again for the exact dosage on the bottles but I believe they're 500mg each pill. I crushed up about a quarter of each pill, gave her a quarter of each pill yesterday and today. In total I calculate that she consumed 60-70% of what I offered her. She has this alongside her regular food and water.

I also gave the rest of my chickens these vitamins of about the same dosage and they're all doing fine.

I'd also offer 400i.u vitamin E capsule along with the b complex, raise the b complex to a third. It can take weeks before you see improvement.

 

[uderwwaterwelde]

I'd also offer 400i.u vitamin E capsule along with the b complex, raise the b complex to a third. It can take weeks before you see improvement.

Thank you so much for your input, I greately appreciate it. I didn't realize it could take weeks to improve from vitamin deficiency! Was under the impression they improve after a few hours of getting the vitamins. I will get her some of that vitamin you mentioned.

 

[uderwwaterwelde]

Update: September 4th. She is still walking drunk but she manages to get around in short burts, laying down in between movements. She is her totally normal self besides her legs, eating and drinking as normal. Will keep yall updated.

 

[uderwwaterwelde]

Update September 13th:

She is doing MUCH better. She can almost walk completely normal but she still runs weird and slow. She does still take breaks.

We've been giving her chicken vitamins daily. They seem to have helped. It wasn't mereks. Hopefully this can help someone in the future.

 

[georgeg78]

Hi my chicken has been recovering from mites. She had three doses of ivermectin last dose over a week ago. She’s been doing a funny yawning habit but only occasionally. This morning she came out of the coop fine- ate run around and dust bathed. I noticed in the afternoon she was very sleepy I brought her inside as she can sometimes be picked up on. That was for about three hours and she slept. When I took her back outside she would walk five steps or so And then wobble to the right. Then pack up again then wobble again. I am now worried she has had a stroke? Any feedback or thoughts much appreciated.