Hen unable to stand or walk

[eandsm]

My 3-1/2 year old Buff Orpington has slowly gotten to the point she is mostly unable to stand or walk. She is not eggbound, hasn't been dropping any rubber eggs (we had another hen who was an internal layer who started by laying "rubber" eggs), has never started laying again after her last month several months ago. Her poop looks good, she is eating, but not as well as she usually does. It might just be because she can't stand well. We have her in a cage in the garage and go out to encourage her to eat and drink by hand feeding her and coaxing her to the water. When she does stand, she usually has to prop herself up against the side of the pen, with her other wing down to balance herself. When goes to the water cup, she leans against it and has a hard time bending forward to dip her beak (we have her food and waterer up about 5" knowing she can't bend forward well). When she lays down, she usually lays on her side. It's like her body is collapsed on the floor. She has a very difficult time getting up most of the time. When I go out to sit with her, she sometimes will come near the edge of the cage, which means she wants me to pick her up. I have been carrying her outside to get some fresh air and so she can hear the outside sounds for comfort. We thought maybe Marek's at first, but she was vaccinated, she's 3-1/2 (I think it typically occurs in chickens under one year?), and the only thing that seems to be her issue is her being unable to use her legs much. She is so sweet, so we really hate to lose her. I've been adding vitamins to her water also. Any help is appreciated! (pic is her a few days ago while leaning against her "breakfast bar." She has to lean against something in order to balance herself.)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry about your hen.

She may be suffering from reproductive issues at this age. Possibly a mass, tumor or cancer is pressing on some nerves - hard to know unless you lose her and a necropsy is performed.
Marek's could be at play but it's usually seen in younger birds. The vaccine will help prevent formation of tumors but won't keep birds from having infection from the virus.

You can try a sling to see if that helps keep her more comfortable. At least if she tolerates it, it will change positions for her at times during the day. There's a lot of sling ideas if you google, but I've linked an example below.

 

[eandsm]

Thank you for your reply. I have seen the slings here and there. It's definitely something I need to look into more. I guess when they poop, it just stays next to their body, the same as if she was laying down. Right now, she just wants me to hold her all the time. lol Obviously, I can't do that. Thanks again. I'm going to go look for slings.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for your reply. I have seen the slings here and there. It's definitely something I need to look into more. I guess when they poop, it just stays next to their body, the same as if she was laying down. Right now, she just wants me to hold her all the time. lol Obviously, I can't do that. Thanks again. I'm going to go look for slings.

You can cut a hole in the back for poop to drop through.

 

[ChicNmom]

Have you felt around her legs and hip joint? Try holding her and then put one of your hands under each foot and press upward to see if she will press down as if to stand on that leg. Or try to grip your finger with her toes. I have a hen that has strained a leg. When I hold her and do the above she will avoid putting weight on the leg and it shakes a little.

How does her abdomen feel? I agree it could be internal pressure but also a leg injury could keep her from wanting to bend it to sit down properly.

 

[eandsm]

It's now the 15th, and Felicia is still the same. We still have her in a cage in the garage, but I've been taking her outside daily so the other hens can see her. She can stand for a couple of minutes, but can't walk very well at all. sometimes, in the cage, she will be eating and just collapse as her hip or leg gives out. We started wondering if it's her hip, but she's also lost her voice, for the most part. Our other hen, who was an internal layer, also lost her voice and had equilibrium problems (although just for a few days....very odd). Her poop is great, and she's eating and I think maybe even gaining a little bit of weight since she's able to get to her food more easily than when she was in the pen. We're just trying to decide what to do next, because she can't stay in the garage forever, and I'm spending a bit of time with her because I feel badly for her. We keep holding out hope that she'll improve, because we love her, but we don't want her to keep suffering either. I just wanted to give an update.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the update. Sorry to hear that she's not improving

 

[eandsm]

Update: I hadn't realized it's been a month since felicia has been living in our garage. She remains unchanged really. One thing that IS different is that she laid an egg yesterday!!! We were shocked! We've been thinking she's an internal layer, so can internal layers still lay occasionally? She still can't walk very long at all, IF she can even get up sometimes. She relies on me to carry her around. My husband and I took her outside with us yesterday for a long time, with the other hens running around. She always stays within a foot of my feet. If she feels she's starting to collapse (usually within a minute), she waddles to me quickly. I am her security right now. We know we need to put her down, but we love her and it's difficult to "get there." Hubby was going to put her down the other day, when we noticed that egg! It confused us, and then we held out hope. Of course, nothing else has changed. she seems completely healthy except for the fact her legs aren't working. If anyone knows if hens can still lay eggs while being an internal layer, I'd love to know. Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the update.
Yes, a hen could lay an egg even if they have a mass or have at some point laid internally.
Laying Internally is when an egg (can be whole/shelled, yolk/etc.) travels back up the oviduct (reverse peristalsis) and is deposited into the abdomen. As long as the oviduct is not restricted or blocked for it to function properly, then an egg can be laid.

I'm sorry that she is still not improving. It sounds like you are doing all you can for her.

 

[Chickenaddiction2021]

My 3-1/2 year old Buff Orpington has slowly gotten to the point she is mostly unable to stand or walk. She is not eggbound, hasn't been dropping any rubber eggs (we had another hen who was an internal layer who started by laying "rubber" eggs), has never started laying again after her last month several months ago. Her poop looks good, she is eating, but not as well as she usually does. It might just be because she can't stand well. We have her in a cage in the garage and go out to encourage her to eat and drink by hand feeding her and coaxing her to the water. When she does stand, she usually has to prop herself up against the side of the pen, with her other wing down to balance herself. When goes to the water cup, she leans against it and has a hard time bending forward to dip her beak (we have her food and waterer up about 5" knowing she can't bend forward well). When she lays down, she usually lays on her side. It's like her body is collapsed on the floor. She has a very difficult time getting up most of the time. When I go out to sit with her, she sometimes will come near the edge of the cage, which means she wants me to pick her up. I have been carrying her outside to get some fresh air and so she can hear the outside sounds for comfort. We thought maybe Marek's at first, but she was vaccinated, she's 3-1/2 (I think it typically occurs in chickens under one year?), and the only thing that seems to be her issue is her being unable to use her legs much. She is so sweet, so we really hate to lose her. I've been adding vitamins to her water also. Any help is appreciated! (pic is her a few days ago while leaning against her "breakfast bar." She has to lean against something in order to balance herself.)