Hen Unable to Stand/Walk

[HomesteaderWife]

Hello BYC and firstly thank you for such a helpful community! I have a one year old Polish mix hen who is unable to stand or walk as of yesterday afternoon. She has been acting off and not wanting to fly into her coop on and off a few days and I thought maybe she just had a sore leg from jumping out of the coop in the morning. However, she was still up walking and scratching until yesterday afternoon. She suddenly just layed down and wouldn't walk or stand. Her toes are curled in and her legs held up under her. Is it possible she has a vitamin deficiency even though she does forage? If so, what should I try to give her? A product suggestion/experience would be helpful. Her crop feels normal- not impacted or hard at all. No foul smell, normal solid stool. She hasn't been laying eggs for about three weeks, but neither were our other hens. Trying to provide all info I can! Thank you!

 

[azygous]

The curled toes signify paralysis. It can be from a vitamin B deficiency so you could try B complex people vitamins. It could be from exposure to a neurotoxin such as motor oil or hydraulic fluid contaminated soil or pesticides. Or it could be tumors from an avian virus.

I would try the B vitamins and see if there's any improvement. If you suspect poisoning, you might be able to do a molasses flush but the damage probably can't be undone. Tumors are not treatable.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@azygous - Hey there! Do you have a dosage suggestion for the B vitamins? Or any info/links? I do not suspect poisoning at all. But I do appreciate all the info

 

[azygous]

No precise dosage. I just use one tablet dipped in peanut butter. I just got through giving a semi-lame hen a tablet, and she looks forward to it each night. It may be strengthening her legs. At least she gets up and walk s around more than she was before.

 

[Clemmy]

azygous, I definatley argree with. give the hen supplements, and extra love.

 

[azygous]

Love is definitely part of the prescription.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Just an update here- the B vitamins seemed to really do the trick (and of course, lots of love and babying for her). She still has a bit of a limp as if she is stiff, but otherwise very happy and active. She has laid a couple of eggs too during the time.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

So on to bad news- she has been limping a lot and doing a lot of head shaking in the past two days. This morning she acted like she was having a hard time moving, and I checked on her just after she laid an egg. When she exited the nest box, she was still having a rough time moving. Came back a few minutes later and she was shaking trying to stand. Her legs are unresponsive and she tries to lift with her wings and head and just ends up laying down with her head buried in the hay. I tried to lift her and touch her feet to the ground- they won't move at all. She was doing fine for awhile but worrying me bad today.

We had her on vitamins which seemed to be helping until about two days ago

 

[azygous]

The head shaking combined with lameness, and the fact that she isn't improving makes me suspect a virus may be at work. Mycoplasma gallisepticum can cause these symptoms. The treatment is Tylan 50. Usually feed stores carry it. If not, you can order it online. It's an injectable antibiotic that will treat bacteria associated with the virus.

One other thing, how do her eggs look? Any deformities or color loss?

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@azygous - From what I looked up and read on that though, it is a respiratory issue. She has not had a runny nose or any eye gunk during this ordeal- it has been only her legs. Her legs have looked 100% normal- she laid one today and it was the same size and color as her normal eggs.

I am considering taking a video of her, because out of nowhere she drops her head and her whole body shakes. My husband asked if she was having seizures but it doesn't seem like it. I'm not a professional by any means, but after working with other animals at vet clinics, she acts like she has neurological damage somehow.