hen walking problems HELP ME!!!???

[treehugger777]

hello everyone, I have 7 chickens, of the 7 there are 2 white ones; chiquita and banana. They are the biggest (and fattest). When they were smaller, I thought they might be walking different but I couldn't tell because they were so fat... Now, Chiquita can barely walk at all she has to rapidly flap her wings to hobble around. This greatly upsets me, I think she has some slight form of splayed leg. Is there any way to fix this once it has advanced beyond chick legs???!!!

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

You said that she was really fat as a chick, I'm wondering if she is a meat bird. Meat birds eventually develop problems very early in age, heart problems and leg problems are quite common especially when the birds are kept past a certain age.

Though meat birds don't always live a long life, you can still try to fix her legs. You can try the method used to correct splayed legs in chicks, but just make it bigger for an adult bird. I'm not too sure if it will work though, as chick bones are very soft where as older birds passed a certain age have denser bones. Because she is so heavy, I'm not sure this method would be beneficial to her as I don't think her legs are her problem. I think your bird is so heavy that the only way for her to be somewhat comfortable is to spread her legs out.

How old was she when she developed this condition (laying down)?


A couple tips on keeping special needs birds:

-Give them bathes once a week. I don't always use shampoo for my special needs. My girl tends to just swim around while I get her feathers clean. The point of bathing once a week is to keep your chicken clean. A lot of times (especially since your girl isn't very mobile) they sit in their feces all day, getting it on their feathers and making themselves irritated.

-Keep feed and water at a height assessable to them. Sometimes this means just keeping it on the ground and not raising it at all. I also hold my girl everyday and offer her food and water to make sure she is eating and drinking.

-Accept that special needs birds don't always live as long as we would like them to. They are more fragile and are easy to get attached to.

-Move her legs daily. Hold your bird and gently excersise her legs slowly. I do this for my girl to be sure that lack of excersise isn't causing her legs to be locked in the same position 24/7.

 

[treehugger777]

thanks a lot I really appreciate it. I've really been wanting to bathe her again since she is past due. But I notice she usually lays in one place, so I move her throughout the day, and make sure to bring her by the food and water so she can take what she wants. poor girl. I will bathe her tomorrow and try to tie her legs together somehow to see if that helps

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

thanks a lot I really appreciate it. I've really been wanting to bathe her again since she is past due. But I notice she usually lays in one place, so I move her throughout the day, and make sure to bring her by the food and water so she can take what she wants. poor girl. I will bathe her tomorrow and try to tie her legs together somehow to see if that helps

I'm not sure if tying her legs together (the splayed leg remedy) will do much good for her because of her weight she may not be able to support herself, and may get hurt more.

Also, when you bathe her I recommend using baby shampoo. It is gentle on her skin. Also avoid getting it on/near her head.

 

[Erica]

Hi sunny & the 5 egg layers,

unfortunately this isn't likely to improve. I don't think it's splayed, but either broken near the hip or else there's serious tendon damage. Sometimes when they get very big these birds can snap their tendon clean through; or their leg can simply break. The chances of fixing it with a splint are about zero because of her weight. Strapping one leg to the other can't possibly help once a bird is this old (and heavy), and if her thighbone is broken or dislocated, the strapping will cause her a great deal more pain and suffering. A weight loss diet can help a bird that isn't suffering too badly, but your bird has an acute injury. She's a meat bird, I can see that at a glance. She's become too heavy for her frame.

I'm so sorry to be so blunt, but you need to do something about her misery as soon as possible. Chickens hide their pain; your bird looks genuinely to be suffering. At the very least, if you really want to keep her alive, you should take her to a vet and have her x-rayed.

Again, sorry to put it all so negatively. I can tell you really care for these birds and want to help her. It's just that this doesn't look to me a like a case where backyard treatment will do any good.


So sorry,
Erica

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Hi sunny & the 5 egg layers,

unfortunately this isn't likely to improve. I don't think it's splayed, but either broken near the hip or else there's serious tendon damage. Sometimes when they get very big these birds can snap their tendon clean through; or their leg can simply break. The chances of fixing it with a splint are about zero because of her weight. Strapping one leg to the other can't possibly help once a bird is this old (and heavy), and if her thighbone is broken or dislocated, the strapping will cause her a great deal more pain and suffering. A weight loss diet can help a bird that isn't suffering too badly, but your bird has an acute injury. She's a meat bird, I can see that at a glance. She's become too heavy for her frame.

I'm so sorry to be so blunt, but you need to do something about her misery as soon as possible. Chickens hide their pain; your bird looks genuinely to be suffering. At the very least, if you really want to keep her alive, you should take her to a vet and have her x-rayed.

Again, sorry to put it all so negatively. I can tell you really care for these birds and want to help her. It's just that this doesn't look to me a like a case where backyard treatment will do any good.


So sorry,
Erica

I believe you got me mixed up with the original poster.

No biggy, just wanted to clear things up that's all.

 

[Erica]

I sure did! Sorry about that sunny.

Thanks for letting me know.
But the comments were about the video (just to clarify).

Erica

 

[Davlyn]

Did you find out whats wrong with your hen ? Is it Mericks? Is she still alive? so sorry

 

[treehugger777]

to davlyn: I'm not sure what kind she is, everyone is telling me a meat bird, but the brooder guy just said she was a regular hen. She is still alive, I'm asking everyone with chickens what I should do...