Hi, everyone. I have a Jersey Giant/Australorp hen who won't stand up. I found her sitting on the ground in the coop this way three days ago. I had all my outdoor chickens closed in the coop for a few days because we hosted an event in our backyard over Halloween, and had lighting fixtures and tables and things we had to spend time getting cleared out in the days afterwards. We checked food and water every day, and everyone seemed fine. I noticed that this hen was sitting on the ground in the coop one day, but it didn't strike me as unusual. They were in there for a couple of days, why wouldn't they sometimes sit on the ground? The next day, though, I came to let everyone out into the backyard, and there she was, still on the ground in the same place! The turkey was on the outside of the coop looking at her, and was getting angry at her because he took her sitting right there when he came up to her as a challenge, I guess. So he was trying to peck her through the chicken wire that comprises the bottom two feet of the coop, and she still didn't leave. I really knew then that something must be wrong, so I rushed inside and picked her up.
I tried to set her down again a couple of times to see if she would stand, but she just sat right down again. I couldn't feel any broken bones or anything, and nothing really looks swollen. She had laid an egg just a day or so before I saw her sitting for the first time. I didn't find any other injuries, excepting a superficial scrape on her back underneath the feathers, perhaps from the roos.
Now I've had her inside for the past couple of days, in a box with bedding and a towel and food and water. I started giving her Pedialite instead of water just for a little extra boost, and have been giving her oatmeal, too. Her appetite has been good. She CAN move her legs, and shifts around sometimes, lying almost on her side sticking one or the other leg out to the side -- more often her left, it seems. She'll try to get up and move around sometimes, but can't seem to stand all the way up. She'll try to kind of hobble forward, but will start to fall and have to support herself with her wings. I noticed little bit of discharge from her nose -- it was very clear, and when I smelled it, it had no real odor at all. Today she started panting a little bit. I was worried perhaps she really had an impacted egg (even though I kind of felt around underneath her a couple of times already and had found nothing), so I put a ziplock bag over my hand and put one finger inside of her to check better.
I put my finger in to the second knuckle and felt around, but didn't feel an egg. Blegh.
Oh, and her poops look normal.
Anyways, I don't know what to think. She seems to be doing worse today, panting for the first time, looking a bit sleepier, and I think her appetite is beginning to lessen. If anybody could help me out, I would REALLY appreciate it. I don't want to lose her!!!
Thank you for reading my post!!!
I tried to set her down again a couple of times to see if she would stand, but she just sat right down again. I couldn't feel any broken bones or anything, and nothing really looks swollen. She had laid an egg just a day or so before I saw her sitting for the first time. I didn't find any other injuries, excepting a superficial scrape on her back underneath the feathers, perhaps from the roos.
Now I've had her inside for the past couple of days, in a box with bedding and a towel and food and water. I started giving her Pedialite instead of water just for a little extra boost, and have been giving her oatmeal, too. Her appetite has been good. She CAN move her legs, and shifts around sometimes, lying almost on her side sticking one or the other leg out to the side -- more often her left, it seems. She'll try to get up and move around sometimes, but can't seem to stand all the way up. She'll try to kind of hobble forward, but will start to fall and have to support herself with her wings. I noticed little bit of discharge from her nose -- it was very clear, and when I smelled it, it had no real odor at all. Today she started panting a little bit. I was worried perhaps she really had an impacted egg (even though I kind of felt around underneath her a couple of times already and had found nothing), so I put a ziplock bag over my hand and put one finger inside of her to check better.
Anyways, I don't know what to think. She seems to be doing worse today, panting for the first time, looking a bit sleepier, and I think her appetite is beginning to lessen. If anybody could help me out, I would REALLY appreciate it. I don't want to lose her!!!
Thank you for reading my post!!!
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