Hens can't walk

[ameliadanielle]

I wish I had done a necropsy on the pullet as well. It was hard enough to find the time to leave town to drop off the silkie. He said they sent tissue samples to be tested. I don't know if that is normally how they test for diseases in poultry. I would have expected blood samples... but I guess it's hard to get blood from a cold, dead chicken.

 

[ktpaco]

Looking back - I have a few that I wish I had sent off instead of buried, but live and learn from the mistakes.

I also had an egg binded hen, but presented as bad prolapse. I did take her to the vet, however it still ended up with her being euthanized (because of their lack of experience with chickens - I would have had her female parts removed, however it had gone on too long in their care, and they felt by the time they would get her on the table, she would be septic). So see, doesn't mean she would have been saved - so think of her if you have another problem in the future (which I hope you DO NOT) and maybe you can help there, or even on this forum.

Take Care, and I really do know how you feel - I feel like I killed my beautiful wyndotte rooster who passed last week, but we really are new to chickens, so we are going to make mistakes. But our hearts are in the right place, so hopefully our chicken ownership endeavor will be more rewarding and less heartbreaking as time goes on. Hugs

 

[ktpaco]

I'm re-reading your info on the silkie. Those symptoms seem odd for egg binding, not at all what I have read about. The only reason why I'm having to do this is I came home to find my favorite hen lethargic (almost exactly the same as my too who died last week). I immediately took her from the flock, gave her 1cc of Tylan 50 by mouth, followed by a little water, and set her up in a dog kennel with a heat lamp in the room (cold basement). I checked on her a little later and she is doing some shallow panting with eyes closed. I' think she laid on egg today, but can't confirm that, I had 2 brown eggs and three brown layers. I did check her vent and felt her belly - negative for any obvious egg binding. My flock has been treated for worms this week, and started corid yesterday, but since she didn't get any today, gave her about 2ccs (premixed earlier with water). Since panting can be seen with pain, I mixed a little aspirin in with some electrolytes and water, a gave her maybe .5ccs. She had had enough of me poking and prodding her, so I'm giving her a break for the night. She is really tired.

If she is still holding her own in the am, I will give her a warm bath and lube up her vent - just in case it is an egg that I can't feel yet.

Whyyyyy.... I got though winter with only one bird having to be put down, and now in one weeks time - I have had two chicken emergencies????....

 

[ameliadanielle]

It is really odd to me too. I guess I assumed paralysis because they couldn't walk. They could still use the muscles in their legs and grip with their feet though. It is just strange how things progressed with my silkie. I was sure it was a neurological problem. She very well could have been in so much pain she was in shock. I don't know.

 

[ktpaco]

I took Carmen to the vet last week, and we did all kinds of test - which was way expensive, but it gave us some answers which was that she is severely anemic. I attribute it to the massive parasite infestation that my flock probably had. She is recovering slowly on some intense dog iron supplement and some medicine for inflammation which helps with any pain she may be having. She goes back to the vet on weds - just glad it wasn't egg peronitinitis or egg bound!

 

[ameliadanielle]

Awesome! At least she is going to recover and not need any surgery. That's good news.