Hens can't walk

[Nohoka]

We have two hens that can't walk. Their feet are curled and they just stumble around, barely able to lift their bodies off the floor. They put their wings out as if to balance themselves when they do try to move. Most of the time they just huddle in the corner of the coop together. It started with one bird, now there's two. I'm worried they have a disease. My husband thinks they may have been pecked by one of our guinea hens but I don't think that's what happened. I want him to cull them but he wants to wait to see if they get better. So far they are just getting worse. I'm worried if we wait longer we may lose more birds if it's an illness.

Any suggestions as to what may be wrong with them?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Can you post pictures of them. A body shot and a foot shot. Without more info it is hard to even guess, but my first check would be scaley mites on their legs - check also for mites/lice on bodies. Mites and lice WILL suck the life right out of a bird.


Separate them from the rest of the flock – the others will pick on them. Make sure they have food and water within reach – so they do not have to move.

How old are they and what is their typical diet? How is their weight?

 

[silkielovr]

I sure wish I could help you, but just don't have an answer. Maybe Mareks??? I don't know what it looks like but know it causes some to stumble etc.
How old are they?
Did you buy them or hatch them?
Did it just happen suddenly?
Do they eat and drink?
Hope some who knows more will see your question soon! Sorry I can't be of much help.
Cheryl

 

[Nohoka]

I will take some pictures of them. The one we got from a local farmer as a chick. The first one to get sick we got from a local lady as a pullet. They are both pullets, under ayear old. It did happen very suddenly. They do eat and drink but the other birds push them out of the way. I have given my husband two options #1) seperate them from the flock and see if he can nurse them back to health #2) cull them. He doesn't like to give up on them but I hate to see the rest of our ladies get sick.

 

[chookchick]

There are a lot of foot and leg problems caused by nutritional deficiencies. I would try giving them poly-vi-sol drops by their beak, 2 drops per day. Also what is their diet? Make sure they are not getting too much scratch and other high-carbs like bread. Make sure their feed is fresh. Do get them a really good once-over for lice, mites, etc...as suggested.

 

[Nohoka]

Their main diet is commercial layer pellets. We feed them very little bread or other extras. And since it's winter here they're not free ranging. We will check them for mites. We appreciate the advice and any suggestions.

 

[henney penny]

I would like to see pictures to.

 

[Morgan1983]

I'm having the same problem with one of my roosters. I do suspect he got beat up, but am wondering if it could be something else. Chookchic, if we are feeding commercial grain, should the chickens not have a complete diet? Could they still have nutrition problems? Where do I get these drops from, and is there a food supplement that would help (I read ppl feed sick chickens yogurt). I thought Mareks too, but I have only one affected bird. My books (The Joy of Keeping Chickens and Chickens for Dummies) say that most or all chicks less than 10wks old will die; even in older chickens there are few survivors. The disease is transmitted through chicken dander or feather dust and is highly contagious. It says the only way to rid the flock of disease is to cull affected birds, but some birds may have resistance to the disease. There is no treatment, and survivors are carriers. Symptoms include tumors in the nervous system resulting in paralysis, stunted growth, abnormally red-colored feather shafts, pale skin, and stilted gait. The iris of the eye may turns gray and doesn't react to light.
Now, I have had my chickens since last summer and have had no problems. I have not added new chickens. Wouldn't I have seen problems earlier? I'm really stumped on what's wrong. I also thought some kind of inner ear problem (equilibrium), so he can't balance. I can't see or smell any infection though. My roo's legs are normal- no mites as far as I know. Good luck to both of us! I'll keep in touch!

 

[chookchick]

It's hard to say why they would develop a deficiency, but it seems to happen now and then. Putting out an egg every day has to be hard on the system! Perhaps some low-level pest or illness has sapped them. I have heard of other chickens responding well to supplementation, and my little chick sure did well, so I think it is worth a shot before culling. Sometimes they don't really like pellets, and may not eat enough to keep their bodies going well. There are other supplements that may work well, such as Rooster Booster vitamins and minerals, but I've not used these myself. Please keep us posted on any changes.

 

[Nohoka]

They eat well and drink water. We are going to seperate them and see if we can nurse them back to health. We had guineas in with the hens, too many male guineas to be exact. We have since gotten rid of the male guineas. They were chasing the hens, grabbing them by the tail feathers etc. There is a good chance they injured the hens. My husband thinks the guinea hens injured them and the others have been picking at them so they are unable to heal. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.