Her legs are strong but her balance is off

[Kiki]

We bought Layena, but just a couple of days ago a big moldy chunk came out of the bag. So we’ve put down the old food until I can get my hands on a new bag.
Fiona is tube-fed baby formula though, so for now she’s not getting the old one or the new one.

I am not sure you understand that that feed is a big problem...I just wanted to point it out again.

 

[fanficfreezone]

I am not sure you understand that that feed is a big problem...I just wanted to point it out again.

And I’m not sure you understand that MOLDY FOOD would be worse for them in the short term.

Fiona is being fed formula anyway so neither the old nor the new feed have been inside her since she got sick a month ago.
The old feed may have made her sick, but the feed that is out today has nothing to do with the update I posted here because again, Fiona is tube-fed formula.

And also, we did buy a big bag of Layena but it had mold in it. MOLD. I even posted a picture of the big chunk that came out. Until we can buy a new bag of Layena in a couple of days, we switched to the old feed again.

I don’t appreciate the judgmental tone when I obviously have a legit reason to have taken away the new feed. The legit reason being MOLD. And again, it has nothing to do with the update anyway because again, it’s not what Fiona eats.

I come here for support and I listen to the advice I’m given. I don’t appreciate being spoken to like I’m an idiot when I’m obviously trying my best, every day, to do what’s right for my girls.

 

[rotorman]

We were giving feed from the feed store. I am not sure what’s in it. We became chicken parents pretty haphazardly after rescuing a chicken and we only have two hens, no rooster, so we’re very much inexperienced.

The vet gave us calcium and we have been giving her Poultry Cell. If there’s other vitamins I should have been giving her, I don’t know what they are.

Because of force-feeding we’ve been giving her either her feed that we grind into a powder, or lately, we have been giving her baby bird formula (the “exact” brand we got from Petco).

We were giving feed from the feed store. I am not sure what’s in it. We became chicken parents pretty haphazardly after rescuing a chicken and we only have two hens, no rooster, so we’re very much inexperienced.

The vet gave us calcium and we have been giving her Poultry Cell. If there’s other vitamins I should have been giving her, I don’t know what they are.

Because of force-feeding we’ve been giving her either her feed that we grind into a powder, or lately, we have been giving her baby bird formula (the “exact” brand we got from Petco).

GET RID OF THAT CHICKEN FOOD. PUT HER ON EITHER PURINA FLOCK RAISER WITH NO HORMONES OR PURINA LAYENA WHICH KEEPS WEIGHT DOWN A BIT.

DR. GARY BUTCHER ( DON;T LET THE NAME FOOL YOU, HE IS A GREAT GUY) THE POULTRY VET AT UNIV OF FLORIDA VET SCHOOL RECOMMENDED VITAMIN E. I DO NOT SEE WHERE YOU ARE GIVING THAT. THE FOOD YOU ARE GIVING IS GARBAGE. CORN IS FIRST INGREDIENT AND HAS NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND THAT IS THE MOST ABUNDANT INGREDIENT. .IT IS CANDY TO ALL BIRDS. .LOSE THE FOOD NOW!!!!!
YOU CAN E-MAIL DR. BUTCHER AT UNIV OF FLORIDA AT HIS E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR MORE ADVICE. i won't give out his contact info without permission so call Univ of Fla Veterinary College and ask for him. Here is their web site: https://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/ I hope you follow through on this. My local vet is AWESOME also with chickens but he is in Lake Worth, FL, about 30 minutes North of Ft. Lauderdale. Maybe he will do a telemedicine call with you. DO YOU HAVE CURRENT BLOOD WORK AND CLINICAL INFO? YOU WILL NEED THIS TO TALK TO EITHER OF THESE VETS. DR. ROMO'S WEB SITE IS: https://www.birdexoticvet.com/veterinarians My chicken had very complex issues. I have spent near $20,000 on her but she is now lookin' good! Long costly story. Romo also has a study group, BUT GET THE MEDICAL RECORDS AND BLOOD WORK FIRST. IF NO BLOOD WORK WAS RUN, THEN RUN IT. ALSO IS THERE ANY HISTORY OF HEAD TRAUMA OR BODY OR BACK TRAUMA/ WAS THE BIRD CONFINED AND NORMAL AT ONE TIME IN YOUR CARE OR DID SHE COME WITH ISSUES? A HISTORY WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR DIAGNOSIS.. HAVE X-RAYS BEEN DONE ON FULL BODY TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SPINAL OR LEG BONE INJURIES?

 

[rotorman]

MY CHICKEN IS WATCHING YOU!!! LOL

 

[fanficfreezone]

GET RID OF THAT CHICKEN FOOD. PUT HER ON EITHER PURINA FLOCK RAISER WITH NO HORMONES OR PURINA LAYENA WHICH KEEPS WEIGHT DOWN A BIT.

DR. GARY BUTCHER ( DON;T LET THE NAME FOOL YOU, HE IS A GREAT GUY) THE POULTRY VET AT UNIV OF FLORIDA VET SCHOOL RECOMMENDED VITAMIN E. I DO NOT SEE WHERE YOU ARE GIVING THAT. THE FOOD YOU ARE GIVING IS GARBAGE. CORN IS FIRST INGREDIENT AND HAS NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND THAT IS THE MOST ABUNDANT INGREDIENT. .IT IS CANDY TO ALL BIRDS. .LOSE THE FOOD NOW!!!!!
YOU CAN E-MAIL DR. BUTCHER AT UNIV OF FLORIDA AT HIS E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR MORE ADVICE. i won't give out his contact info without permission so call Univ of Fla Veterinary College and ask for him. Here is their web site: https://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/ I hope you follow through on this. My local vet is AWESOME also with chickens but he is in Lake Worth, FL, about 30 minutes North of Ft. Lauderdale. Maybe he will do a telemedicine call with you. DO YOU HAVE CURRENT BLOOD WORK AND CLINICAL INFO? YOU WILL NEED THIS TO TALK TO EITHER OF THESE VETS. DR. ROMO'S WEB SITE IS: https://www.birdexoticvet.com/veterinarians My chicken had very complex issues. I have spent near $20,000 on her but she is now lookin' good! Long costly story. Romo also has a study group, BUT GET THE MEDICAL RECORDS AND BLOOD WORK FIRST. IF NO BLOOD WORK WAS RUN, THEN RUN IT. ALSO IS THERE ANY HISTORY OF HEAD TRAUMA OR BODY OR BACK TRAUMA/ WAS THE BIRD CONFINED AND NORMAL AT ONE TIME IN YOUR CARE OR DID SHE COME WITH ISSUES? A HISTORY WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR DIAGNOSIS.. HAVE X-RAYS BEEN DONE ON FULL BODY TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SPINAL OR LEG BONE INJURIES?

They DO have Layena, but the bag had MOLD in it. I will not give my girls the food that had MOLD so I switched to the old feed until I can get a new bag.
This is frustrating. Please read before commenting.

And no she had no head trauma that I know of. She lives in a very gentle environment with only 1 other chicken.

 

[rotorman]

Over Memorial weekend, we noticed that my hen Fiona was unable to walk. Her legs still worked but her balance was not right.

When we first saw the vet he said she was emaciated, and since she was refusing to eat, we have been tube-feeding her.

Over the last two weeks (since Memorial weekend) she was given Metacam and amoxicillin and calcium as well.

My vet said it wasn’t egg binding or salpingitis. She’s also too old for Marek’s. He even did a fine needle aspiration test which came back negative.

Her legs were never paralyzed but because she can’t balance, she doesn’t walk. When she tries she keeps falling forward.

However she can move her legs and she can stand. Since we started tube-feeding her she has regained some strength, but her comb is still down and when she sits, her butt feathers are down.

Lately she has also been trying to take some steps, but it’s like 2 tiny steps with her legs crouched and then she sits because her balance is off. She tries hard but that’s all she can manage. It’s better than how she was at first.

She is 4 years old and a cinnamon queen. I adopted her 2 years ago.

Unfortunately my vet isn’t sure what’s going on. Any insight would be appreciated.

HARD TO BELIEVE MOLD IN THE LAYENA. BE SURE THE BAG IS SEALED AT THE STORE AND TAKE BACK THE MOLDY ONE. IF THAT DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU GO WITH THE FLOCK RAISER. I BUY THESE ALL THE TIME AT A LOCAL FEED STORE AND NEVER HAVE PROBLEMS. WORSE COMES TO WORSE, I WILL TAKE THE BIRD OFF YOUR HANDS AND SEE IT IS ATTENDED TO. I ASSUME YOU HAVE AN AVIAN/EXOTIC VET? THIS SHOULD NOT BE SO DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE. AGAIN, GET THE RECORDS, GIVE US A HISTORY OF THE BIRD, WHEN IT WAS HEALTHY, WHERE IT WAS KEPT, WHEN THE INSTABILITY STARTED AND WHERE WAS IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IT COULD EVEN BE AN EAR INFECTION. HAVE A BAD ONE WITH A CAT WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS. $4,000 MRI LATER IT WAS A VERY DEEP EAR INFECTION THAT ALSO PARALYZED THE EYE ON SAME SIDE AND THE CAT WAS WOBBLING AROUND JUST LIKE THE CHICKEN SO CHECK FOR EAR INFECTIONS. YOU WILL NEED A REALLY GOOD BIRD VET TO FIGURE THIS OUT. DID YOUR VET CHECK FOR EAR INFECTION? IT CAN SPREAD TO THE BRAIN AND MAKE THINGS WORSE.THE CAT I MENTIONED NOW HAS MENINGITIS FROM OF ALL THINGS AN UNTREATED EAR INFECTION. THE CAT WAS FOUND ON THE STREET AND NOBODY WAS CARING FOR IT UNTIL NOW.

PLEASE KEEP THE POSTS COMING SO WE KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR BIRD. THESE CHICKENS ARE SCARY SMART IF ANYONE GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO SHOW IT. MY BIRD HAS ALSO DEVELOPED TRICKS ON HER OWN. WHEN SHE WAS A PULLET AND FOUND NEAR A DUMPSTER, SHE LEARNED TO HOP ON MY SHOE SO I COULD LIFT MY LEG AND GET HER ON TOP OF THE TABLE. THEN I PUT MY LEG ON THE TABLE AND SHE WENT TO SLEEP ON MY SHIN BONE. NO TRAINING. SHE LIVES WITH A BUNCH OF CATS INDOORS. SHE LIKES SOME OF THEM AND CHASES AWAY OTHERS. WHO KNOWS?? GOTTA FIX YOUR BIRD. EAR INFECTION IS A VERY STRONG POSSIBILITY. THE CAT MAY NEED A BULLA OSTEOTOMY WHERE BY A SMALL SECTION OF BONE IS REMOVED FROM THE MASTOID AREA OF THE SKULL AT THE BASE OF THE EAR SO INFECTIOUS MATERIAL CAN BE CURETTED OUT. BEEN THROUGH THIS FOR POLYPS WITH CATS BUT THE EAR INFECTION IS A DEFINITE STRONG POSSIBILITY WITH YOUR BIRD, AND IF THAT IS THE PROBLEM, THE FOOD IS NOT A CAUSE.IF THE BIRD GOES OUTSIDE, IT COULD HAVE PICKED UP A BUG GIVING ITSELF A DUST BATH?

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

They DO have Layena, but the bag had MOLD in it. I will not give my girls the food that had MOLD so I switched to the old feed until I can get a new bag.
This is frustrating. Please read before commenting.

And no she had no head trauma that I know of. She lives in a very gentle environment with only 1 other chicken.

I don't think anyone is expecting you to feed moldy food to your chickens. But rather, why you haven't returned that bag of bad food and gotten new food yet, after almost 2 weeks?

 

[RoyalChick]

I don't think anyone is expecting you to feed moldy food to your chickens. But rather, why you haven't returned that bag of bad food and gotten new food yet, after almost 2 weeks?

Because she is tube feeding formula so the bagged feed is irrelevant.

 

[Kiki]

Because she is tube feeding formula so the bagged feed is irrelevant.

The chicken needs to have free choice feed even if it is being force fed. 2 weeks is an extremely long time to be force feeding.

@fanficfreezone How many ml are you feeding each time and how often are you feeding?

 

[NanaK]

I've got moldy feed from TS before too. It happens. Just need to return it as soon as you notice it. I also understand sometimes life gets in the way of our plans.

@fanficfreezone I would continue with the vitamin therapy. It can sometimes take a couple weeks at therapeutic dosages to see a difference. Also continue to tube her. I would try to get her to eat a flock raiser or a chick crumble that is NOT medicated. (Medicated crumbles inhibit B vits).

Don't get discouraged. I hope your hen improves.