It's been 5 years and she's still high stepping.

[dawg53]

I suspect it might be gout. Not much can be done about it.

 

[Sojourner1]

I was casually feeding some grubs to my ladies on the deck this morning and lamented at my lavender orpington's walking behavior. It seems to be pretty significant today. Normally she will high step once in a while, today it seems she is high stepping for every other step. As mentioned, this hen is 5 years old, and she's been high stepping for as long as I can remember. She also has a hard time getting down stairs and acts like she can't see where the next step is. I am linking a short clip of her. I suspect someone may have the need to mention "oh there's snow, maybe her feet are cold", and nah. It's not that. She walks like this in the summertime, too, and all the other ladies walking around on the snow don't high step, even the littlest bantams who you'd think would have the coldest toes.

Feet are clean with no signs of bumblefoot. Knees and hocks are clean. No sign of mites. She's been periodically treated along with the whole flock for cocci/worms of all types with no improvement. By all other measures she seems healthy, although she only laid any eggs her first year.

Is this neurological? Are these symptoms of Marek's? I know she is vaccinated. Is the vaccine just controlling her symptoms and keeping them relatively mild? She has one other flock sister her age, the rest of my birds are 6 months old, all are in prime health.

Thank you all.

That's a little like my rooster, felt he might have eyesight problem, but eyes look ok. Maybe the need glasses! Lol

 

[AntiqueB]

How is your girl? I have one that began doing the same thing maybe 2 months ago, when she was just over a year old. She seems healthy otherwise. I tried vitamin E and B complex, but it hasn't changed anything, except to make her think she's a very special chicken who gets special treats! She, too, has only laid a very few eggs in her life.

 

[SarahLadd]

How is your girl? I have one that began doing the same thing maybe 2 months ago, when she was just over a year old. She seems healthy otherwise. I tried vitamin E and B complex, but it hasn't changed anything, except to make her think she's a very special chicken who gets special treats! She, too, has only laid a very few eggs in her life.

I ended up giving her to someone, along with her sister, some hand full of months after this post.They were bonded to each other, flocked with each other, did everything together, so they went together. Her sister was trying to kill one of my favorite hens. After trying every suggestion to curb it/stop it and failing, I chose the young hen, and gave them both up to someone with a larger flock with roosters, and transitioned my flock into birds 600 grams or less. I decided chickens with combs and wattles don't belong in Minnesota and won't have these kinds of chickens here ever again, and also, big chickens *suck*. Too many problems. Constant bumblefoot on the bigger birds. Frostbite every "once in a lifetime winter weather event" that happens every year.