Kicking Chicken

[DurbanGirl]

So I trimmed her spurs back last night, and so far no improvement in her walk. Maybe it will take a couple of days?

 

[Grecia]

Did you ever find out what your hen's problem was? I have a girl the same breed as in your video, and she's doing the same thing. I thought maybe it was scaly mites and treated her legs with Vaseline, but she's still doing it. Now her left eye is swollen and watery. Any ideas what this could be? I'm thinking maybe it's specific to the breed? Was yours a Welsummer? She is about 5 years old.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Normally I don't like replying to threads as old as this, but I've got a hen doing the same thing. She's always been kind of stumbly, but has gotten a lot worse over the past few days, basically what the hen in the video is doing. She does have short spurs, but they're about half an inch long, so shouldn't be bothering her...

 

[Grecia]

What breed is your hen, HorseGirlAbby, and how old is she?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

What breed is your hen, HorseGirlAbby, and how old is she?

She’s a Mottled Java, and almost seven, so a totally different breed from yours. Does your girl have spurs too?

 

[Grecia]

This is what her eggs look like:

 

[Grecia]

And your girl is old, too. 7.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Hmm, I don't see any spurs on your girl's legs. She doesn't look like she has scaly leg mites either. How cold is it getting where you are? I considered that my hen might just be reacting to the extreme temps I've been getting the past week or so.

 

[Grecia]

The picture was taken shortly after I got her in the fall. I will take a new picture of her tomorrow for you. The first time I put Vaseline on her legs was right around Christmas. At first she walked quite a while without kicking. But then after about 20 minutes she started kicking backwards again. In the beginning I thought it was only one leg she was kicking, but then she started kicking both. We had a human medical emergency and I was not able to reapply Vaseline until tonight. After I did I gave her a treat of dry catfood which she ate well. I did read a few minutes ago that sometimes chickens get some kind of weird tumors that affect their legs and press on nerves. I am now worried that may be what is causing the kicking, and maybe it's affecting her eye as well? I can't remember what the neurological disorder was called. And then I read about a huge lash egg being found at necropsy inside a hen who had been kicking backwards. So who knows? It seems this malady is a rare one.

 

[Grecia]

The lowest temperature we have gotten down to here recently was 18 degrees, but now it's in the 40s and she's still kicking, so I don't think it is the temp. Chickens don't really suffer until the temp drops to 8 degrees Fahrenheit, and it hasn't been that cold and none of my other chickens are showing any similar symptoms.