Lame hen

[RIRobin]

One of our 18 month old Welsummer hens has gotten lame. She stopped roosting a couple of weeks ago but I didn't think much of it because she's always been a little bit of an oddball, but I noticed in the last couple of days she hasn't been walking well. We have 16 chickens and the rest seem fine, they were all supposedly vaccinated as chicks.

I checked her really carefully this morning and didn't see any signs of an abscess or mites or traumatic injury. After I checked her out I put her down without thinking much about it, and she just keeled over and fell down in the mud :-( She's a bad layer, but also the kids' favorite, so if there's something easy I could do I'm willing to give it a try. Any ideas what else might be wrong?

 

[DobieLover]

What where your chicks vaccinated for? Regardless, no vaccine is 100% effective. It could be Merek's even though it typically affects younger birds.

 

[rebrascora]

You need to give her a thorough examination. Check her body condition ie feel her breast area. Is the breast bone sharp under the skin or does she have a reasonable amount of muscle coverage. Does she have any abdominal swelling? This needs to be checked by cupping your hand between her legs and feeling for any fullness there or below her vent. If you do this at night whilst the other birds are roosting it will enable you to compare with them for a better idea of what is normal. Also check her crop function.... feel it at night when they go to roost, remove the feeder and check again in the morning when it should be empty.
It may be Marek's as that can exhibit at this time of year in older birds going through their moult or it may be a reproductive issue or other mass pressing on her sciatic nerve, hence the question about abdominal swelling. A slow or impacted crop can make them skinny and weak and that might cause her to be unsteady on her feet. I would start her on Nutri Drench or another quality poultry vitamin supplement and give her a few drops directly into her beak to start her off with it. She may benefit from a heat source like a heat pad if your temps are starting to drop. Sick chickens usually struggle to maintain body temp. and isolating her will allow you to monitor her food and water intake and output(poop) as well.

If you can come back to us with the result of those checks we will be in a better position to advise you as regards treatment.