Limping hen? Don't know the cause.

[Year of the Rooster]

For the past few days I've noticed that one of my Sebright hens has been limping. I've picked her up and check her over to see if I could feel any breaks, but it seem like anything was wrong. She's still acting normally, eating, foraging, the norm. except she walks with a limp. The only thing drastic that we have done is replaced the dirt in their run with sand. Could it be hurting her feet? I looked at her bottoms and there are not cuts or bits of sand stuck between her toes. I thought she might've sprained something, though I was hoping it would have healed by now. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Renee]

Somtimes limping is a sign of a vitamin B deficiency. It seems odd that a bird could be suffering from a nutritional deficiency when the commercial feed is formulated to take care of all of their needs, but sometimes it happens anyway.

I have used liquid baby vitamins with no iron in this situation. It can't hurt, even if that's not the problem. You put three drops a day on the end of their beak so they lick it off. Do this for a week, then taper off.

Renee

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Thank you Renee

If vitamins are a problem, I guess it doesn't surprise me. This hen is going through a long, slow molt and seems to be just finishing it. She started in August at our county fair

The last of her tail feathers are still coming in. I will try the vitamin B thing. I know my mom has vitamin B capsules that I could break open.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Update on her. I thought my mom had some vitamin B capsules but she didn't... but she did have some alfalfa ones. I tried sprinkling that on her feed. She hasn't been moving at all unless tempted by food. All she does is sit on a perch out in the run. I may bring her in so I can monitor her. It's really hard to explain how she's walking. I may have to get a video of her.