Limping Hen/Dragging Leg

[ddboersma]

No trick. Just pry open the beak and shove the pill inside. Chickens may look like they can't handle a pill, but keep in mind they manage to swallow lizards and mice just fine. While you might have a problem swallowing a pill, just try picturing swallowing a lizard. No, don't.

Ok thanks! I don’t have to worry about choking or anything like that? And she can take 1 a day? Thanks again!

 

[ddboersma]

My flock carries the leucosis virus, and it causes such lameness. So recently when a hen started dragging her leg, I thought the worst. But I decided to treat with vitamin B-complex anyway.

After getting B-complex every day for a month, she recovered full use of her leg and has been fine ever since.

You don't need special chicken vitamins. Just go to where they sell the people vitamins and select the B-complex with the highest amounts. I use B-100 complex from Walmart.

Hello again! We are 5 or 6 days into treating with B 100 complex. Haven’t noticed improvement yet but I know it can take a while. I’ve also noticed, now that she’s isolated in her own cage at night (and has her own section of run during the day the birds can’t get to her at), that she has green and runny stools. Not all the time, but probably more often than she should. I can share an image if needed . She isn’t exposed to free ranging/grass right now, and is either in hemp shavings in her cage at night or sand in the run. The whole flock was treated for coccidiosis and tape worm recently as my original post stated. Do you think I should have something more to worry about than possible vitamin deficiency? I noticed her eating changed some and she wasn’t eating a whole lot since isolating her, but is better since I let her back in the run all day with her own section. Thanks for your time!

 

[azygous]

Green chunks in a thin white mucous when a chicken poops indicates they are not eating and the liver has nothing to produce but bile.

It's hard to say if this lack of appetite is from her being confined or from a serious underlying issue. If you are up to it, you could tube feed her and that would give her an important infusion of nutrients that could restore her energy and improve her appetite. I did this recently with a very sick hen to get her jump started when she was pretty nearly dead. She's since fully recovered.

We don't know if this is a vitamin deficiency or something more serious. If your hen keeps declining instead of showing improvement, the next thing you can try is an oral antibiotic. If that fails to generate improvement and she declines to the point of no return, the next step would be to consider taking her to your state lab for a necropsy.

 

[ddboersma]

Green chunks in a thin white mucous when a chicken poops indicates they are not eating and the liver has nothing to produce but bile.

It's hard to say if this lack of appetite is from her being confined or from a serious underlying issue. If you are up to it, you could tube feed her and that would give her an important infusion of nutrients that could restore her energy and improve her appetite. I did this recently with a very sick hen to get her jump started when she was pretty nearly dead. She's since fully recovered.

We don't know if this is a vitamin deficiency or something more serious. If your hen keeps declining instead of showing improvement, the next thing you can try is an oral antibiotic. If that fails to generate improvement and she declines to the point of no return, the next step would be to consider taking her to your state lab for a necropsy.

Attached is an image of the kind of stool I’m seeing. Also, she seems alert and not “sick”, but I know they hide that well until they’re in a bad state. When my flock got sick with coccidiosis, she was one that acted sick for a few days, but recovered with isolation and my prodding to drink the Corid water constantly. Her limping came a few weeks later.
I don’t know if I’m up for tube feeding YET. Is there any way else I can try and get more nutrients down, with a food/vitamin concoction of your recommendation or syringe? I have only ever fed chicken feed.
Thank you again for all your helpful advice!

 

[azygous]

If there is an especially foul odor to that poop, I'd be inclined to start her on an antibiotic. Do you have anything on hand?

Try rice and buttermilk or yogurt. That might appeal to her. You can try some wet catfood, cooked egg, and if you really can't tube feed, strained baby foods can easily be syringed into the crop. It would be good pratice for tubing at some point, the principle being the same.

 

[ddboersma]

If there is an especially foul odor to that poop, I'd be inclined to start her on an antibiotic. Do you have anything on hand?

Try rice and buttermilk or yogurt. That might appeal to her. You can try some wet catfood, cooked egg, and if you really can't tube feed, strained baby foods can easily be syringed into the crop. It would be good pratice for tubing at some point, the principle being the same. View attachment 3228424

Thank you for this info! I haven’t noticed it smelling especially bad but will pay attention today. I didn’t even know you could get antibiotics…where/what do I get to have on hand? Sorry for bothering you, and thanks!

 

[azygous]

If you're in the US, you can get them atTarctor Supply, Petsmart, and pigeon supply shops. Also online.

 

[chickfused]

When I have a sick chicken that needs force feeding, I don't tube feed, I make food "pills" by making some very thick mash and forming it into pellets. Then pop it into the chicken, just like a pill. Less traumatic for us both (and less dangerous). You could try this and see if she'll eat the pellets. Most of the time, once you get something into a chicken, they just swallow it reflexively.

 

[ddboersma]

When I have a sick chicken that needs force feeding, I don't tube feed, I make food "pills" by making some very thick mash and forming it into pellets. Then pop it into the chicken, just like a pill. Less traumatic for us both (and less dangerous). You could try this and see if she'll eat the pellets. Most of the time, once you get something into a chicken, they just swallow it reflexively.

Great idea! Thanks!

 

[ddboersma]

When I have a sick chicken that needs force feeding, I don't tube feed, I make food "pills" by making some very thick mash and forming it into pellets. Then pop it into the chicken, just like a pill. Less traumatic for us both (and less dangerous). You could try this and see if she'll eat the pellets. Most of the time, once you get something into a chicken, they just swallow it reflexively.

If you're in the US, you can get them atTarctor Supply, Petsmart, and pigeon supply shops. Also onlin

If you're in the US, you can get them atTarctor Supply, Petsmart, and pigeon supply shops. Also online.

Hello

If you're in the US, you can get them atTarctor Supply, Petsmart, and pigeon supply shops. Also online.

If there is an especially foul odor to that poop, I'd be inclined to start her on an antibiotic. Do you have anything on hand?

Try rice and buttermilk or yogurt. That might appeal to her. You can try some wet catfood, cooked egg, and if you really can't tube feed, strained baby foods can easily be syringed into the crop. It would be good pratice for tubing at some point, the principle being the same. View attachment 3228424

Hello again!
Still monitoring my hen and no noticeable improvement. Yet. She is not getting worse or acting sick. I was curious if you thought Vitamin E/selenium deficiency could be part of the problem, or is that more of a whole body lameness issue?
I have treated 2 birds that at a young age (6-8 weeks) were found alive but laying still and unable to move. After googling I made a concoction of egg white, vitamin E, vitamin drops and molasses and fed with syringe throughout the day. Within 2 days the birds completely recovered. This lame leg thing is obviously different in that she can move everything but one leg, but wondered if it would be harmful to try with the B100 vitamin she’s getting every day.
I thought about maybe emptying the contents of a vitamin e capsule in yogurt.
Also, is there an antibiotic that you recommend over the other to have on hand? I’m overwhelmed with options. Thank you for your time!