limping hen, hardly walking, no signs of injury

[ochochicas]

How old is Frances?

There are lots of things that can cause chickens to limp. However, if your chicks that are 2 - 8 months old start limping, not wanting to walk, have a droopy wing, coughing or respiratory distress with no sinus congestion, etc. you should go over and read the Marek's thread and the article. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

I don't want to send people into a panic, but the longer Marek's birds are sick and shedding virus all over the coop, the more birds you will have getting sick in the future. I wish you all luck.

 

[featheredbelles]

For the four year old hen - I would say it could be something related to old age. I had some older hens that got arthritis and would walk slow or with a weird gait. They couldn't get down from the chicken ladder in the morning so I had to help them. The pic of the hen's feet looks a bit strange to me. The back toe should be pointing away from the other toes. Also, the toenails on one foot are worn down a lot more than on the other foot. I'd guess she has had something going on with one leg for some time now. Hopefully it is arthritis or something she can learn to cope with.

For the 2 month old, I'm more worried about Marek's disease. Do you have any other chicks? Chicks are very susceptible to Marek's Virus for the first 6 months or so of life. If you vaccinate, it is supposed to be done at one day old. It has to be done before they are exposed to the virus since their immune system needs about 3 weeks to build antibodies. If they are exposed to the virus before they have the antibodies they can still come down with the disease.

There is nothing you can do but wait and see if it is Marek's or something else. If your chick can get around and eat fine, there is a chance of recovery. If not, it might be best to have the chick test by the state lab so you know what you are dealing with.

hi again ochochicas,
regarding my older hen....it is getting worse and worse. she takes a few steps and sits down and stays there for a long time. could arthritis be so fast progressing? I still wonder if there's some kind of infection going on and if I should try antibiotics. I have Duramycin-10 t home. any thoughts? thank you!

 

[ochochicas]

I don't know what to tell you. I'm not sure if antibiotics would help or not. Is there a vet in the area that you could consult with? Sorry she isn't getting better.

 

[featheredbelles]

No problem, thank you! I wasn't sure if you had cases like this before...with fast progressing arthritis. I guess at this point antibiotics won't hurt. I'll think about it. There's a vet, but not really for chickens and ridiculously expensive...I rather go with chicken experts. ;-) thank you!

 

[ErikaBear]

I'm having similar problems with my golden sex link who's 1 year old. Shes limping a little and she seems to be laying down a lot, but she gets up fast for treats. Could she possibly have a sprain?

 

[morningchick]

My 2 year old hen was also having a problem. She had bumblefoot from my roost being too high. I lowered the roost, added more shavings, and cut the center out from the bumblefoot. It took a bit of care, but worth it. She is starting to free range with the girls again and feeling much better. I hope yours gets well soon.

 

[featheredbelles]

I'm having similar problems with my golden sex link who's 1 year old. Shes limping a little and she seems to be laying down a lot, but she gets up fast for treats. Could she possibly have a sprain?

 

[featheredbelles]

...

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That sounds a little big like mine. I'm building her a new ramp today. Mine is too steep,I think that is probably painful.

 

[featheredbelles]

UPDATE
my hen is getting worse. she's pretty much sitting all day. She does eat though if I put it near her. I'm not ready to give up on her yet. I forgot to mention that another hen had respiratory problems (labored, loud breathing with open mouth) about a week ago. I gave her Duramycin-10 for 5 days and she's back to normal.
Now I read about gout and MS etc...and wonder if I'm dealing with any of those when it comes to the limping one. Any thoughts?

 

[ErikaBear]

UPDATE
my hen is getting worse. she's pretty much sitting all day. She does eat though if I put it near her. I'm not ready to give up on her yet. I forgot to mention that another hen had respiratory problems (labored, loud breathing with open mouth) about a week ago. I gave her Duramycin-10 for 5 days and she's back to normal.
Now I read about gout and MS etc...and wonder if I'm dealing with any of those when it comes to the limping one. Any thoughts?

I'm so sorry to hear that, hopeful both of our hens pull through.. I've been mixing Durvet Vitamins and Electrolytes in the chicken water, and she seems to be up more often, although I'm not sure if that was why she improved. We also tried half of a baby Tylenol but it didn't seem to help. Best Wishes