Long-term mystery chicken disability; how to help her?

[so_fancy_af]

I have four egg layers, one of whom is definitely disabled (her name = Mystery), but who doesn't display any outward signs of injury or illness. Since she was a chick she hasn't moved as much as her sisters, can't keep up with the flock for the most part, and when she's out she gravitates to a wall or corner and will pace up and down. She needs help getting on and off the roost and while she can get *up* the chicken ladder, she can't get down by herself, though she's alert and interacts with her flock as long as they're nearby. It's definitely a congenital issue. I've looked everywhere for an explanation of what might be afflicting her--I thought for sure it was neurological-- but can't find anything that matches her symptoms and behavior. Physically she's fine, no broken bones, she's not unkempt, her poop is normal, she eats and drinks well (when I put her in front of food and water), though she attacks food/water just like Hei Hei from Moana. Her nestmates don't pick on her, thank goodness. My most recent theory is that Mystery's blind in one eye, making navigation and judging distances impossible, but both of her eyes are clear, no sign of any injury. Maybe she's just really, really dumb...? She's the sweetest and will sit on our shoulders or hang out in our laps--I am in love with her, so don't bother suggesting I euthanize her. However I can't always be there to shuttle her around and make sure she's drinking and eating well so I'm trying to come up with ways to help her be more independent. Anyone have 1. a chicken who displays the same behavior and 2. special chicken helper hacks? I was thinking maybe a small offset ladder she can more easily grip to get on and off the roost but that's as far as I've gotten.

 

[azygous]

Most likely "Mystery" is suffering from a congenital vitamin deficiency. It may not be possible to correct it at this late date, but it's sure worth a try. The other cause of neurological issues is exposure at some point to a toxic substance. It's much too late to try to track down what she might have been exposed to, though.

Vitamin therapy would include vitamin E 400iu once a day and vitamin B complex once a day. I would try this for one month and carefully observe her for improvement. If there is improvement, she may require continued vitamin therapy to lock in her improvements so she doesn't slip back into disability. Give the vitamin supplements as intact pills directly into the beak.

It's easy to test her vision. Be aware that chickens focus each eye independently from the other, unlike humans that use both eyes to focus on both close and distant objects. A chicken's right eye focuses on food on the ground at their feet or on the roosting perch just above them. The left eye focuses on distance, always ferreting out danger approaching from far away. So test the eyes independently.

Use treats as the motivational tool. Place "Mystery" in a place where the others won't grab the treats you place at her feet to test her right eye. Watch how easily she locates each meal worm or sunflower seed. If she stabs at the vacant space around the treats before she nails a treat, she is partially blind in the right eye. If she cannot manage snagging even one treat, she's blind in the right eye.

To test the left eye, again, it's best to do this without competition or cues from the other chickens. If you have a container you use for the treats that your flock recognizes, walk off about twenty feet and show her the container of treats. Do not shake it to trigger her audio responses. Just hold it up for her to see. If you get no reaction, she's likely vision impaired in the left eye.

 

[so_fancy_af]

Most likely "Mystery" is suffering from a congenital vitamin deficiency. It may not be possible to correct it at this late date, but it's sure worth a try. The other cause of neurological issues is exposure at some point to a toxic substance. It's much too late to try to track down what she might have been exposed to, though.

Vitamin therapy would include vitamin E 400iu once a day and vitamin B complex once a day. I would try this for one month and carefully observe her for improvement. If there is improvement, she may require continued vitamin therapy to lock in her improvements so she doesn't slip back into disability. Give the vitamin supplements as intact pills directly into the beak.

It's easy to test her vision. Be aware that chickens focus each eye independently from the other, unlike humans that use both eyes to focus on both close and distant objects. A chicken's right eye focuses on food on the ground at their feet or on the roosting perch just above them. The left eye focuses on distance, always ferreting out danger approaching from far away. So test the eyes independently.

Use treats as the motivational tool. Place "Mystery" in a place where the others won't grab the treats you place at her feet to test her right eye. Watch how easily she locates each meal worm or sunflower seed. If she stabs at the vacant space around the treats before she nails a treat, she is partially blind in the right eye. If she cannot manage snagging even one treat, she's blind in the right eye.

To test the left eye, again, it's best to do this without competition or cues from the other chickens. If you have a container you use for the treats that your flock recognizes, walk off about twenty feet and show her the container of treats. Do not shake it to trigger her audio responses. Just hold it up for her to see. If you get no reaction, she's likely vision impaired in the left eye.

Thank you so much for the advice! I'll set up a regiment of the E and B12 and see what happens. What perplexes me about the vitamin deficiency possibility is that she is the only one of her flock to exhibit this behavior; as chicks everyone was fed chick starter and given water fortified with sav-a-chick. Maybe that wasn't enough, though. Regardless, I'll start Mystery on the vits and check her eyes. She's such a sweet gal. She deserves to feel better.

 

[Xouie]

I have four egg layers, one of whom is definitely disabled (her name = Mystery), but who doesn't display any outward signs of injury or illness. Since she was a chick she hasn't moved as much as her sisters, can't keep up with the flock for the most part, and when she's out she gravitates to a wall or corner and will pace up and down. She needs help getting on and off the roost and while she can get *up* the chicken ladder, she can't get down by herself, though she's alert and interacts with her flock as long as they're nearby. It's definitely a congenital issue. I've looked everywhere for an explanation of what might be afflicting her--I thought for sure it was neurological-- but can't find anything that matches her symptoms and behavior. Physically she's fine, no broken bones, she's not unkempt, her poop is normal, she eats and drinks well (when I put her in front of food and water), though she attacks food/water just like Hei Hei from Moana. Her nestmates don't pick on her, thank goodness. My most recent theory is that Mystery's blind in one eye, making navigation and judging distances impossible, but both of her eyes are clear, no sign of any injury. Maybe she's just really, really dumb...? She's the sweetest and will sit on our shoulders or hang out in our laps--I am in love with her, so don't bother suggesting I euthanize her. However I can't always be there to shuttle her around and make sure she's drinking and eating well so I'm trying to come up with ways to help her be more independent. Anyone have 1. a chicken who displays the same behavior and 2. special chicken helper hacks? I was thinking maybe a small offset ladder she can more easily grip to get on and off the roost but that's as far as I've gotten.

No reason to euthanize — she looks and sounds happy and healthy overall. I had a hen who couldn’t get up to the roost on her own. Not disabled, just very, very..... “sturdy” (it’s hard keeping a chicken on a diet). I ended up giving her a very low roosting bar near the regular one. Could that help Mystery?

 

[so_fancy_af]

No reason to euthanize — she looks and sounds happy and healthy overall. I had a hen who couldn’t get up to the roost on her own. Not disabled, just very, very..... “sturdy” (it’s hard keeping a chicken on a diet). I ended up giving her a very low roosting bar near the regular one. Could that help Mystery?

I think that's a good idea. She used to "roost" on the small waterer we had hanging in the coop, which was a disaster for multiple reasons so we pulled it out. During the summer I didn't worry as much about having her up near the others but now that it's cold I'd like to at least get her in their vicinity. (She has her own dedicated heating pad in the coop though too, just in case.)