My hen can’t walk!

[The Golden Egg5]

My hen, Einstein, cant walk.
About 3 weeks ago, I norlticed she was sleeping in a nesting box instead of the roost. I would pick her up and put her on the roost, but she would immediately just fall to the ground. I was very confused. The next day I watched her and she seemed 100% normal. She was walking around and scratching like normal. I assumed she was just being stubborn and wanted to stay in the nest box. I tried again to get her on the roost, but it failed. After that I just let her have her way.
It’s been going downhill from there. A couple days ago she was lying down to eat and she started sleeping on the floor. I moved her to a nesting box because it is warmer in there, and I started giving her nutridrench every night.
Tonight, she was out in the run because she couldn’t climb the ramp, and this morning, I noticed her laying down while the others were scratching about.
I brought her inside and I put a bowl of moistened chick feed and she gobbled it down. I then cooked her an egg and she ate the whole thing. She’s a bantam- so that’s a TON of food. Do y’all think she was getting bullied away from the food? I hope it isn’t anything serious.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Weight loss tends to accompany a weak wobbly bird. It is hard to guess unfortunately what could be wrong with her. A vet may be able to help.

Another possibility is Mareks. Hopefully someone else will have a better idea or advice than me. When I have a bird that is losing weight it generally doesn't end well, and I suspect something internal.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm afraid that looks and sounds very much like Marek's to me. She is within the vulnerable age group and adding the new chicks may have been the trigger. Where did you get her from? Do you know if she was vaccinated for Marek's as a newly hatched chick?
All you can do is keep her well fed and watered and as stress free as possible. A good poultry supplement like Nutri Drench will help to support her immune system and help her fight the virus. If you get a nice warm, sunny day and can put her outside for a bit on some grass (perhaps in a cage) within sight of the others that may help, but otherwise keeping her warm well fed and comfortable is the best you can do.
If it is Marek's she will be a carrier for life and prone to other attacks if she survives this one, but I have had some birds that have gone over a year between attacks and had a very good quality of life in between. If she loses interest in food then I usually euthanize at that point as they go downhill pretty rapidly after that in my experience.
Good luck with her and the rest of your flock.... Marek's is contagious.... the virus spreads via dander dust from an infected bird which is inhaled into the respiratory system to infect others. It then lies dormant until something triggers an attack.... similar to the cold sore virus in humans, so you can't tell who carries the virus until they have an outbreak.... in fact they are both caused by a Herpes virus.
I'm sorry to suggest such a horrible diagnosis but it is better to be prepared for the worst and it perhaps not be so bad. Marek's is such a common and widespread disease that it is the most likely cause of such symptoms, particularly in a bird of this age.

 

[rebrascora]

This is a very simple version...

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

If she's showing interest in food, then it might be a bullying issue. I had a bantam that was bullied like that. I made her a little cage in the coop that she could slip in and out of but was too small for the others to get into. She would come out to eat and do whatever in the coop and then run back in when she needed to get away from the others.
Can you post some pictures?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is she also losing weight? How old is she?

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

I had a hen that stopped walking like that, but she was ancient. Maybe she just lost enough muscle in her legs to make walking difficult. Make sure she keeps walking, even if she doesn't want to. She'll need to exercise to get any muscle back.
I hope that her not walking is just the cause of not eating. The only experience I have with chickens just wanting to sit all the time is with really old hens.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would continue feeding her the way you are, and offer some egg, tuna, or liver with the wet feed. Give her chicken vitamins, and make sure they have riboflavin in them. Hopefully, she has a vitamin deficiency, or is weak from not eating, which could be due to her leg provlem and not getting around. Mareks could be a problem, but I would hope not.

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

A good soaking wouldn't hurt. It definitely won't hurt her to err on the side of caution.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I made her a sling, and so far she loves it! I had to make a few adjustments, but now she is sitting there just loving life. I noticed last night that her skin on her underbelly was getting red from laying on it so much. So this should help. Also, unrelated, but she pooped a yellow poop. Does this mean I should get her on corrid?