My hen can’t walk!

[SA&P]

Well done you!
Before I got my Silkies I didn’t understand how chickens could become pets.......now I’ve hatched my own they’ve become part of our family.

I hope she progresses quickly and the weather improves so she can get out when she feels better.

 

[arkansas_ash]

Thank you.
It could actually be rickets because when she was a baby, she stayed inside for a while before ever going outside. She is on nutridrench now and she gets eggs almost every day. Egg yolks are high in vit. D.
It’s supposed to snow a few inches tonight, so it could be a while before she can go outside. It is also supposed to snow on friday.

Glad to hear your girl is doing a bit better! Will look up nutridrench as I'm not familiar with it, but am familiar with electrolytes with probiotics and watered down molasses as liquid nutritionals. I was thinking about what you said that she isn't drinking but heartily eating her gruel. I'd keep that up and between feedings make a more watery offering as from what I know about chickens, they usually need to stand to drink water, you know how they hold their heads back when they drink? I think standing helps them balance while drinking.

Yep, I'm a big fan of sunshine version of Vitamin D. I do know there's vit. D in chick rations and electrolyte vitamin mixes, but I think the sunshine is the best 'form' of it to get chicks off to a good start.

 

[rebrascora]

I have certainly found that my birds that are suffering from Marek's improve when I can put them out in the sunshine....it's just not always reliably available here in the UK. Sunshine and grass have been the things that made the biggest difference and both of those help provide healthy natural vitamins.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Amazing news!! My girl is up on her feet!

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Yesterday, she could not do this. I didn’t even know she could do it until I started videoing! I’m so happy! Looks like she is going to be ok.

 

[rebrascora]

On the blueberry trail!! Looking good!
She has a way to go, but definitely making progress, which is great to see. Thanks for posting the video.
Is she seeing OK? I got the feeling from the video that her sight may be slightly affected too, which is not uncommon with Marek's. If so, hopefully she will make progress with that too over time.

 

[rebrascora]

On the blueberry trail and looking good!!
She has a way to go, but definitely making progress which is great to see. Is she seeing OK? I got the feeling from the video that her sight may be slightly affected too, which is not uncommon with Marek's. If so, hopefully she will make progress with that too over time.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

On the blueberry trail and looking good!!
She has a way to go, but definitely making progress which is great to see. Is she seeing OK? I got the feeling from the video that her sight may be slightly affected too, which is not uncommon with Marek's. If so, hopefully she will make progress with that too over time.

sorry for the late response. She seems to be seeing ok. She can find the tiniest bits of treats that have fallen. Maybe though.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I don’t know if this if from the same thing that Einstein has, but I lost one of my other bantam gals today. She was normal this morning, and I walked into the coop to find her dead on the floor. This was my first loss that I accually saw the body afterwards, and it was absolutely heartbreaking.
Einstein still can’t walk, but she has a great appetite and she is as lively as ever. She loves her weekly baths!

This is the girl who passed today. Her name was Toby. She was such a sweet girl.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful girl she was! Sadly, if I am right and Einstein has Marek's Disease, then it is highly likely that Toby died from it. It can cause visceral tumours which grow very rapidly and if they are located on a vital organ like the heart, it can cause sudden death. The only way to know for sure would be to send Toby's body off for a necropsy.
Good to hear that Einstein is still full of vitality, but a little disappointed that she is not making more progress with her mobility and coordination, but it is still early days and it took a good month of physical therapy for my girl Joy, to make significant progress.