Neurological problem or virus? Please help!

[chicken_china_mom]

Either yesterday or the day before when my kids were out in the coop, one of them went to close the coop door and one of the bigger RIR cockerels pushed one of my Bantam BO pullets into the doorway right as my daughter closed the door, and the little girl got caught. After that my daughter noticed that the pullet was staggering around and tonight when I got home I found that they had brought her inside the house. They said she was being picked on out there and my mom said Hailey (that's her name, Hailey Buff. Her sisters are Hilary and Ginger) was cocking her head strangly and seems to be having difficulty lifting one leg and walking properly. She also isn't peeping very loudly, however I don't think I've ever heard my BO's peep much. They are the quietest of all my birds. She is eating and pooping fine, she is just cocking her head a lot and losing balance. Is is cause she got caught in the door, or could there be a virus involved? She is the only one affected. She is 15 weeks old, otherwise completely healthy, and is right now sitting in my lap as though that's where she has belonged her entire life. She isn't making any attempt to get down. Granted that my BO's are all sweet and gentle, almost to a fault, nicest birds ever, so I'm not sure if her clutchmates would be this docile too unless I brought them in the house and tried it. I am concerned about the staggering and head tilting. Could she have had a stroke? What are the possibilities? Thanks to anyone that reads this.

 

[BlackBart]

My little Buff Brahma Bantam rooster, Billy had a similar problem.
As it turns out the neighbors young cat was jumping on him and it must of damaged his back.
He progressively got worse it must have involved some nerve damage.
He would eat and drink but eventually couldn't walk at all.
I was going to take him to the Vet but he didn't make it.
RIP Billy

 

[kathyinmo]

I wish I could help, but I have no answer. If it were me, I would keep her separated from the others, and see how she does in a couple days. I would also give her some electrolyes and vitamins, as she has been stressed.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

I did separate her. She is in the house with us and I don't plan to return her to the coop until she is feeling better. She seems to enjoy just sitting in my lap too. She's been here for about an hour and a half and is just as happy as a clam. I'll put her to bed tonight somewhere by herself. I have two little Frizzle girls still inside the house because the same RIR boys were picking on them and literally plucked their heads bald. Happy, the black girl, had a large gash in the back of her head that formed a nasty blood clot that I was afraid would just get pecked worse, and little Ruby, the red girl, was plucked completely bald and had lumps on her head from the pecking. Both girls healed slowly. It may sound strange but the skin on their heads were soooooo dry that I put some lotion on them to soften the skin, and once I did, the feathers began to grow again. Both girls are healing nicely now. They weren't healing for the first few weeks after I brought them inside. But both girls are looking like chickens again. I was thinking of putting Hailey in there with them, but I think she'd do better by herself, so I will find a box to let her sleep in alone. At least for tonight. Then I will have my mom watch her tomorrow while I am at work. My mom has fallen head over heels in love with her as it is. She loves the docile nature of the BO's. So far Hailey seems ok, but she isn't walking. She's all snuggled down in my lap. I'll check her walking before I go to bed and see how she does. Right now I don't think she has any intentions of leaving my lap.

Chicken knows a good thing when she sees it!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I know you've been trying to rehome your RIR, isn't there any auctions in your area? You might not get much for them, but at least they would be gone!

Hope your little one is okay

ETA: Probably would be best to keep her in a small, confined area, without much light. This should help keep her from trying to move around too much and allow her to heal if it is from an injury.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

I can't even give those RIR boys away. The person that does want them is on the other side of Indianapolis, and my hours have been slowly getting cut back at work, and I already only work part time! I just don't have the gas money to get there right now.

I will have to see about the auction. I don't really want anything for them. I just want them gone. They really are sweet boys with us, just not with the other chicks, if they can even still be called chicks at 15 weeks old,

. And they seem to target the bantams. They don't mess with the standard size birds. I think they know better. And they don't even mess with the older bantams. Just with the ones they arrived with, which were my frizzles, my BO's, and my little dark brahma roo, though they don't really mess with him too much. He's more of a loner anyway. My older DD moved Hailey onto my bed where she is laying down. We are out of containers to use as a brooder. The washer broke and every spare container we had is filled with dirty clothes that are waiting for me to get enough money to take them to the laudromat.

So I guess Hailey gets a diaper and a good night's sleep in the little dog bed I bought for Indy the human chicken that doesn't like to sleep in it anyway. She likes to sleep under the covers, curled up right next to me.

So Hailey should be ok in the soft little dog bed for the night.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

I've been watching Hailey very closely, and she doesn't seem to be improving, though she doesn't seem to be getting worse either. I think she knows she has a good thing going here in the house. She is the quietest chicken I've ever seen. I don't know if that's just the breed or what, but she doesn't cluck or make much noise at all. She eats and then either sits under my cockatiel's cage in the living room or she comes up to me and stares at me until I realize she is there, and then I reach down and pick her up. And she sits contentedly in my arms for hours. At night she sleeps with me and doesn't move all night. She moves slightly more than if she were a pet rock, lol. I haven't really caught her walking, but my mom did and she says it looks like she's dragging her left leg, or at least having trouble lifting it to step. She still cocks her head funny. She's here on the desk with me now, watching the letters appear on the screen as I type, and she likes watching the pictures of the other birds too, so I think she will be ok. I'm not sure I can return her to the flock anytime soon though. I will post again when I do try to reintegrate her, and how that goes. I have some roos to rehome before I try it though.