Older hen with neurological symptoms

[Lechugapicante]

Update a week since intervention: It seems like her eyesight is improving! I am tentatively jumping for joy!

Shes continuing to get nutrients added to her water daily, layer feed, grubs, and an egg every other day. I cut out the yogurt because I didn’t want to upset her stomach by overdoing it. There are probiotics in the powder I’m mixing in her water.

I’ve been hand feeding and watering her until this morning when she found the food bowl on her own!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update a week since intervention: It seems like her eyesight is improving! I am tentatively jumping for joy!

Shes continuing to get nutrients added to her water daily, layer feed, grubs, and an egg every other day. I cut out the yogurt because I didn’t want to upset her stomach by overdoing it. There are probiotics in the powder I’m mixing in her water.

I’ve been hand feeding and watering her until this morning when she found the food bowl on her own!!!

I'm glad to hear she's improving! She's looking better. Hopefully she will continue to do so.
Thank you for the update and video, please keep us posted on her progress.

 

[Lechugapicante]

Update 10 days since intervention: It seems like she has more energy, talkative and walking around, but I’m not as confident that her eye sight is improving unfortunately. Rather, I think that she’s adjusting to not being able to see and is listening for the food bowl and getting comfortable walking toward and pecking around for it. I’ve still been hand watering her, and she’s a little less dependent on feeding once she finds the food bowl. I’ve also been bringing her out into the yard periodically, otherwise she doesn’t or can’t leave the run.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks for the update. It’s too bad that her eyes are not improving much more, but it is good that she is still doing okay. Maybe you can bring her outside to free range a bit with her flock while you stay with her some.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update 10 days since intervention: It seems like she has more energy, talkative and walking around, but I’m not as confident that her eye sight is improving unfortunately. Rather, I think that she’s adjusting to not being able to see and is listening for the food bowl and getting comfortable walking toward and pecking around for it. I’ve still been hand watering her, and she’s a little lhess dependent on feeding once she finds the food bowl. I’ve also been bringing her out into the yard periodically, otherwise she doesn’t or can’t leave the run.

Thank you for the update.
It may be that's she just adapting to reduced sight. Some folks have a chicken that is blind for one reason or another and it seems they can definitely learn where food/water is and sometimes even seem to rely on a buddy to move about in the run/coop and yard. Chickens talk to one another or they make little noises, so it's not surprising they can learn to rely on sound to get around a little.

 

[Lechugapicante]

Update 2.5 weeks since intervention: she’s hanging in there but no noticeable improvement in her eye sight or coordination. I’m totally at a loss about what happened and giving up hope I’ll be able to help her. I’ve been trying to train her by tapping on the food and water bowl when i set them down. She seems so lost and lethargic, spending most if her day standing or lying down in the same spot. I’m worried she’s not getting enough water because I think she’s only drinking when I direct her to the bowl; doesnt seem like she’s learning her surroundings. I feel terrible for her

Any tips on increasing water intake? I’ve been giving her cucumber snacks and occasional yogurt. They normally get a grain mix, but i was thinking about getting pellets and mixing those with water to have her eat twice a day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update 2.5 weeks since intervention: she’s hanging in there but no noticeable improvement in her eye sight or coordination. I’m totally at a loss about what happened and giving up hope I’ll be able to help her. I’ve been trying to train her by tapping on the food and water bowl when i set them down. She seems so lost and lethargic, spending most if her day standing or lying down in the same spot. I’m worried she’s not getting enough water because I think she’s only drinking when I direct her to the bowl; doesnt seem like she’s learning her surroundings. I feel terrible for her

Any tips on increasing water intake? I’ve been giving her cucumber snacks and occasional yogurt. They normally get a grain mix, but i was thinking about getting pellets and mixing those with water to have her eat twice a day.

I'm sorry to hear she's not improving much.

Yes, you can give her soaked pellets to help increase water intake. Tube or syringe feeding may be an option as well.

 

[Mariakoltsa]

Update 2.5 weeks since intervention: she’s hanging in there but no noticeable improvement in her eye sight or coordination. I’m totally at a loss about what happened and giving up hope I’ll be able to help her. I’ve been trying to train her by tapping on the food and water bowl when i set them down. She seems so lost and lethargic, spending most if her day standing or lying down in the same spot. I’m worried she’s not getting enough water because I think she’s only drinking when I direct her to the bowl; doesnt seem like she’s learning her surroundings. I feel terrible for her

Any tips on increasing water intake? I’ve been giving her cucumber snacks and occasional yogurt. They normally get a grain mix, but i was thinking about getting pellets and mixing those with water to have her eat twice a day.

How is everything ???
My chickem had the same symptoms for a very long time and now she is very bad but its been months since it all started… it got worse than what you describe here so im wondering how are you and your chookie ?! I reallly hope she is well. I was suspecting the tremovirus

 

[Lechugapicante]

How is everything ???
My chickem had the same symptoms for a very long time and now she is very bad but its been months since it all started… it got worse than what you describe here so im wondering how are you and your chookie ?! I reallly hope she is well. I was suspecting the tremovirus

She’s hanging in there but no improvement in symptoms. Still uncoordinated, cannot find her food bowl without me tapping on it when I feed them. I’ve been mixing pellets with water and giving that to her also because she isn’t drinking or finding the water bowl on her own. I have to move her from the run to the yard. She mostly just stands around. When she walks she takes high steps and will trip herself and doesn’t move far. I can’t bring myself to put her down yet because she is still eating and picking around when I move her to the yard but her quality of life is definitely not high. It’s very sad.

I don’t suspect Tremovirus for her just because she’s 7 and neuro symptoms for that virus are seen in very young chicks. I can’t rule out another virus though or possibly a tumor or brain injury. I do have another bird without symptoms.

 

[Mariakoltsa]

She’s hanging in there but no improvement in symptoms. Still uncoordinated, cannot find her food bowl without me tapping on it when I feed them. I’ve been mixing pellets with water and giving that to her also because she isn’t drinking or finding the water bowl on her own. I have to move her from the run to the yard. She mostly just stands around. When she walks she takes high steps and will trip herself and doesn’t move far. I can’t bring myself to put her down yet because she is still eating and picking around when I move her to the yard but her quality of life is definitely not high. It’s very sad.

I don’t suspect Tremovirus for her just because she’s 7 and neuro symptoms for that virus are seen in very young chicks. I can’t rule out another virus though or possibly a tumor or brain injury. I do have another bird without symptoms.

Sounds exactly like mine is right now as well.. exactly what you described. Ive read that the symptoma in older hens are very rare but possible especially when immune system is a bit down. Mine started getting better seemingly and actually ate once a day and got half a ping pong ball amount of food in her crop herself but then suddwnly she got worse and stopped trying. Maybe because she started moulting on top of it but i can’t be sure. I was having high hopes when she finally started eating herself