Pale comb, limping, toes curled , tail tucked

[Chicknsnducks]

Hello my orpington is experiencing the symptoms I listed in the title. She was on the tail end of a molt and so her disheveled appearance lately I thought was a result of that. However the last couple days she has been limping with her one foot curled up. She will splay it out on occasion though like she is putting weight on it but as soon as she goes to walk she stumbles or limps. Her comb has also gone a bit pale. I was worried about bumble foot so I went into the run and with a wet compress wiped away a clod of poo and feathers on that foot but did not see any toe swelling, injuries etc. she also seemed fine with me touching the foot and leg. I took them some strawberries and raspberries that were getting a little old and she ate pretty heartily when I hand fed them to her. She does feel a bit thin but was picking at their feed while I watched. All my other girls look happy and healthy and I’m just not sure what to do here to help this one. None of them have been laying real consistently this time of year but I’m worried about her being eggbound since i lost one to that last year.

 

[Duckbreeder2020]

Pic?

 

[Chicknsnducks]

She seems to be putting more weight on it currently which I guess is promising. Appetite seems good and how alert she is. Seems even a bit perkier than yesterday. Anyway its her left foot. She did have it turned inward when I first came out. I do have a ramp up to their coop above part of the run and they do sometimes fly down. I assume an injury is possible? She is sleeping by herself next to the adjacent duck coop because she can’t get up the ramp. Seems no worse for wear and I wrap 3/4 of the run with plastic to cut down on wind and keep snow out in the winter so she has a warmish spot at least. Still concerned about the color of her comb. As you can see by all the feathers this one and two others have recently molted. They eat layer crumbles and get scratch for treats along with any kitchen scraps. Im going to get them and the ducks a vitamin supplement also. Thanks for any help.

 

[LaFleche]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

I am sorry your hen is not feeling well. Please, try to answer the following questions:

How old is she exactly?
When did she last lay an egg?
When did you last deworm your flock?
What exactly are you feeding them including treats etc.?
Do they have grit available at all times?
How do her droppings look? (Please upload a picture).

 

[Chicknsnducks]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

I am sorry your hen is not feeling well. Please, try to answer the following questions:

How old is she exactly?
When did she last lay an egg?
When did you last deworm your flock?
What exactly are you feeding them including treats etc.?
Do they have grit available at all times?
How do her droppings look? (Please upload a picture).

I inherited her from someone getting rid of their chickens and she is at least a year old.
I’m not sure when she last laid but it is over a week
Flock was dewormed 6 or 7 months ago. I understand they’re due again. I was under the impression roughly every 6 months. Is that correct?
Layer crumble, scratch, some mealworms, kitchen scraps such as bluberries/raspberries, peas, leafy green scraps, they wander the yard some evenings as well.
they do get grit but spill the container its in and it gets mixed up in the run.
i’ll have to get a pic of her poop but I haven't been out to see her specifically go

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. I would cut back on some of the extras that may be diluting the nutrition of the balanced layer feed. A curled under toe while walking on a hock may be a sign of vitamin B2 riboflavin deficiency, an injury that is affecting the nerve, or Mareks disease. Injury would be the best guess. I would give some extra riboflavin, which is easily found in human B complex tablets. Crush 1/2 tablet daily in food or a spoonful of water. Time will usually tell what the cause is. Hopefully with a little rest it will get better. Keep an eye on her to make sure she is getting enough food and water, or confine her with her own.

 

[Chicknsnducks]

Sorry about your hen. I would cut back on some of the extras that may be diluting the nutrition of the balanced layer feed. A curled under toe while walking on a hock may be a sign of vitamin B2 riboflavin deficiency, an injury that is affecting the nerve, or Mareks disease. Injury would be the best guess. I would give some extra riboflavin, which is easily found in human B complex tablets. Crush 1/2 tablet daily in food or a spoonful of water. Time will usually tell what the cause is. Hopefully with a little rest it will get better. Keep an eye on her to make sure she is getting enough food and water, or confine her with her own.

Thanks. I’ll look into the b vitamin. We have some leftover baby vitamins it has some b vitamins among others. Can i give them that?

 

[LaFleche]

I inherited her from someone getting rid of their chickens and she is at least a year old.
I’m not sure when she last laid but it is over a week
Flock was dewormed 6 or 7 months ago. I understand they’re due again. I was under the impression roughly every 6 months. Is that correct?
Layer crumble, scratch, some mealworms, kitchen scraps such as bluberries/raspberries, peas, leafy green scraps, they wander the yard some evenings as well.
they do get grit but spill the container its in and it gets mixed up in the run.
i’ll have to get a pic of her poop but I haven't been out to see her specifically go

Some people de-worm more often, but twice a year should be fine. You could de-worm her and start vitamin supplements, as she might be deficient and perk up noticeably after just a few days if this was her problem.

To prevent them spilling the grit and oyster shell container, you could screw or tie them either to the hardware cloth or the wooden parts of the coop.

Anyway its her left foot.

Limping on the left leg/foot could hint to some issue of the reproductive system.
But before investigating any further in that direction, I would de-worm her thoroughly first and supply the vitamins.

 

[LaFleche]

Thanks. I’ll look into the b vitamin. We have some leftover baby vitamins it has some b vitamins among others. Can i give them that?

Taht would be fine, but might not be sufficient for her, as chickens have a fast metabolism.