Paralyzed Hen Not Eating!!

[limpychick]

I need helping trying to treat my hen. She is 2 years old and last week she came out of the coop very off balance, using her wings to help. She has progressively gotten worse as now, she can hardly move her legs at all. She will drink water, but will not eat.
She is alert, her eyes are fine. I have tried to get her to eat, and she won't. Last night, I force fed her, and she did swallow the feed. I have been giving her Nutri-Drench directly in her mouth. (only about 1-1 1/2 pumps as I am not too sure how much I should give her directly) Also, I gave her some probiotics out of a capsul in her water and she drank some of that. Last night, I gave her a warm bum wash as she was pretty yucky back there with not being able to move so much. She is in the house to keep her warm, but am unsure what else to do for her.
I think 1 of 3 things is going on and hope for any solution to the problems.
1. I think she may have botulism, just reading some of these posts in the forum lead me to believe it is a possibility.

2. I guess it is also possible that she could have mycotoxin (sp!).

3. lastly, we have been very wet this winter and there is a lot of water around, even with 3 buckets of clean water, I catch the chickens drinking out of nasty puddles. Could algae or stagnant water cause this?

I know some will thing it is Maerks, but I really don't think it is. One thing that makes me believe it is not the water, is that I lost a hen over the summer to the same thing, and we have NO water around during the summer.
Oh, her poo was a decent consistency, but did have some weird green in. I know you may think poison... but other that the things above (possibly) I have no poisons lying around and no poisonous plants.
Her poo now is sort of a pale color, and watery (which I would think is normal with her not eating and only drinking water.) She has lost a lot of weight and last night seemed weaker, so, I force fed her, she seems more alert this morning and so I will force feed her again to keep her strength up.
Sorry this is long, please help

 

[Lobzi]

You might try vitamin B. If it is a nerve issue that might help. Good luck. I just lost 3 and its heart-breaking.

 

[rachele30]

I had 4 golden comets to the exact same thing. I put Tetracycline in her water, isolated her in her own cage in the coop and put a heat light over her to keep her warm. I did this with all 4. Two have made it and two didn't. The other two seem to stay puffed up still though but are getting better. The two that died would get better and get up and walk around and eat and do normal chicken stuff but never seemed quite right and then one day I would go in the coop and would be dead. Just hang in there. I hope yours makes it. Sorry I don't know any more to help you.

 

[Lobzi]

I re-read your post...if you do suspect poisoning try molassas and/or Magnesium sulfate. I have read that they help flush the system of poisons. I have not had any success personally with administering them but I tried both when I was not sure what was wrong. I dont think either will hurt your hen if you do try them. Your description sounds so much like the isses my birds had, except the green in the poo. Good luck and the best you may be able to do is keep her comfortable.

 

[seminolewind]

It sounds like Marek's or she ate something toxic or moldy. If it's toxins, she will look like she's sick. If it's Marek's , she may not look sick aside from the paralysis.

When is the last time you've gotten chickens ???

 

[limpychick]

I haven't gotten any new chickens since early spring last year. I don't know what else to add to help diagnose. She does have some lice, but in her state, can I 7-dust her? I just wish she would eat. I even tried scrambled egg, to no avail..

 

[limpychick]

how much molasses do you give?

 

[Lobzi]

I diluted it in water and administered it with an eye dropper. The one little cockerel I fed it to was not eating much so I didnt get all that much down him. I dont think you can overdose on it.
Regarding what to try... when my little guy was eating he loved frozen-thawed blueberries, cooked chicken pieces and meal worms. You might try offering her these specialties.