Today I noticed a hen that could not use one leg. She also has a purple-black tinge around the edge of her comb, as well as a prominent keel and fluid in her abdomen, plus missing feathers around her butt despite being at the top of the pecking order and lately she has had weak eggs, but all the other birds did too so I assumed it was not enough calcium in their feed, though now I am thinking there might be something else. She seems completely unbothered by all of this, and was calmer than usual when handled, though she was hungry and dehydrated from not being able to reach feed or water for several hours at least. She has not come into contact with any new chickens, and has no apparent injuries. If anyone has any idea what this might be please let me know.
Partial paralysis, among other symptoms, help diagnose!
- Thread starter horselove
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Please post some photos of your hen and her poop.
Fluid in the abdomen, not being able to use the leg, comb turning purple, poor egg quality. She may be having some reproductive issues. Cancer and EYP can be common in laying hens. Organ failure is another possibility.
Work on hydration first, then offer feed. If she's unable to eat/drink on her own, then tube or syringe fluids and food into her.
Look her over for lice/mites and see that her crop is emptying.
It can be hard to know exactly what's happening with a hen when they begin to decline like this. If you lose, then sending body to your state lab for necropsy will give you some answers or if you can try your hand at doing an informal one yourself.
Fluid in the abdomen, not being able to use the leg, comb turning purple, poor egg quality. She may be having some reproductive issues. Cancer and EYP can be common in laying hens. Organ failure is another possibility.
Work on hydration first, then offer feed. If she's unable to eat/drink on her own, then tube or syringe fluids and food into her.
Look her over for lice/mites and see that her crop is emptying.
It can be hard to know exactly what's happening with a hen when they begin to decline like this. If you lose, then sending body to your state lab for necropsy will give you some answers or if you can try your hand at doing an informal one yourself.
- Thread starter
- #3
She's eating and drinking just fine now that she can actually reach food and water, and her crop is emptying, I didn't see any external parasites but here are pictures (the last one shows the position her leg has been "stuck" in):
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Have you examined the leg and joints for swelling/injury and bruising?
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- #5
Yep, no sign of either (though it's difficult to compare the muscles and tendons when one leg is flexed and the other is relaxed). She shows no sign of pain at having the leg and foot manipulated.
WonkierZulu
Songster
Have you sprayed any chemicals that the chicken can get into? Also is the feed moldy and or water clean? Also do you have any cats that can get into the area?
- Thread starter
- #7
The coop is extremely secure, a fox was perched on top of it yesterday but had no way of reaching them. No chemicals sprayed recently, and the food is fresh, though there is a bit of algae in the waterer. None of the other birds seem out of sorts and she's the biggest and usually strongest.
It can be caused by hot weather but Please describe feed routine including treats and supplements? How old is she?
Her feathers on her wings look like hell.. stripped down to the shaft. Sometimes that can be the case in birds that are still approaching their first major molt. Other times it can be a positive indicator of parasites..
Lets see a pic of her butt where the feathers are missing? Sometimes that's an indicator of parasites and other times it can be an indicator of organ failure (coupled with the swelling of the abdomen)
Water belly for the most part has poor prognosis as mentioned along with possible causes by the first poster.
I get algae in my water sometimes to.. it doesn't cause these problems being seen.
Gorgeous hen! Hope you find answers and she recovers quickly!
- Thread starter
- #9
She eats mainly layer feed with frequent access to pasture and oyster shell available as a supplement plus cracked corn/mealworms for treats. I couldn't figure out what's going on with her wing feathers, she's more than two years old so not her first molt. Her butt has been partially bald for a while now and the remaining feathers get caked in feces so I cut them off the other day for hygiene (the picture is from before that, I know it's not a good angle). I have an older hen who's felt like she has a water balloon in her belly for a year or two, but she never had the paralysis so I just had the fluid drained when it started to feel like there would be pressure on her organs.It can be caused by hot weather but Please describe feed routine including treats and supplements? How old is she?
Her feathers on her wings look like hell.. stripped down to the shaft. Sometimes that can be the case in birds that are still approaching their first major molt. Other times it can be a positive indicator of parasites..
Lets see a pic of her butt where the feathers are missing? Sometimes that's an indicator of parasites and other times it can be an indicator of organ failure (coupled with the swelling of the abdomen)
Water belly for the most part has poor prognosis as mentioned along with possible causes by the first poster.
I get algae in my water sometimes to.. it doesn't cause these problems being seen.
Gorgeous hen! Hope you find answers and she recovers quickly!
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