Possible vitamin deficiency

[SHF1214]

Has anyone used this before for selenium/vitamin E deficiency?
I have 2 hens that are 3 yrs old, vaccinated for Marek’s and having issues walking. Eating and drinking fine, look great, defecating normal just can’t walk well. Process of Elimination I think it might be selenium/ vitamin E deficiency. Can’t find Poly vi Sol nearby and I found this.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can find Vitamin E and B-Complex at stores like WalMart.
Give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. A little egg or tuna given as a daily treat has sufficient Selenium.

Are both hens suddenly having trouble walking? Can you get a video of them? Upload video to YouTube and provide a link.

Photos of them, their legs, feet and bottom of feet may be helpful.

What do you feed including treats?
Do they lay eggs?

 

[Eggcessive]

I also would recommend 1/4-1/2 tablet of crushed B complex with vitamin E 400 IU daily. It sounds like they need riboflavin (B 2.) Scrambled egg bits will provide plenty of selenium, so extra is not needed. Are they eating a balanced chicken feed, and what exactly? Videos can be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo with a link posted here of the chickens walking. Are they limping, is one leg weaker, are they holding a leg up or putting weight in them, and are there curled under toes?

 

[Jsnai]

I had a similar issue with my hen. Couldn’t really walk, just sat back on hocks. Had curled toes too. I started b complex and now she can walk. Can walk, run, and everything just very clumsy still. Stumbles backwards every now and then.

She has odd feathering on her head.. maybe just immature. Her 3 sisters are outside playing and thriving, while she is still inside trying to regain weight and health. Not sure what else to do… she still isn’t quite like the others. Doesn’t eat as much as she should.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I had a similar issue with my hen. Couldn’t really walk, just sat back on hocks. Had curled toes too. I started b complex and now she can walk. Can walk, run, and everything just very clumsy still. Stumbles backwards every now and then.

She has odd feathering on her head.. maybe just immature. Her 3 sisters are outside playing and thriving, while she is still inside trying to regain weight and health. Not sure what else to do… she still isn’t quite like the others. Doesn’t eat as much as she should.

I would add vitamin E (400IU) to your vitamin routine of giving 1/4 tablet B-Complex. Egg as a daily treat.
Some chicks can be runty or have some genetic/developmental problem, hard to know. See that she's eating her chick starter, get the vitamins into her, that her crop is emptying, etc. Hopefully she'll improve.

 

[Jsnai]

I would add vitamin E (400IU) to your vitamin routine of giving 1/4 tablet B-Complex. Egg as a daily treat.
Some chicks can be runty or have some genetic/developmental problem, hard to know. See that she's eating her chick starter, get the vitamins into her, that her crop is emptying, etc. Hopefully she'll improve.

I think her crop is emptying. She poops very normal. She doesn’t eat or drink enough for her crop to really fill up enough for me to feel. My other 3 outside forage and eat a bunch. I can feel their crops easily.

I’ll add vit E! Thank you

 

[Skibum]

Can you use nutritional yeast to suppliment the B vitamins they may be missing?

 

[RoyalChick]

Vitamin B2 is the deficiency associated with leg paralysis and curled toes. It is water soluble and very safe so you can use supplements from the pharmacy for people.
I have been treating a chick for this - she must have an absorption issue because she needs massive doses to cure her paralysis and when I ease up on the B2 one leg or the other gives out.
Right now at 8 weeks she is walking normally, but I am maintaining the B2 supplements at least for now.