puzzling illness/injury in one of the girls!

[yo_chuci]

wonder if anyone can cast some light on this problem? The flock consists of a rhode island rock (Aida),a bovan goatline (Bg) and a bovan blacktail (Bt!). For about a month and a half now Bt has been struggling with persistant lameness. She isn't eating and foraging like the other two girls. This week I've had to resort to lifting her out of the coop as I'm wondering if she would eat at all if i did'nt. Read on the forum about leg paralysis which can be treated with crushed vit B tablets, so started her on that yesterday, thinking it can't do any harm to try. She's lost some weight but still looks healthy, doing an awful lot of resting while the other two are grubbing about in the soil. Thought she was laying (bought p.o.l. nearly 3 mths ago) but have changed my mind about that, her comb is nowhere near as red as her sisters. Doing all the usual stuff like checking her vent, making sure she is still eating (her ladyship desires mainly porridge and a few greens!) but obviously going on a bit long to be life threatening.She's never shown a sign of injury. Did watch her closely this morn (again!) and it appears that when she walks she's lifting her right foot very high and not contracting the claws when it's in the air, so obviously not roosting. The foot will contract if she is plonked on the perch, but then she wobbles about a lot like it's hard to balance and can't wait to get down. Even wondered if she's gone broody! Worming today just to eliminate something else, but her sisters are fine. Help!

 

[redhen689]

If she's broody she will be making a "cluck, cluck, cluck" sound that is different than the sounds that the other hens would make. She will also resist being moved, most likely pecking at you to leave her alone, although I did have a hen once that didn't do that. If there are any eggs around she may move to the nest where the eggs are. Yes, it sounds as if she could be broody. If it has been going on for 6 weeks she should come out of it soon, and return to acting normal soon. I have purchase day old chicks and snuck them under broody hens with great success, chicks older than a few days may not be accepted though.

 

[AZBootsie]

Have you checked the bottom of her feet for bumble foot?? I don't know anything about mareks except that it causes lameness. You might research that?? Although I would think Mareks would progress faster than 6 weeks. Poly-vi-sol without iron is an easy way to get some vitamins into her.

 

[yo_chuci]

Thank you for the replies and suggestions! She's not making the broody cluck noise, tho aida does when she's found a particularly tasty scrap in her tea! Bt isn't pecking when moved, or sitting on eggs that have been laid. Still tempted to think a bit of broodiness is the cause. Had already checked for bumble foot, not a visible sign of anything wrong to be found. Very frustrating cos not nice to think she may be in pain. Will continue to give the extra vits and will report on any progress! Seems to be eating a bit better today.