Second sick hen

[ZedikerStation]

Well, the course is getting rocky... she is still on the Doxy, eating and drinking well. Along with layer pellets in an electrolyte solution, she gets steak and eggs, but has absolutley no balance or ability to stand. She has leg strength. If held upright, she will attempt to jump with a fair amount of force, but if left unheld she will flop to one side. Mentally she is responsive. It seems physically she is going backwards.

On top of all of this, it appears that she is finishing up a molt. Lots of new wing and tail feathers popping out. Bad timing!!!

 

[azygous]

The balance issues and leg weakness are concerning. Definitely continue the Doxy. Calcium citrate should be given whenever a poor quality egg shows up. This is a different, more easily digested calcium type than oyster shell. It looks like this.

In addition to one of those a day, I suggest a vitamin E gel cap directly into the beak and a B-complex tablet. The E and B will address balance and weakness. If she doesn't respond and gets worse, I would suspect Marek's or a sort of nerve disease such as I'm fighting in my flock.

 

[ZedikerStation]

The balance issues and leg weakness are concerning. Definitely continue the Doxy. Calcium citrate should be given whenever a poor quality egg shows up. This is a different, more easily digested calcium type than oyster shell. It looks like this. View attachment 2564364In addition to one of those a day, I suggest a

The balance issues and leg weakness are concerning. Definitely continue the Doxy. Calcium citrate should be given whenever a poor quality egg shows up. This is a different, more easily digested calcium type than oyster shell. It looks like this. View attachment 2564364In addition to one of those a day, I suggest a vitamin E gel cap directly into the beak and a B-complex tablet. The E and B will address balance and weakness. If she doesn't respond and gets worse, I would suspect Marek's or a sort of nerve disease such as I'm fighting in my flock.

Thank you @azygous , I have the Calcium Citrate, but it is a powder. I have the "E", for me.. LOL. I'll check the B. I was suspicious of Marek's but her legs don't act exactly how I recall they do with Marek's. They are not really paralyzed, and she has no drooping wing. If I touch the bottom of her foot, she will react and close on my finger. If I stand her in both hands and balance her, she can stand on her own. It has been 45 years since I dealt with Marek's as a kid in 4-H.
I appreciate your help while you are dealing with your own issues!

 

[azygous]

The E and the B could help if this is a deficiency caused by her other issues. It wouldn't be unheard of. I hope it works.

 

[ZedikerStation]

The E and the B could help if this is a deficiency caused by her other issues. It wouldn't be unheard of. I hope it works.

Well, I confused the E with the D we have. We will have to get some E. We gave her half a tab of B12 and I'm freezing some calcium citrate in Coconut oil. I'll give her some pieces of it shortly. Are you thinking a B complex would be better? If it were to be Marek's, I would expect the whole flock to have come down with it. Would you agree? Also, I'm 99.9% certain this is the one that was passing the lash material. She has not passed any since the Doxy. I have no idea if the Doxy would work on the bacteria that fast.

 

[azygous]

B-12 isn't the right B. You want B-50, or better, B-100. Those have B-2 and B-6 which are the ones you want to correct leg weakness and possible nerve issues. Be sure to get E-400iu.

 

[ZedikerStation]

B-12 isn't the right B. You want B-50, or better, B-100. Those have B-2 and B-6 which are the ones you want to correct leg weakness and possible nerve issues. Be sure to get E-400iu.

I'll pick it up in the morning. She is all settled in for the night. A good night's rest can't hurt....

 

[ZedikerStation]

**Additional Observation**
We were discussing her standing ability (or lack thereof). About 2 weeks ago, we noticed that when she was with the flock, she would stand with one foot slightly overlapping the other. (Maybe 2 toes over the others). It was very subtle, and not note worthy at the time. It definitely seems like it would hamper her balance now looking back. I'm wondering if this was the beginning of her balance/standing issues. Thoughts? Clue??

 

[azygous]

It could be a precursor to her present issue. I doubt I would have thought anything about it. Clues aren't really clues until you have more of them all together. Like one note in a musical composition, it's just a sound or a motion until you have more to make a pattern or a melody.

 

[ZedikerStation]

It could be a precursor to her present issue. I doubt I would have thought anything about it. Clues aren't really clues until you have more of them all together. Like one note in a musical composition, it's just a sound or a motion until you have more to make a pattern or a melody.

So true!
When she got her Doxy this morning I lifted her wing, just kind of checking. She immediately stood straight up and fell backwards. Almost like she couldn't stop raising up. She wanted to move around but just couldn't stay centered. She will sit and eat mash if she is between 2 rolled towels, otherwise she will roll to one side.