Slowly losing weight, high-stepping, now difficulty walking

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for your advice! Her crop has been empty in the morning and I will check again tomorrow morning. She acts like she can hardly keep her legs under her now and she staggers around. Her poop “looks” normal—large, well formed, white cap on top—but her hind end stays messy, almost wet. She’s in the coop for the night but I will get a video tomorrow if her walking around! I just started giving her vitamin B complex yesterday, the same day I took her off Corid. And yes, that is how I dewormed her. She’s due for her second dose (to rid the eggs) but I’m almost afraid to give it to her since she seems so fragile right now. I never did see any worms in her poop. Thanks for chiming in!!

I hope she's able to come around.

If you gave the Safeguard (Fenbendazole) for 5 days in a row, there's no repeat. That length of time should have taken care of most worms that poultry can have except for Tapeworm.

 

[ihaveasunrae]

I hope she's able to come around.

If you gave the Safeguard (Fenbendazole) for 5 days in a row, there's no repeat. That length of time should have taken care of most worms that poultry can have except for Tapeworm.

I’m sorry, I misunderstood I think. I gave 1 dose of SafeGuard paste with instructions to repeat in 5 days. The corid was given in their water for 5 days. All of this is so confusing and overwhelming. And everyone said keeping chickens was easy I never thought I’d get so attached too!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’m sorry, I misunderstood I think. I gave 1 dose of SafeGuard paste with instructions to repeat in 5 days. The corid was given in their water for 5 days. All of this is so confusing and overwhelming. And everyone said keeping chickens was easy I never thought I’d get so attached too!

Oh I see now!
I may have misunderstood.

Yes. Safeguard given once, then repeated in 5 days is to treat Roundworms only. So yes, I'd give the follow up dose.

Oh, chickens are just lovely, you can't help but getting attached.

 

[ihaveasunrae]

So…Red is really, really struggling to stand and falls over if she gets her feet under her. Sometimes she can get a few steps. We made the decision that we would have to cull her later this evening….and then she laid her very first egg…the most beautiful egg ever. Now what?!?! She’s eating, drinking, pruning herself, clucking…she just can’t seem to walk. I do believe she had some vent gleet and that seems to be clearing up with Monistat and Epsom salt baths. I’ve been giving her Nutri Drench and B complex. Could this be Marek’s even through she shows no other symptoms??

 

[Eggcessive]

It is good that she laid the egg. Sometimes an egg being stuck can cause a temporary paralysis in the legs. But then, it may have nit had anything to do with her egg. I would give her 400 IU of vitamin E in addition to the B complex. She probably doesn’t need the Poultry Cell if she is eating. There is no timeline if this could be Mareks. You cannjust watch her and make sure that she is able to reach food and water. A chicken sling is useful for periods throughout the day with lame chickens to get them upright, in front of food and water, and to keep them cleaner. But some will struggle to get out of them, and could injure themselves. If you should lose her or decide to cull, I would try to have your state vet do a necropsy and look for Mareks. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[ihaveasunrae]

Thank you! I will try the E and stop the Poultry Cell/Nutri Drench. I hope it simply had something to do with getting that first egg out. I will know more when I take her out of the crate in the morning if she’s any better. I’ll also research the sling. Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Keep working with her! I have my salmon fav Ginger AKA Screecher Creature who won't eat or drink on her own. I spoon feed her mash and give her water in a syringe. She has had vitamin therapy for a week now. I had some antibiotics and starter her on that last night. She is not walking very well but is fighting. She is a June 27 chick so at point of lay soon. She still cooo's at me and has come this far.
I'm going to keep everything going until she gives up. I hope you will do the same.

 

[ihaveasunrae]

Keep working with her! I have my salmon fav Ginger AKA Screecher Creature who won't eat or drink on her own. I spoon feed her mash and give her water in a syringe. She has had vitamin therapy for a week now. I had some antibiotics and starter her on that last night. She is not walking very well but is fighting. She is a June 27 chick so at point of lay soon. She still cooo's at me and has come this far.
I'm going to keep everything going until she gives up. I hope you will do the same.

Sounds like your Screecher Creature is in good hands! Red is holding out! She went on a field trip outside today to get fresh air. She’s taking some staggering, wobbly steps. She seems so happy to be outside. Her butt feathers are really wet today. But still eating and drinking and otherwise happy!

 

[WendyTestaburger]

I found one of my hens in the run one day, unable to walk, she would barely stand to sort of reposition herself using her wings to prop herself up. Our vet said that leg paralysis is a symptom of many things in birds since lots of things can cause abdominal swelling which will pinch a nerve and cause this symptom. It ended up being a really bad infection that took two rounds of antibiotics and lots of tube feeding to cure but my girl fully recovered and is back in the coop now.

If you can get her to a vet I would highly recommend it, they can give antibiotics. If she is still eating then go with it as long as she has a good appetite! Mine stopped eating and she would've starved to death if not for the tube feeding we did. Mine seemed to have a delayed reaction to any of the treatment we did, so she didn't get her appetite back until about a week after finishing her last antibiotic, I would recommend sticking it out with them as long as they've got fight left and aren't suffering. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Chicken Poika]

Spitting up water - check to see that her crop is emptying overnight.
If the crop is not empty in the morning, begin treating her according to this article, this is the methods I use for my hens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Photos of her poop?
A video of her movements may be helpful. Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

Extra Vitamins that contain B1(Thiamine) should not be given when you are treating with Corid. Did you give vitamins during this time?

You dewormed with Fenbendazole for 5 days in a row correct? Dose at 0.23ml per pound of weight?

If you have finished with the Corid, then I'd start her on vitamin therapy. Give her 400IU Vitamin E along with 1/4 tablet vitamin B-Complex daily. A treat of egg along with her normal feed would be good to give. Cut out the scratch and all other goodies until she comes around right.

The high stepping could have been due to her crop not emptying - just a guess on my part. I've seen it with others here on BYC and with one of my own hens too. It's an odd type of gate, but the step is almost like to press up the crop to help it empty.
If the crop/digestive system is not functioning well, then a hen will lose weight, condition and decline. Do keep in mind that often a crop "problem" is often just a symptom of an underlying condition like reproductive disorders, infections, worms, coccidiosis, etc.

Corid is for Coccidiosis. Bloody poop. I used wazine for worms. Did she recover? I noticed this is an older thread.