Hi! We are raising meat birds for the first time. Freedom Ranger Color Yield. Somewhere in the last week and a half, we noticed we had a bird that kept losing balance and falling. We thought it was because of uneven ground or weak legs. We got her out away from the flock and tried to let her get more exercise walking 3 days, she just kept falling.
Fast forward a few days and the chicken could barely stand or walk, 4 days ago she was just resting on her hocks and using her wings and bottom to scoot around.
She was alert, not seeming to suffer, would eat grass where she was at. We didn’t know what to do, was there anything we could do. I immediately began researching the web for an answer. After working through many scenarios, I told my husband that I thought it was Vitamin B deficiency , he could not believe that because it was one affected chicken and we use excellent complete feed. We did determine a couple of things about our flock though by researching and we are succeeding ! One was that we did not have enough feeding space per bird in our tractors . I think it’s 4 inches recommended? Regardless, This made us think that there could be a possibility of some feeder domination and maybe our chicken wasn’t getting her fill. We immediately changed feeders and separated our girl from the flock. We began intense vitamin B therapy 2 days ago as we saw fit with nutritional yeast sprinkled on her feed and also a B Complex vitamin crushed and added to her water.
In less than 24 hours she was trying to stand. In 48 hours, which is today, she is able to go into her shelter and come out to get water/food. She is still not 100% but she has no symptoms of anything, no diarrhea, she eats, she preens, she makes her little chicken noises, she is happy. We will contribute this B therapy the remainder of the week and see where we are.
I can’t help but think she is going to be ok and able to rejoin the flock!
Before you tell me everything we did wrong, all the horrible scenarios and dreaded Marek’s etc, please bare with me, I am a brand new chicken owner of 7 weeks. I am doing my best for my flock and trying to gain knowledge daily.
I just wanted to share the experience and let everyone know I’m so thankful for the information I found on the web and on this site.
Thanks!
Fast forward a few days and the chicken could barely stand or walk, 4 days ago she was just resting on her hocks and using her wings and bottom to scoot around.
She was alert, not seeming to suffer, would eat grass where she was at. We didn’t know what to do, was there anything we could do. I immediately began researching the web for an answer. After working through many scenarios, I told my husband that I thought it was Vitamin B deficiency , he could not believe that because it was one affected chicken and we use excellent complete feed. We did determine a couple of things about our flock though by researching and we are succeeding ! One was that we did not have enough feeding space per bird in our tractors . I think it’s 4 inches recommended? Regardless, This made us think that there could be a possibility of some feeder domination and maybe our chicken wasn’t getting her fill. We immediately changed feeders and separated our girl from the flock. We began intense vitamin B therapy 2 days ago as we saw fit with nutritional yeast sprinkled on her feed and also a B Complex vitamin crushed and added to her water.
In less than 24 hours she was trying to stand. In 48 hours, which is today, she is able to go into her shelter and come out to get water/food. She is still not 100% but she has no symptoms of anything, no diarrhea, she eats, she preens, she makes her little chicken noises, she is happy. We will contribute this B therapy the remainder of the week and see where we are.
I can’t help but think she is going to be ok and able to rejoin the flock!
Before you tell me everything we did wrong, all the horrible scenarios and dreaded Marek’s etc, please bare with me, I am a brand new chicken owner of 7 weeks. I am doing my best for my flock and trying to gain knowledge daily.
I just wanted to share the experience and let everyone know I’m so thankful for the information I found on the web and on this site.
Thanks!
