Undigested food in poop and won't use legs...???

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Julieschicks,

A chicken unwilling to walk, and laying on it's side is a major symptom.

This is indicative of a neurological problem. This is an interesting case, because this can be due head or spinal injury, of course the dreaded Marek's, or even toxicity, specifically lead.

These are the symptoms you've observed:

• Limping, falling over a lot.
• Small cut on her toe that had possibly gotten infected. Treatment of that (epsom salt bath, vetericyn)
• Passing some undigested food in her poop.
• Over the course of the day she went from just laying down to only laying on her side.
• Lays on her side with legs outstretched.
• Legs work, she moves them, kicks
• She's eating. Not sure that she's really drinking much.
• Seems a little on the skinnier side.

Positive signs:

• She's alert.
• Her comb is still a good color.
• her poop is otherwise normal in color and consistency.(photos would be helpful)

Your Treatments so far:

• a little over 1mL of Nurti-Drench
• 12mL of water.
• metronidazole
• epsom salt bath, vetericyn for toe injury

The cause of neurological symptoms are difficult to pinpoint without medical tests. If this is not Marek's, here are few other things to think about.

I would examine the bird's vent first. Touch the vent with your finger nail, a gentle prick or scratch. If the bird responds by closing it's vent tightly, then, you know the spinal cord is intact. The legs moving can be involuntary movement from seizing.

Next, carefully examine the pupils. They should be round, and symmetrical in shape. Gently stroke the hen's feather tufts that lead to the ear hole. Speak sweetly to her, as you stroke her, the pupils should dilate. If not, there could be severe head injury. You mentioned a cut on the toe. She could have got caught on something, struggled a bit, and hit her head as well.

Lead poisoning also exhibits these symptoms. The chicken could have ingested lead from a BB pellet, contaminated soil or water, putty, metal solder, roofing materials, old batteries and paint, etc. I am always having to remind my husband to clean up after working on projects outside.

Treatment for possible lead contamination is, activated charcoal in a slurry of water. Give with an oral syringe. Feeding boiled/baked/or steamed potato (organic is best) will also help absorb any residue. Potato is also rich in minerals and vitamin B6. Good supportive care is crucial.

Lastly, if my hen was exhibiting possible trauma or lead contamination, I would also administer a good vitamin supplement with iron in it. Anemia can result from trauma and lead contamination. Also, I think Amoxicillin or Doxycycline may be a better choice for antibiotic. Unless you think she is suffering from an anaerobic infection?

These are my thoughts on your hen's issue. I hope they are helpful.

God Bless

 

[kittycat23]

Man, I swear, with the luck I've had since getting these dang birds, it's probably like 15 different issues combined to make some new super chicken disease. I'm torn between continuing treatment because it's my daughter's chicken and just putting it out of its misery because it is A LOT of work treating her.

How did you end up treating your chicken? Was your chicken okay?

 

[Julieschicks]

This chicken is seriously frustrating. So uncooperative to me trying to help her. She's pretty much exactly the same today as she was yesterday. No worse, no better. Yeah, I guess I'm a little confused about the whole paralysis aspect of Marek's. Because her legs aren't stiff at all. And she does, at least sometimes, move them with control. Like, she pushed herself to the other side of the carrier. And I was trying to clean one of them off earlier and she kept pulling it out of my hand and kicking me. But then I've also seen them kind of just tremble the tiniest bit totally involuntarily. And she curls and uncurls her toes off and on. I saw her "clench" her vent, so to speak, when I was blow drying her yesterday and fluffing around it. She still lifts her tail feathers when she's about to poo. Pupils are round and reactive. Comb is still good color. Still eats some, but only drinks a small amount. So, if this is indeed Marek's, at what point should I see some kind of improvement or decline? Because we're going on day 3 of just same old, same old.

 

[Kiki]

I would say that if she was going to improve you would already see it.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Julieschicks,

One has to have patience when healing a chicken. Birds are not like other animals. Their nervous and respiratory system is very sensitive to toxins, injury and pathogens.

I have seen chickens with horrific chunks of flesh bitten off by predators, then, recover when all hope was lost. But, even these cases took time, consistent care, correct treatments and patience.

My experience in healing critical illness or injury in chickens has been about, 2 to 8 weeks for full recovery. The famous "Henry the rooster", belonging to Sunshineflock, took 10 weeks to recover from a punctured air sac, back flesh wounds and an injured leg. Many members implored Sunshineflock to euthanize. But, she decided to work at healing the rooster. And she only used holistic remedies!

So, time, consistent care, correct treatments, and patience, are usually a chicken's only hope.

But, you are right chickens can be frustrating, stubborn too. After all they are only animals and don't know what is good for them. I am currently healing a hen, that was dying with ascites last weekend, off feed, and no longer drinking water. Now, she is eating solid foods, her ascites have reduced, she is walking, talking and on her way to full recovery.

Swaddle your hen when treating her, or syringe feeding. I highly recommend two liquid, 8-10 mL, meals a day (a.m. and p.m.), of 1 1/2 tsp. Hemp Protein Powder, mixed with 1/8 tsp Manuka honey, and .3 mL Liquid Hepato for liver support and detox. Feed in a 10 mL syringe. This will boost the immune system and fuel her body to fight infection or toxins that are causing her symptoms. Syringe feeding is no picnic either, but this formula is my go to, for critically ill chickens that go off feed.

A warm, 5-10 minute, soak in an Epsom Salt bath, two or more times a week will also help to detox her body and relax her. Just her belly and vent need to get wet. Epsom Salt is very therapeutic for the muscles too.

I sympathize with you, as you have a job, household and children to attend to. Now a sick chicken, too. Give this some thought, you may need to euthanize the hen. This looks like one of those cases that will require a couple of weeks. A sick chicken takes time and attention from the rest of the flock, as well.

God Bless you and peace to you.

 

[Julieschicks]

Thanks Hen Pen Jem. Yeah, this is like the worst timing. We just gutted our dining room this past weekend and being a diy job, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. And because of that I’ve got no working electrical outlets in my kitchen either. My dining room furniture is in the living room and my fridge is on an extension cord plugged in in the entryway! And we now know we have to rebrick our whole house so I’ve had so much on my mind! And everything is such a mess! We’re about to pull the sheetrock off the the ceiling this weekend to correct all the bad wiring so the dining room will be full of insulation. And we leave for a 10 day vacation in a month!

 

[Kiki]

Thanks Hen Pen Jem. Yeah, this is like the worst timing. We just gutted our dining room this past weekend and being a diy job, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. And because of that I’ve got no working electrical outlets in my kitchen either. My dining room furniture is in the living room and my fridge is on an extension cord plugged in in the entryway! And we now know we have to rebrick our whole house so I’ve had so much on my mind! And everything is such a mess! We’re about to pull the sheetrock off the the ceiling this weekend to correct all the bad wiring so the dining room will be full of insulation. And we leave for a 10 day vacation in a month!

Hugs to you girl...you are having a tough time.
Need an extra pair of hand let me know.
I am down the street...literally.


Hopefully the vacation helps EVERYTHING!

 

[Julieschicks]

Hopefully the vacation helps EVERYTHING!

Well...let’s just say I doubt I’ll be coming home “rejuvenated”. Taking 3 kids (7,4,1) to CA to visit both sides of my husband’s family, each dysfunctional in their own ways, is not exactly a “vacation”.

 

[Kiki]

Well...let’s just say I doubt I’ll be coming home “rejuvenated”. Taking 3 kids (7,4,1) to CA to visit both sides of my husband’s family, each dysfunctional in their own ways, is not exactly a “vacation”.

Crap.
I was hoping you were going to sit on a beach and listen to the ocean for days with a fancy drink in your hand.

 

[Julieschicks]

Crap.
I was hoping you were going to sit on a beach and listen to the ocean for days with a fancy drink in your hand.

Lol! Me and my husband actually just got back from 6 days in Belize last Monday. But this is all kind negating what relaxation did we get from that!!

We’ve decided if she’s shown no improvement by Saturday, we’ll put her down. She’s now acting like it’s harder to breathe. Opens her mouth slightly when she inhales. Could just be from constantly laying on her side, but I know this is all very hard on her. I don’t want her to suffer. And I think it will be harder on the kids if it drags out and she ends up dying anyway, you know?