I have learned so much from this informative forum and wanted to share my experience to anyone that has a hen with these symptoms. I am not an expert and don't pretend to be, just want to share our experience because I have noticed several postings of similar symptoms and my bird has survived.
Anyone that has noticed their bird flopping and stumbling and acting drunk, DON'T GIVE UP and bring her inside so she does not hurt herself. By process of elimination her vet suggested it was vitamin deficiency. Fortunately, I was home when this began on a Saturday in December. She could not fly, could not walk and just fell every time she tried. Immediately, I brought her inside away from her flock mates and tried to get water, chicken stock and food into her right away with syringe. Her head and legs were dangling and limp on both ends of body. Not knowing what to do I called vet who suggest several things but we started with antibiotics and vitamin therapy. In the beginning, she could not hold her head up and kept it wrapped around laying it on her back. I kept her inside the house in a dog pen and she had to just lay in her own poo. I cleaned her cage everyday and wiped her back end so she would not have to lay in her own poo for long. I hand fed her several times a day with liquid oatmeal, yogurt, anything that would go in the syringe while messaging her neck and keeping a bubble wrap brace on her neck. After a couple of weeks she began to kick and would hold her head up for short periods of time. I started to have some hope.
After what seemed like weeks and weeks and weeks, she began to hold her head up long enough to eat some corn all by herself and amazingly she was on the mend. She was still rolling around on floor mostly. One day I found her under the bed and one day I found her behind the dresser. But, eventually she got strong enough to go to an open box where she would sit on her knees and eventually standing upon her own and then she got strong enough to slowly get out of the box and walk around the room. Most of her walking was in a circle and stumbling forward or sideways. To make a long story short she has completely recovered and is back with her flock mates. You would never know she was ever ill.
Bottom Line - I have learned so much from this forum and hope I can help by sharing my experience. Petunia was not getting the nutrition she needed and was in great need of immediate attention. She is now on a different feed and is beautiful and strong as ever. I don't care if she ever lays an egg. I am just glad she is still with me. Before this situation, she survived a broken pelvis. Amazing Hen. She wants to survive. She is a living miracle and we have changed her name to LUCKY.
If you have a hen with any similar symptoms: paralyzed, acting drunk, stumbling, falling over, please don't give up. Try vitamin therapy and antibiotics with a Vet approval of course. I am so proud of my determined Swedish Flower Hen and grateful to her amazing Veterinarian, Dr. Haley Burke, who walked me through the entire process.
Thank you for letting me post my experience. I hope it helps someone else.