Urgent help/advice needed re sick hen

[Chuckyegg1]

I have an 18month old hen who has suddenly become very ill I found her in the coop laying on her side with her legs out stretched, I picked get up and tried to help her stand but she just fell over with no strength or balance to her. She doesnt seem to make any attempt to flap her wings but she is eating well when I place food in front of her. I really dont know what to do for her or what this could be!? I have 3 other chickens who are all healthy and happy looking.
Please can anyone help me?
Thank you
Paula

 

[Eggcessive]

Certain diseases such as Mareks disease can cause paralysis. Did she have a Mareks vaccination at hatching? You might try treating her with a multivitamin either in the water or giving her PolyVisol baby vitamins 2-3 drops by mouth daily, since some leg and foot problems can be due to deficiency. Here is some info on Mareks:
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/webpages/cart-6ptvyh
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502

 

[Chuckyegg1]

Thank you for your quick reply I know she had vaccinations when I got her but not 100% sure what vaccinations she had. Another thing I forgot to mention is that she has a red looking bottom area with lots of skin visible, I only really noticed this when I turned her over to see if she was egg bound!

 

[Chuckyegg1]

Her eyes are clear (normal looking) she can kick her legs when picked up but just cant stand, and she diddnt appear egg bound (we have checked).
She started going off food a week ago when the other would go for food scraps. But she is eating now when we put food in front of her (grapes, bread etc) we have also checked for mites, all chickens have been dusted. Do you think she should be removed from the coop so others dont get sick?

 

[kkenney]

A red looking bottom area with lots of skin? Do you think its a possible prolapsed vent?

 

[Eggcessive]

Does her abdomen feel enlarged, spongy or firm? Has she been laying? Does she have any lice or mites on her at this time? Here is link on egg binding/peritonitis with similar symptoms that might be helpful: http://luckyhensrescuenorthwest.weebly.com/egg-bound-henegg-peritonitis-help-sheet.html

 

[Chuckyegg1]

No she doesnt feel enlarged or firm or particularly different to normal, We have 4 chickens in total and for the last week or two we've only been getting 2 eggs a day I just put it down to it getting cold here in the UK, as last year they all slowed laying in the winter months.
We tried some things on her to see if it was egg bound ie, bathing her in warm salty water etc. Would being egg bound cause her to not be able to stand or walk?! She can move her legs but she has no strength to stand at all!

 

[Eggcessive]

You can put a rubber glove on and lubricate it, then gently feel for an egg inside the vent. While doing that you can feel the lower abdomen. If you read the links, internal laying can make them pretty sick.