Vitamin B deficiency: how long to treat?

[Birdfull]

My hen stopped standing and resting on her hocks a month ago. I started with poultry cell the first week then switched to b complex. I have been giving her a b complex pill every day for almost 3 weeks and giving her physical therapy 2x day. She got between 50-100 mg of riboflavin and the other b vitamins every day. Very quickly she began being able to stand for 30 seconds or so when I propped her up and running 8 or 10 steps. Sometimes she will do these things spontaneously without me helping. But mostly she’s still sitting on her hocks. I feel she’s plateaued and I’m losing hope she’ll ever be normal again. Does anyone have any advice for me at this point? Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she? After looking at your previous thread I see that she is around 5 months old. Does she lay eggs, and have you seen any soft or abnormal egg shells recently? Injuries or reproductive disorders such as salpingitis can cause internal pressure on leg nerves. Do you have a rooster or cockerel that is mating? It is good that she can stand and run a few steps. Normally only a small amount of B2 riboflavin (1/4 tablet of B complex) is necessary to treat a riboflavin deficiency. Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? Mareks can sometimes cause sitting on hocks and curling under of toes. That seems to cause it in one leg many times.

 

[Birdfull]

She’s been laying eggs with normal hard shells pretty much daily. I do not have a rooster. She’s eating and drinking like a champ. She was a TSC chick so not vaccinated. I “met” a woman on FB who has the a hen same breed, almost same age also purchased at a TSC about 5 hours from me (in the same state). Exact same problem. Could be twins. Wondering if it’s genetic.

 

[Birdfull]

She’s 23 weeks old.

 

[SJsChickies]

My hen stopped standing and resting on her hocks a month ago. I started with poultry cell the first week then switched to b complex. I have been giving her a b complex pill every day for almost 3 weeks and giving her physical therapy 2x day. She got between 50-100 mg of riboflavin and the other b vitamins every day. Very quickly she began being able to stand for 30 seconds or so when I propped her up and running 8 or 10 steps. Sometimes she will do these things spontaneously without me helping. But mostly she’s still sitting on her hocks. I feel she’s plateaued and I’m losing hope she’ll ever be normal again. Does anyone have any advice for me at this point? Thanks

How is she doing now? Getting any better?

 

[Birdfull]

How is she doing now? Getting any better?

It’s been over a month since she stopped standing. Last week I took her to a vet. Xray showed no fractures but her bones weren’t as dense as they should be. He was happy with the b complex I was giving and said to add more calcium. he prescribed an anti inflammatory for 7 days. He said he thought she can get better but I’m not sure he knew or remembered I’d already been giving b complex for awhile. After 5 days of the anti inflammatory I stopped it because she has regressed since she started it!!! She is not where she was before the vet visit. Not standing well and not walking much at all. She can’t be with my other three hens because they attack her. So she’s in a pen in their small run with them. They went out to the larger run and she couldn’t be with them she was alone in the smaller run for several hours She seems sad. I don’t know what to do now. Except keep giving the b complex and some exercise. She’s a sweet hen, likes to be petted but honestly I think she would be happier if she could be with the others again, having a normal Chicken life. I don’t think she “prefers” me to them. This really sucks!! Thanks for checking in.

 

[SJsChickies]

It’s been over a month since she stopped standing. Last week I took her to a vet. Xray showed no fractures but her bones weren’t as dense as they should be. He was happy with the b complex I was giving and said to add more calcium. he prescribed an anti inflammatory for 7 days. He said he thought she can get better but I’m not sure he knew or remembered I’d already been giving b complex for awhile. After 5 days of the anti inflammatory I stopped it because she has regressed since she started it!!! She is not where she was before the vet visit. Not standing well and not walking much at all. She can’t be with my other three hens because they attack her. So she’s in a pen in their small run with them. They went out to the larger run and she couldn’t be with them she was alone in the smaller run for several hours She seems sad. I don’t know what to do now. Except keep giving the b complex and some exercise. She’s a sweet hen, likes to be petted but honestly I think she would be happier if she could be with the others again, having a normal Chicken life. I don’t think she “prefers” me to them. This really sucks!! Thanks for checking in.

Oh no that’s awful. I’m sorry. I’m sure that’s so hard to watch. I hope with continued vitamins she gets better!

 

[thecatumbrella]

It’s been over a month since she stopped standing. Last week I took her to a vet. Xray showed no fractures but her bones weren’t as dense as they should be. He was happy with the b complex I was giving and said to add more calcium. he prescribed an anti inflammatory for 7 days. He said he thought she can get better but I’m not sure he knew or remembered I’d already been giving b complex for awhile. After 5 days of the anti inflammatory I stopped it because she has regressed since she started it!!! She is not where she was before the vet visit. Not standing well and not walking much at all. She can’t be with my other three hens because they attack her. So she’s in a pen in their small run with them. They went out to the larger run and she couldn’t be with them she was alone in the smaller run for several hours She seems sad. I don’t know what to do now. Except keep giving the b complex and some exercise. She’s a sweet hen, likes to be petted but honestly I think she would be happier if she could be with the others again, having a normal Chicken life. I don’t think she “prefers” me to them. This really sucks!! Thanks for checking in.

I'm really sorry. I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but I would consider putting her down.

I recently had to make a call like that myself with a similar situation. It was very, very hard. But in the end, I realized she wasn't able to be a chicken. Couldn't be part of a flock, struggled to eat and drink, would never be able to raise her own brood. It just wasn't fair to keep her going.

I'm sorry your girl is having such a rough time.

 

[Birdfull]

I'm really sorry. I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but I would consider putting her down.

I recently had to make a call like that myself with a similar situation. It was very, very hard. But in the end, I realized she wasn't able to be a chicken. Couldn't be part of a flock, struggled to eat and drink, would never be able to raise her own brood. It just wasn't fair to keep her going.

I'm sorry your girl is having such a rough time.

My husband wanted to put her down from the get go. I’m somewhat regretting this now. He built a small wire pen for her. We put it in their smaller run attached to their house so she could “be” with the others without getting injured by them. That’s where she lives, in a wire box. I was looking at her today and it was so depressing. Because When I take her out she still will sit continuously. Like she’s still in the box! And This box has thrown the others off and they roost on her box at night and now I have to go out there at night and put them in the henhouse by hand!! My neighbor is an animal lover and is horrified at the thought of having her put down and is looking for rescues for her. There are farm animal rescues around here. That would be wonderful if someone took her but I’m not holding my breath. It’s been tough and her life isn’t what it should be. It may come to putting her down. I have tried to help her, thought she was improving and now having her backslide is devastating. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I appreciate it because everyone else online just keeps saying “vitamins!” But that’s not working!!!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I’m sorry that she is not any better. I would give her supervised visits with her flock a couple of times a day. Can you try to stand her up with a soft belt or sling underneath her and try to walk her around a few steps? Chicken sling chairs are good for disabled chickens to get them up and in front of food and water while they are awake. Then you can let them out to rest on the floor. I still wonder if she could have Mareks disease. Is she on a balanced layer or all flock feed as the majority of her diet? Can she hang out with the flock in the coop or run without being attacked? I don’t think that I would let someone else rescue her. I would try to keep her or else consider putting her down. Here is a good link with pictures of slings in post 5, 11-14:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/