We know broody hens. How about a nanny hen?

[LaFleche]

Did you already start the deworming?

 

[ValerieJ]

I sure hope she pulls out of this.

 

[LaFleche]

How is you little patient doing, any improvement @azygous ?

 

[azygous]

Here's a link to the thread I started about the pullet on the Emergencies forum. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/five-month-old-australorp-suddenly-lame.1432738/ I haven't been out to check on her yet this morning but she was improving yesterday enough to get out of her hot box and turn up in the other run.

 

[azygous]

Nanny-nurse Su-su has been keeping May company under the heat lamp all day today. It's freezing and threatening to snow. The other two have been sharing the heat lamp, too, so May has had company all day. Indeed, a family affair.

 

[azygous]

It's ten degrees but sunny at the moment. That means the little family has sun in their enclosed run, so it's slightly above freezing in there.

May seem better this morning and I will allow myself the luxury of believing she's going to make it. She's standing, even though she won't put all her weight on the right leg. Balance is good so I doubt she has Marek's.

 

[ValerieJ]

It's ten degrees but sunny at the moment. That means the little family has sun in their enclosed run, so it's slightly above freezing in there.

May seem better this morning and I will allow myself the luxury of believing she's going to make it. She's standing, even though she won't put all her weight on the right leg. Balance is good so I doubt she has Marek's.

 

[azygous]

Sad update: A third pullet has come down with this ailment, and I think I now know what it is, and they probably got it from their nanny Su-su.

Years ago, Su-su, along with several other hens went lame. All but Su-su got much worse as time went by and they couldn't move or stand. All but Su-su had to be euthanized. The probable culprit is Mycoplasma synoviae and most adult chickens recover from it but carry it for life.

I've been skeptical that this is MS because my other slightly older EE pullets haven't been affected. But this evening a BYC member suggested trying Denagard to treat the pullets. In researching the med, I read where it treats Mycoplasma arthritis, which sounds like it could be what Su-su is living with. That's what made me connect Su-su to the pullets. Su-su hasn't really been in much contact with the EEs, but she's been snuggled up constantly with the Australorps since they were just a few weeks old. Suddenly, everything connects.

I ordered the Denagard, and hopefully it will arrive in time to help these little guys. Su-su, too, may benefit from it.

 

[azygous]

This isn't really related to this thread, but I feel some acknowledgement is in order. Su-su's former brooder mate and the same age as she is just died. Morgan was a Black Cochin and her nick name was "Slo-Mo". She has been declining for a few weeks, becoming even more "slo-mo". The past two mornings she had firmly planted herself in a corner in the coop, beak to the wall,

showing no interest in anything.

I knew she was about to check out so I returned her to the run to be with the others. She died in the middle of her crowd of old biddies, but no one seemed to notice she was dead, probably because she never moved much when she was alive.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

This isn't really related to this thread, but I feel some acknowledgement is in order. Su-su's former brooder mate and the same age as she is just died. Morgan was a Black Cochin and her nick name was "Slo-Mo". She has been declining for a few weeks, becoming even more "slo-mo". The past two mornings she had firmly planted herself in a corner in the coop, beak to the wall,View attachment 2456339 showing no interest in anything.

I knew she was about to check out so I returned her to the run to be with the others. She died in the middle of her crowd of old biddies, but no one seemed to notice she was dead, probably because she never moved much when she was alive.

So sorry you lost her. She's beautiful.