Wobbly Drunk Hen

First thing I do when there is balance or neurological/muscular symptoms with no identifiable cause is give a super B complex vitamin (human ones-regular not time release) once a day to see if it helps. Hock sitting can be riboflavin deficiency, many of the B's can cause weird symptoms when deficient. The B's are very safe to give, it won't hurt anything even if it's something else, and may very well help.
Thank you for the info! I just tried to give her a B-Complex vit of mine and she wouldn't take it whole. I crushed it up and willingly ate almost all of it. How many days till I should see improvement?
 
You've presented us with a very good narrative with much good info, but we could really use your location and what your weather was doing right before you found this hen like this.

How many chickens do you have? Is this hen bullied to your knowledge?

Have there been any serious predator scares?

For starters, when I find a chicken weak and wobbly, the first thing I do is to treat for shock or hypothermia. Quite often a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of sugar stirred in will resolve this. In any event, it won't hurt her.
I'm in East TN. The weather has been very cold at night and mild during the day.
I have 15 chickens and she's right in the middle of the pecking order.
There have not been any predator scares that I'm aware. I will try the sugar water... but would she still be in shock from anything after 4 days? Thanks for the help!
 
Thank you for the info! I just tried to give her a B-Complex vit of mine and she wouldn't take it whole. I crushed it up and willingly ate almost all of it. How many days till I should see improvement?
Sometimes improvement can be very quick, a matter of a few days. Sometimes it can take longer, it just depends on what is going on. The B's are very safe, extra will be excreted, so there are no worries of overdosing. I would stick with it for a couple of weeks at least, unless you see improvement before that. I always go a few days beyond symptoms stopping. If a bird isn't eating well, for any reason, they can become deficient. Whether it's illness, not eating due to molt, being kept from feeders by higher pecking order birds, deficiencies can happen. It could also be an illness/disease causing the symptoms, but the B vitamins will not hurt anything. You can either pop it whole into her beak and she should swallow it, or you can grind it up and mix into a bit of moistened feed, or whatever she will eat, and give it to her that way.
 
Sometimes improvement can be very quick, a matter of a few days. Sometimes it can take longer, it just depends on what is going on. The B's are very safe, extra will be excreted, so there are no worries of overdosing. I would stick with it for a couple of weeks at least, unless you see improvement before that. I always go a few days beyond symptoms stopping. If a bird isn't eating well, for any reason, they can become deficient. Whether it's illness, not eating due to molt, being kept from feeders by higher pecking order birds, deficiencies can happen. It could also be an illness/disease causing the symptoms, but the B vitamins will not hurt anything. You can either pop it whole into her beak and she should swallow it, or you can grind it up and mix into a bit of moistened feed, or whatever she will eat, and give it to her that way.
Awesome! Starting it today. I've got high hopes that the vitamins will do the trick!

Thanks to all of you for the help! ❤
 
UPDATE: My little girl has eaten and drank more today than in the past 3 days. I feed her Nature Wise All Flock, (because I have roosters and ducks in my flock), 6 grain scratch, freeze dried meal worms... and today she ate scrambled egg with the poultry cell vitamins, watered down feed and a B vitamin Complex.

This evening she has started shaking her head some. Thoughts?
 
UPDATE: My little girl has eaten and drank more today than in the past 3 days. I feed her Nature Wise All Flock, (because I have roosters and ducks in my flock), 6 grain scratch, freeze dried meal worms... and today she ate scrambled egg with the poultry cell vitamins, watered down feed and a B vitamin Complex.

This evening she has started shaking her head some. Thoughts?
If I were you I'd keep up the bvitamin complex. Have you ever treated her for parasites? February is typically when they hatch/come out.


How are your other chickens? Do they have any symptoms??
https://www.mypetchicken.com/backya...llnesses-with-neurological-symptoms-H395.aspx

https://extension.unh.edu/resource/internal-parasites-chickens



Edit:added websites
 
If I were you I'd keep up the bvitamin complex. Have you ever treated her for parasites? February is typically when they hatch/come out.


How are your other chickens? Do they have any symptoms??
https://www.mypetchicken.com/backya...llnesses-with-neurological-symptoms-H395.aspx

https://extension.unh.edu/resource/internal-parasites-chickens



Edit:added websites
I actually just found a tiny white bug crawling on my arm as she was sitting on my lap after I typed my update. What is this bug and how do I get rid of them? Could this be the underlining culprit for all of her troubles?
 
I actually just found a tiny white bug crawling on my arm as she was sitting on my lap after I typed my update. What is this bug and how do I get rid of them? Could this be the underlining culprit for all of her troubles?
Did you take a picture? Google pinworms and tape worms.. did it look one of those??
 
I actually just found a tiny white bug crawling on my arm as she was sitting on my lap after I typed my update. What is this bug and how do I get rid of them? Could this be the underlining culprit for all of her troubles?
It's a louse. Inspect her closely especially around the vent area for lice. It's possible you might see lice eggs attached to feather shafts. Coconut oil will remove the lice eggs.
Permethrin dust will take care of lice and mites. It would be best to inspect your other birds and dust inside the coop and nest boxes.
 
It's a louse. Inspect her closely especially around the vent area for lice. It's possible you might see lice eggs attached to feather shafts. Coconut oil will remove the lice eggs.
Permethrin dust will take care of lice and mites. It would be best to inspect your other birds and dust inside the coop and nest boxes.
Ok, will do! Thanks!
 

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