Year old hen cant stand or walk, no balance, just laying on side......

[Buff Hooligans]

Good luck Aukuma, I am dreading the day one of my four hens comes down with something. Hugs.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Gee it sounds like its a fairly common problem, poor hens. I like the sling idea to help the hen feel more comfortable. I'm really don't know about the cause, but if it is mites in the ear causing a balance problem, cleaning the ear with vegetable oil and a cotton ball can't hurt (just like you would do with a cat or dog with ear mites) DE is a good start, but they do sell poultry powder in most farm supply stores with permethrin.

At least others who have experienced something similar did not find the problem spread through the flock.

Keep us posted. I hope she improves.

 

[ChickenPox]

I always assumed that something like that was Mereks, so when a friend of mine's chicken did that a couple months ago, I recommended culling. Now you can't even tell which bird it was that was gimpy! She seemed like she was almost completely paralized on one side, but eventually got back all motion. They didn't do anything different for her, but they care for thier birds well. Good luck!

 

[Fractanimist]

Good luck! And keep us posted on her progress. I would love to know if any thing works in case this ever happens to another hen.

 

[aukuma]

Today she is just lying on one side in a crate. She is still eating and drinking. I looked for some vitamins at the store (well the local store) and couldnt find anything. I did get some yogurt, going to try that. I'll keep everyone updated.

 

[Fractanimist]

When mine was like that she would go nuts for scrambled eggs, oatmeal and meal worms! I always had her normal laying ration and water with the infant vitamins available too.

 

[ikatiemay]

no change with my poor girl. still falls on her side and cant hold herself up. I have her in a cage propped up with a roll of toilet paper on each side. She can kick with her legs so I know they arent paralized. MY DH and I were having the culling conversation tonight. Its so hard to know when to cull huh? She eats very little and I offer her yogurt, scrambled egg, oatmeal and fruit and vegies. she has her layer pellets too. I gave her avacado and she loved it then my son said NO dont give her avacado its poison to chickens!! I thought well, she will at least die with loving her last meal

We were told it may be botulism. I dont know if they recover from that. I hope you have good luck aukuma ,I know what a helpless feeling it is not to know what it is and how to treat it.

 

[Steergirl]

Hope she pulls through

don't give up yet!

 

[aukuma]

Quote:

No change in my girl either. We suspect she ate something moldy in our flower bed mulch. She also can kick her legs, pull them into her and so on but still cannot stand. She's not eating or drinking so we've been giving her water in a syringe, she'll drink that. My husband wanted me to try a Molasses flush, so we are trying that, but it may be to late. She is hanging on, but I think she's just going to starve to death rather than get better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I dont want to cull her.

 

[ikatiemay]

AGAIN no change

She drinks alot but during the day falls on her side and cant reach it. She ends up laying in her poop and that is such a mess, I dont know how long I can keep bathing her every nite after work. My DH said we probably should cull her. She doesnt seem to suffer but she isnt eating enouth to keep her alive for long. Wish the decision was easier to make. What is a molasses flush? My girls have been getting into the boss that spilled out of the bird feeder during the winter. I dont think they are eating that but scratching for the worms underneath. I know some of the seeds are sprouting because it is really wet here with the snow melt.