Young Hen Help

[FritzerAndHens]

Hiya. I've been having trouble with my 5m old hen. She started with just some trouble walking, one leg didn't want to work well. There were no injuries or signs of anything by look or feel by me or my mom, who has a vet tech background. I've been texting with other techs and a vet I'm close with, but she can't be seen in person because of some diseases floating around backyard birds in the area.

Anyway, what started as some weakness in the one leg, has over a couple weeks become not being able to use either leg. They aren't broken or injured in any discernable way. She's still eating, drinking, pooping, bright eyed, and very affectionate. I have her in a sling currently, with regular breaks as recommended by the vet. It hasn't helped yet, she's only getting worse. She can move both legs if she's bothered enough, but they can't support her weight. Her feet are curled, but I can mess with them, flatten them, move the toes, all without any pain from her. It seems like the pain is in her hips.


I couldn't find any answers that fit while looking up what could be going on with her. Any advice is appreciated. I'm not considering euthanasia just yet. She's still spunky and behaving well in all aspects otherwise. I want to give her a fair chance at recovery. Even if I rig up some diy prosthetics for her. I've got a house full of disabled and chronically ill pets, so she's getting the same treatment. As long as she's still trying, and not just suffering, I keep trying.

The other 4 are healthy and laying. She's currently in a small dog cage in the sling so she doesn't flop around and hurt herself. She does try to walk, but can't.

Ask anything. Any advice welcome. Thank you for reading.

 

[FritzerAndHens]

Hiya. I've been having trouble with my 5m old hen. She started with just some trouble walking, one leg didn't want to work well. There were no injuries or signs of anything by look or feel by me or my mom, who has a vet tech background. I've been texting with other techs and a vet I'm close with, but she can't be seen in person because of some diseases floating around backyard birds in the area.

Anyway, what started as some weakness in the one leg, has over a couple weeks become not being able to use either leg. They aren't broken or injured in any discernable way. She's still eating, drinking, pooping, bright eyed, and very affectionate. I have her in a sling currently, with regular breaks as recommended by the vet. It hasn't helped yet, she's only getting worse. She can move both legs if she's bothered enough, but they can't support her weight. Her feet are curled, but I can mess with them, flatten them, move the toes, all without any pain from her. It seems like the pain is in her hips.


I couldn't find any answers that fit while looking up what could be going on with her. Any advice is appreciated. I'm not considering euthanasia just yet. She's still spunky and behaving well in all aspects otherwise. I want to give her a fair chance at recovery. Even if I rig up some diy prosthetics for her. I've got a house full of disabled and chronically ill pets, so she's getting the same treatment. As long as she's still trying, and not just suffering, I keep trying.

Ask anything you want. Thank you for reading.

I forgot to mention, she's a light brahma. Which I've heard can have some issues. Of course I only saw that after getting her and two others. One of her siblings somehow escaped her pen and my yard and vanished, and I suspect had a neuro issue. The other was fine for a few days, then started acting off and lethargic, and passed by the end of the day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Do you have photos of her?
A video of her actions may be helpful - upload video to YouTube and provide a link.

What do you feed, including treats?

Have you tried giving her vitamin B-Complex daily, I'd give 1/4tablet and see if that helps.
Focus on her eating chick starter or an all flock feed and see that she's drinking well.

 

[FritzerAndHens]

Welcome To BYC

Do you have photos of her?
A video of her actions may be helpful - upload video to YouTube and provide a link.

What do you feed, including treats?

Have you tried giving her vitamin B-Complex daily, I'd give 1/4tablet and see if that helps.
Focus on her eating chick starter or an all flock feed and see that she's drinking well.

Thanks for the reply
I haven't given her the vitamin B yet, I'll grab that asap. She's on an all flock feed and gets fresh water a few times a day, eating/drinking well. She's been getting some fresh herbs and veggies, as well as dried herbs in her feed. Rosemary, dill, parsley, etc. I made her a mix of what I had that people and the vet said to give.

I'll try to get a video today. When she's out of the sling, she just lays on her side. She tries to move which just ends up being flopping around like a fish out of water and flapping her wings like crazy. If I prop her up and support her, she can sort of stand, but it seems painful and she doesn't like to stay put long.

She's in a cat bed right now, watching TV with me

 

[FritzerAndHens]

Thanks for the reply
I haven't given her the vitamin B yet, I'll grab that asap. She's on an all flock feed and gets fresh water a few times a day, eating/drinking well. She's been getting some fresh herbs and veggies, as well as dried herbs in her feed. Rosemary, dill, parsley, etc. I made her a mix of what I had that people and the vet said to give.

I'll try to get a video today. When she's out of the sling, she just lays on her side. She tries to move which just ends up being flopping around like a fish out of water and flapping her wings like crazy. If I prop her up and support her, she can sort of stand, but it seems painful and she doesn't like to stay put long.

She's in a cat bed right now, watching TV with me

Not so happy update I made the decision to euthanize after meeting up with a vet after work. She said the issues were very likely genetic, Thyme wasn't going to ever not be in pain, and it would spread to her other muscles before eventually ending her. I miss her dearly but I know she needed to go. I gave her a very nice last day, snuggling all day, hand feeding her her favorite treats... She napped against me and purred.

 

[Eggcessive]

Very sorry for your loss. Mareks disease could have been a possibility of Thyme’s illness. If you ever see any neurological signs or lameness, I would look for testing or get a necropsy done by your state vet.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Not so happy update I made the decision to euthanize after meeting up with a vet after work. She said the issues were very likely genetic, Thyme wasn't going to ever not be in pain, and it would spread to her other muscles before eventually ending her. I miss her dearly but I know she needed to go. I gave her a very nice last day, snuggling all day, hand feeding her her favorite treats... She napped against me and purred.

I'm sorry to hear about Thyme, I'm glad you were able to spend time with her.
Thank you for the update.