Please Help - Found Chicken Lying on its Side, Will not/Cannot Walk

[mischievouschickens]

Quote:
Dearest Kathy,

This little Cuckoo is not one of your grandchickies I am happy to say (as happy as I can be). Your grandchickies are now being cared for by the children (and teachers) at our daughter's preschool. Everyone loves them, especially the children. Of the six, so far two definitely turned out to be roos and the other four, well we're optimistic that they're hens.

Thank you so much again. They are bringing great joy and teaching wonderful responsibilities to the young'uns.

Regarding our Cuckoo, I hope you are right. Could it be lack of sunlight? Their coop is relatively dark and they don't get to freerange every day - it's literally raining cats and dogs these days. I'm also concerned that she could be at the bottom of the pecking order and *may* not be getting enough feed? Even though I try to make sure that there is a constant supply of feed and water, is it possible that one chick might not be getting enough? Could the other hens literally box her out from feeding?

I checked on the others and, for now, they all seem happy, healthy and frisky. I'm starting to change my mind about the "deep litter method". I just don't think I have a big enough coop for the girls. They still haven't learned to roost properly and their poop collects in one corner. Eventually, they trample it down and it becomes a clumped up mess. If there is mold, I don't think so, but if there is, maybe it could be Mycotoxin poisoning?

I will try adding some vitamins to her feed and the rest of the flocks' water supply. Hopefully, she gets better and the rest stay healthy. Again, I hope you are right.

 

[heritagebirds]

Thank you for the posts. I think that I've had experience with Marek's based on what I've read in this thread. I guess I need to learn how to vaccinate, thought the thought of jabbing a needle into a day-old is a bit more delicate than the mammals, yikes. I don't want the new babies to get it, though.

 

[Gretel12]

Hi, I am in kinda the same boat and here is what I've done.(.I am a novice at chicken rearing and learning as I go).. I have a 9 wk. old Ameraucana that I incubated and am giving the high life..medicated chick starter for 4 weeks then reg. chick starter and mealworms for treats.. they ate out of my hand..5 chicks total.. One day the smallest girl (?) came up lame... dragging feet, almost splayed. So I taped them together just as the pix on here show to do..Ok for a couple of days then, started falling over..Found her deep in the shaving and they were walking all over her... Took her to my vet and he said it looked like a vitamin defiency and gave her a shot of what I think was b-12... He told me to tape her all arong her wings with hurt-free tape and put her in a container that will keep her from falling over..I hand feed her in my lap chickstarter and Vitaflight mixed together and she's eating and pooping. I feel really bad for her but at least she's eating. So I will keep hope alive. My husband just shaks his head when he sees her on my lap but, I LOVE HER!! If she wasn't eating or I thought in my gut that I was delaying the inevitable I would put her down..somehow...(the vet bill was already $125.00)... Don't laugh people.....I never thought I would end up like this either.....Best of luck to you...sending healing vibes your way.......

 

[mischievouschickens]

Quote:
Thank you for your encouragement Gretel12. I know you are doing your best to take care of your little girl as well. I hope she fully recovers with your care and treatment.

I will try some of the techniques you described. Thank you for sharing.

As of today, our little Cuckoo is still not walking. But she is terribly alert and for sure has movement in both legs. In fact, because I feed her mash, sometimes she gets some on the upper part of her beak and it probably "tickles". She frantically begins to scratch at her beak trying to get the mash off (almost like when you tickle a dog and its leg spasms).

I tried picking her up and she definitely "stood" for a bit with my support but could not stay in that position. She did not try to fight me and it felt like she liked the upright position much better than lying on her side. I eventually was able to get her to crouch on top of her legs (like a natural roosting position) and she stayed that way for some time before reverting back to her side-laying position.

She is still eating healthily but not drinking. I made a concoction of hard-boiled egg, oatmeal, honey, skim milk, yogurt, spinach, melons, strawberries, her regular feed and crushed organic fortified O's cereal. Initially, I offered the spinach alone but she didn't like it. She almost looked like a defiant child with her nose up in the air (but at least she tried a few bites, when a child won't even do that!). The concoction on the other hand, she *loves* it! I am very happy right now and hope this works. Basically, I chose foods high in Vitamins A, B and D.

Call me crazy, but I think her toes are no longer curled (they weren't so bad to begin with) and "color" has returned to her legs. They were a very pale, translucent "sickly" color. Now, they almost look vibrant -- definitely darker shading on the tops of her toes and some bright yellows on the undersides of her feet. I hope this is a good sign.

Keep eating chickie. I'm rootin' for ya!

 

[heritagebirds]

Good luck with your chickie!

 

[chickerdoodle]

My fingers are crossed this is a sign she is on the mend!!

 

[strawberryfields]

When ever I have sick birds that will not drink for themselves, I always give them fluid via a syringe. Birds, along with many other small animals can die of dehydration before they die of the primary disease. Many people also see fit to administer fluids along with vitamin water and electrolytes... All good ideas.

Good luck

!

 

[babsbag]

I have a hen that is acting very similar to yours. I hope that all your hard work pays off for you. Mine isn't eating or drinking on her own, but she is able to keep upright now when she is sitting, but falls over when she tries to walk.

I don't have any advice for you, only good thoughts, as I am really new to this chicken thing. But something you might want to do is to keep her from lying on her side. I read a post here where someone said that we shouldn't let the chickens lay on their side as they can drown. The first few days mine couldn't sit up so I had towels rolled on both sides of her to keep her propped up. Maybe you are already doing this, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to make sure. That is what these forums are all about.

Please keep us updated. There seem to be quite a few of us with similar problems. I wish the best for you and yours.

-Barbara

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Dearest Kathy,

This little Cuckoo is not one of your grandchickies I am happy to say (as happy as I can be). Your grandchickies are now being cared for by the children (and teachers) at our daughter's preschool. Everyone loves them, especially the children. Of the six, so far two definitely turned out to be roos and the other four, well we're optimistic that they're hens.

Thank you so much again. They are bringing great joy and teaching wonderful responsibilities to the young'uns.

Regarding our Cuckoo, I hope you are right. Could it be lack of sunlight? Their coop is relatively dark and they don't get to freerange every day - it's literally raining cats and dogs these days. I'm also concerned that she could be at the bottom of the pecking order and *may* not be getting enough feed? Even though I try to make sure that there is a constant supply of feed and water, is it possible that one chick might not be getting enough? Could the other hens literally box her out from feeding?

I checked on the others and, for now, they all seem happy, healthy and frisky. I'm starting to change my mind about the "deep litter method". I just don't think I have a big enough coop for the girls. They still haven't learned to roost properly and their poop collects in one corner. Eventually, they trample it down and it becomes a clumped up mess. If there is mold, I don't think so, but if there is, maybe it could be Mycotoxin poisoning?

I will try adding some vitamins to her feed and the rest of the flocks' water supply. Hopefully, she gets better and the rest stay healthy. Again, I hope you are right.

Ya know, I wish threehorses was still logging on to BYC. I don't hear from her anymore. She always had the best advice. I recall her talking about feed. If I remember correctly, she said the commercial feed contains only the minimum (or average) amount of vitamins necessary for growth and development. Meaning, this is ususally enough for most birds. But, frequently, we would come across some that needed extra. If it is neurological, the vitamins needed include B, D, and E, I believe. That is what I gave to one of mine, one time, and he is alive and well. He just needed a boost. I also gave 2 or 3 drops of PolyViSol daily. I used the B complex vitamin, as it contains more B's than the PolyViSol has. Just use adult vitamins. Another thing was, misting the feed with olive oil for Vitamin D, I believe. I will have to go search for one of her old threads. .....

Best of luck!

PS .... I am so happy to hear about my grandchicks!

 

[Gretel12]

I'm still rooting for your baby!! Mine still has not walked and it's going on a month now.. I am going to try PolyViSol without iron tonight and see if that concentrated source of vitamins will help more than the Vitaflight that I got at the bird pet store. She is still lying on her side so I'm trying to keep her in the crockpot (don't laugh) so she can try to remain upright...How's your girl doing now?