3 1/2 Year-Old Light Brahma Suddenly Stumbling While Walking

[SusiesPeeps]

I just returned from the vet with my 3 1/2 year-old Light Brahma who very suddenly began stumbling as she walked outside in the grass. Our flock of five has been molting, though this one has lost few feathers. The flock also appears to be rearranging their pecking order. The Brahma was high in the order and has been acting very defensively - fluttering her wings and standing up tall - but the others have attempted to demote her within the past 2 weeks. There's been fights with a couple of the hens charging at Brahma on several occasions. No blood shed, but we felt it necessary to separate her in our emergency "hospital." She still sees them every day on "supervised" visits. She is eating, drinking, pooping, and even foraging normally. But walking is an issue for her. She takes a few steps and then falls to one side. There is no evidence of any toxins - none of the other hens show any signs of illness and they are usually altogether. We received all the chicks when they were a couple days old and all were vaccinated against Marek's disease. The vet - admittedly not a chicken "expert" - examined her - no broken bones, bumblefoot, etc. Heart and lungs are strong. She prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication. Has anyone experienced anything similar to this?

 

[Rose the Legbar]

When just starting molting my head hen stumbled a lot and was very unsteady on her feet. It could have been a mix of an impacted crop, weight loss, and molting though. I gave all my chickens electrolytes in their water and it greatly improved her strength. Try to give them some electrolytes and see how that works.
Those are my little bits of information I have. I’ll call up some experts to better help and give ideas.
@Wyorp Rock and @Eggcessive

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is she molting?
When was her last egg?
Crop emptying?
Any lice/mites?
Did the vet check for worms (fecal float)?

I'd work on hydration, electrolytes as suggested is a good idea. She may benefit from vitamins, I'd give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a little egg to help with the uptake of E.
See that she's eating her normal feed.

Sometimes molting birds can have difficulties, but if the others have been after her, she may have another condition/underlying illness that's affecting her. I would still allow her to be with her flock as much as possible, it will be difficult to integrate her if she gets well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Molting can be a tough time. The other hens can be very mean when someone has a balance or walking issue. I like to keep a hen separated in a wire dog crate inside the coop or run with the others as much as possible. I had a hen once who could not balance for about 5 weeks. After hand feeding her while she stayed in a basket, one day she finally got up and walked out of the coop. The others would not let her be, so she had to free range on the other side of their fence for 6 months. But they finally let her back in the flock. I hope that your hen recovers.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

When just starting molting my head hen stumbled a lot and was very unsteady on her feet. It could have been a mix of an impacted crop, weight loss, and molting though. I gave all my chickens electrolytes in their water and it greatly improved her strength. Try to give them some electrolytes and see how that works.
Those are my little bits of information I have. I’ll call up some experts to better help and give ideas.
@Wyorp Rock and @Eggcessive

Thank you so much for responding. The other 4 are almost through with their molting, but the Brahma has maybe lost a few feathers - nothing noticeable. Maybe she's still going to molt now? The hens all get Rooster Booster (vitamins plus electrolytes) in one waterer and plain fresh water in the other. We've been giving Rooster Booster in the waterer in our chicken "hospital" where Brahma is too. Perhaps there's some hope for her if she's about to molt. Appreciate your experience!

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Molting can be a tough time. The other hens can be very mean when someone has a balance or walking issue. I like to keep a hen separated in a wire dog crate inside the coop or run with the others as much as possible. I had a hen once who could not balance for about 5 weeks. After hand feeding her while she stayed in a basket, one day she finally got up and walked out of the coop. The others would not let her be, so she had to free range on the other side of their fence for 6 months. But they finally let her back in the flock. I hope that your hen recovers.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I am bringing her out with the others on the other side of a mesh fence so they see each other for a few hours each day. But, as you say, today when she stumbled, three of them went after her in attack mode, so I took a walk with her in my arms. I'm so glad you ultimately had a good experience. Keeping my fingers crossed! Much appreciated.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Is she molting?
When was her last egg?
Crop emptying?
Any lice/mites?
Did the vet check for worms (fecal float)?

I'd work on hydration, electrolytes as suggested is a good idea. She may benefit from vitamins, I'd give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a little egg to help with the uptake of E.
See that she's eating her normal feed.

Sometimes molting birds can have difficulties, but if the others have been after her, she may have another condition/underlying illness that's affecting her. I would still allow her to be with her flock as much as possible, it will be difficult to integrate her if she gets well.

Thanks for responding! Though the other 4 hens are almost through with their molting, the Brahma only lost a few feathers here and there - nothing at all like the others. Is it possible she could still be about to molt? Her last egg was over a month ago, and none of them have laid within the past month. Today, the vet said her crop was full, and she is pooping, eating, and drinking normally. I just brought her out a handful of blueberries and she devoured them. She loves veggies and fruit. There is no evidence in any of my hens of lice/mites. I regularly use neem oil to clean in the coop and run areas. The vet did not check for worms - hmmmm.

Interesting about Vitamin E and B-Complex. My hens are getting Rooster Booster combo of vitamins and electrolytes in one of their waterers each day, while the other waterer is plain water. Do you recommend E and B-complex in addition to this? Here's what's in Rooster Booster if you haven't used it: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-vitamins-and-electrolytes-with-lactobacillus

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Interesting about Vitamin E and B-Complex. My hens are getting Rooster Booster combo of vitamins and electrolytes in one of their waterers each day, while the other waterer is plain water. Do you recommend E and B-complex in addition to this? Here's what's in Rooster Booster if you haven't used it: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-vitamins-and-electrolytes-with-lactobacillus

Yes, I would get the Vitamin E and B-Complex and give it to her.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Yes, I would get the Vitamin E and B-Complex and give it to her.





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Thanks very much! I'll give her the B-Complex, which I have already, and get the Vitamin E today. Much appreciated.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Thanks very much! I'll give her the B-Complex, which I have already, and get the Vitamin E today. Much appreciated.

It's very strange. Except for stumbling when she walks, she is alert, eating, drinking, pooping normally. Her comb is bright red and eyes clear. How one morning she could wake up not being able to stay up on her feet seems so odd. The vet checked her over thoroughly - no sign of injuries from the other hens and heart and lungs are strong, she said. We're giving her the anti-inflammatory medicine she prescribed twice daily as well.