Chicken unable to walk but alert and eating

[Shays]

I noticed this about a week and a half ago. The first night she wasn’t on a perch so I sat her in a nest box but she could still stand and balance on my hand. The next night she was in the corner thrusting her head downward unable to stand. I brought her in and out her in a crate assuming she would be dead the next day. She wasn’t so my friend from the chicken swap on Facebook suggested poly vi sol. Starting on Friday I have her that for 3 days. In the meantime she won’t eat or drink. After the 3rd day of treatment I put some canned cat food in her mouth and she swallowed it but could not eat herself. By the 5th day I offered a piece of broccoli and she snatched it from my hand. She cant get her own food from ground level but if you hold it she will eat it. She has not been interested in water but today for the first time she did resume drinking. She was able to drink out of a cup that was angled toward her and elevated about 6 inches off the floor. If you hold her feet and lower legs she can balance but she is unable to move her lower legs or feet. She is bright and alert otherwise seems fine. She is able to flap her wings and her poop is of course mostly watery because of not eating for several days but after drinking she went and it was very watery and had a little white to it. I don’t see any blood or other issues and her feathers are in great shape. She lived with 23 other laying hens in a run where I could rotate their pastures and I use pellet bedding for bedding but water it down to sawdust. She is a RIR and is 3-5 years old. Hope I remembered everything and thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your hen. Has she been laying eggs recently? Have you added any new birds to the flock recently? I would get a disposable glove, and insert one finger inside her vent 1-2 inches to feel for a stuck egg or obstruction. It is hard to know if she has an egg stuck pressing on her sciatic nerves which is causing her to be lame, or if she has an infection or tumor affecting her nerves. Mareks disease can be a third possibility, but at her age, and if you have not added any new birds recently, that would lessen the possibility. Was she vaccinated dor Mareks?

 

[annaBsChick]

I donno, it could be alot of things. Have you tried using the chicken symptom checker tool yet? http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.php

 

[Shays]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your hen. Has she been laying eggs recently? Have you added any new birds to the flock recently? I would get a disposable glove, and insert one finger inside her vent 1-2 inches to feel for a stuck egg or obstruction. It is hard to know if she has an egg stuck pressing on her sciatic nerves which is causing her to be lame, or if she has an infection or tumor affecting her nerves. Mareks disease can be a third possibility, but at her age, and if you have not added any new birds recently, that would lessen the possibility. Was she vaccinated dor Mareks?

Thanks for the welcome!!! I don’t know if she was vaccinated but I have not added any birds for over a year. I have 23 hens and am only getting 4-5 eggs a day, so I’m not sure if she’s been laying. If I feel and egg, what do I do? Thanks!

Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your hen. Has she been laying eggs recently? Have you added any new birds to the flock recently? I would get a disposable glove, and insert one finger inside her vent 1-2 inches to feel for a stuck egg or obstruction. It is hard to know if she has an egg stuck pressing on her sciatic nerves which is causing her to be lame, or if she has an infection or tumor affecting her nerves. Mareks disease can be a third possibility, but at her age, and if you have not added any new birds recently, that would lessen the possibility. Was she vaccinated dor Mareks?

thanks so much for the reply, I have not added any hands to the flock for at least a year. I do not know if she was vaccinated for merits and I will check her vent. If there is an obstruction, what’s the best way to dislodge it?
I have 23 hands and I’m getting about 4 to 5 eggs a day but I’m not sure if she is one laying or not obviously not recently, but the theory sounds possible. I’ll check back if I find an obstruction or update with no obstruction. Thanks!

 

[Shays]

I donno, it could be alot of things. Have you tried using the chicken symptom checker tool yet? http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.php

Thanks for the tool, it pointed to curl toe paralysis calcium deficiency or osteoporosis, I don’t know about that, but I do supplement with oyster shell. I will check and see about getting her a calcium supplement just in case thanks!