Hen can’t walk or stand, not eating. Don’t know what’s wrong!

Poppybutt

Hatching
Apr 20, 2025
3
5
4
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Don’t know what mix but she seems like a white leghorn. She weighs about 4 pounds and is about the same size as her flock. She is about 1 year old.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She first started having trouble standing and walking, often trying to get up but seems like her legs would give away. Now she just sits in the coop all day. Stopped laying eggs for a while, I couldn’t identify which one until I saw her sitting in the coop while the others were out and about. She poops out undigested pellets and has yellowish urates, I will include the photos of it below.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
She couldn’t walk for about 1 week. Isn’t eating food for 3 days now.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No. Felt the inside of the vent and outside of her belly, no swelling or egg inside (or it might be deeper in). Crop seems fine, it’s emptying and doesn’t smell off.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
No

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Drinking only if water is brought near here, doesn’t really look at the feed, would eat some boiled egg if brought to her, still goes crazy for treats.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Has undigested pellets in it.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I have her calcium and vitamin b12. Dewormed her using safeguard pellets, although I’m not sure if it worked since the pellets look undigested.

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I don’t have an avian vet near me so I intend to treat her myself.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
IMG_5632.jpeg

IMG_5634.jpeg

IMG_5635.jpeg

IMG_5638.jpeg

Her legs don’t seem paralyzed since they curl up when we put a finger underneath it and she could still struggle to walk sometimes.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Used pine shavings with some diatomaceous earth sprinkled on top.
 
The yellow urates in her poop could be a sign of a liver disorder. That can be from a number of possible issues, such as egg yolk peritonitis, cancer, fatty liver hemorrhagic disease and heart failure (usually more in meat birds.) I would separate her near food and water, perhaps in a wire dog crate where she can see the other chickens. Offer her some scrambled egg and watery chicken feed in a small bowl in addition to her dry feed. Human vitamin B complex tablets with all B vitamins would be good to try 1/2 tablet daily crushed into food or in a spoonful of water. Chicken sling chairs may be good to get them upright in front of food and water. They should only be in those for periods , with time out of them to sleep or stretch. Hopefully, she is not dying, but I would offer supportive care to see if she recovers. Let us knwo how she gets along.
 
The yellow urates in her poop could be a sign of a liver disorder. That can be from a number of possible issues, such as egg yolk peritonitis, cancer, fatty liver hemorrhagic disease and heart failure (usually more in meat birds.) I would separate her near food and water, perhaps in a wire dog crate where she can see the other chickens. Offer her some scrambled egg and watery chicken feed in a small bowl in addition to her dry feed. Human vitamin B complex tablets with all B vitamins would be good to try 1/2 tablet daily crushed into food or in a spoonful of water. Chicken sling chairs may be good to get them upright in front of food and water. They should only be in those for periods , with time out of them to sleep or stretch. Hopefully, she is not dying, but I would offer supportive care to see if she recovers. Let us knwo how she gets along.

Thanks for your reply! I will start her on B complex, should I continue to give her calcium and b12? She is at least eating some of the feed mash. And a fecal float came back negative for parasites.

Here’s a photo of her recent poops
IMG_5640.jpeg
 

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