Hen "sitting" on hocks, no other symptoms

[Newtie]

Hi. Our 5 year old Ameraucana hen recently began resting on her hocks, feet underneath her. It began 3 days ago. It's like she's rising up from a nesting position. She seems to balance and walk on her hocks, so restricted movement. She can move her feet and toes.

She's alert and has no other symptoms that I can see - no swellings, discharge, ruffling of feathers, etc. She is eating and drinking just fine. I've pulled her from the flock and have her isolated in a box.

We did add a few pullets in the spring, but otherwise it's been a closed flock for years. We don't really have a knowledgeable vet around here. At least, not one that I've found.

Other than the pullets, all of the chickens not born on our property began as purchased chicks vaccinated for Mareks.

We gave her a little Vitamin E as we have had hens with that deficiency in the past. 2 days and no change.

She is on a complete layer pellet, a 5 grain scratch, and they are let out to forage on our horse farm every day. We do not use pesticides or fertilizers.

What could be causing this?

 

[azygous]

Vitamin B deficiency can cause this, but so can avian viruses and exposure to toxins.

Continue the vitamin E and start giving her vitamin B complex. If you get a product off the vitamin shelf call B-100 or B-50, these have much higher concentrations. Give one table per day directly into the beak. You will increase the effectiveness of the vitamin E by giving it with egg or a sliver of a selenium tablet.

Expect the vitamin B to take up to four weeks for it to effect improvement.

If no improvement, then you should suspect this chicken has gotten into petroleum distillates or is carrying an avian virus.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that human B complex or Super B complex is good for treating a possible riboflavin deficiency (sitting and walking on hocks is a symptom.) Give 1/4-1/2 tablet daily, and you can crush it in food or give it for her to swallow whole. Is she curling her toes under?

 

[Newtie]

Thank you! I will try this immediately!

Her toes are slightly curled when she has them resting. When she uses them, no, not at all. They act like normal chicken feet.

 

[Eggcessive]

Prompt treatment may reverse the symptoms. If improvement is not seen in a couple of weeks with B complex containing riboflavin, then I would worry about Mareks disease brought in by new additions, or some other issue. Here is some reading about riboflavin (B2) deficiency:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency

 

[EuroChook]

Sounds like Curly Toe Paralysis, hence B2 deficiency. In warm weather then the need for riboflavin increases. If B2 is low anyway, maybe not sufficient in feed, then it will be inevitable. Without this supplemental B2 (riboflavin) just because of high air temperature, then this kind of paralysis can set in.

Selenium also helps activate B2, but be careful just how much you give her, even if Se is an essential component of poultry diet.

And please let us know how she is going, if you don't mind

https://poultrydvm.com/condition/curly-toed-paralysis

 

[Eggcessive]

I know that selenium helps in uptake of vitamin E, but have not read about giving it with B2 (riboflavin.) Scrambled egg (a few bits) has plenty of selenium in it. Sunflower seeds (a few) as well.

 

[Newtie]

Thank you everyone. I've observed her closely over the last couple of days and she does indeed have symptoms of Curly Toe Paralysis. She's on a B-Complex and Vitamin E and I've given her egg for Selenium and some berries for Vitamin C in addition to her other food. She's eating and alert but not much has changed in her posture - yet. I also ordered her some little shoes to see if that will help her (per the link EuroChook posted above).

She's been moved into our "Special Needs" coop with a blind bantam hen and a hen that had been attacked and "brained" in the past. She can live there in the future if she doesn't make a full recovery.

I'll post if there are any changes. Thank you, again!

 

[Eggcessive]

The B complex usually has C added to it, but check your label. I hope that she gets better in a few days. Keep her on mostly chicken feed except for the egg. You can moisten it which mine always loved.

 

[Newtie]

Thank you!