Hen Slowly Stopped Walking & No Idea Why

[ericalee33]

Hi all! I have an ayam cemani hen that is only a little over a year old. About a month ago, she started being the last hen to come in after free ranging. I’d usually have to go find her and pick her up to bring her over to the coop. She was still walking around at this point, but weirdly easy to catch. Then she started just laying somewhere out in the woods & I’d have to find her there to bring her in. Eventually I realized I saw her just laying around all the time… not doing normal chicken things. And now it’s much worse. She will not move. She stays wherever I sit her and seems unable to walk and very unstable on her feet. She has no visible injuries, is eating/drinking/pooping, and is very alert. She hasn’t laid an egg though for quite awhile, not that her breed is known for laying lots of eggs. It truly just seems like her legs aren’t working. I am deworming my flock currently in case that’s making her weak? But I truly am at a loss of what to do for her. Any advice/ideas is so appreciated!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

About a month ago

She was still walking around at this point, but weirdly easy to catch. Then she started just laying somewhere out in the woods & I’d have to find her there to bring her in. Eventually I realized I saw her just laying around all the time… not doing normal chicken things. And now it’s much worse. She will not move. She stays wherever I sit her and seems unable to walk and very unstable on her feet.

Do you have photos of her and her poop?

Any bloat or fluid in the abdomen below the vent between her legs?

I'd consider giving her 1 Calcium Citrate with D3 once daily for a week to see if she's able to expel egg or material.

Start her on vitamins to give her a boost. 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. See that she's eating her normal feed.

Hard to know what's going on with her. Marek's disease comes to mind, if you lose her, sending the body to your state lab for analysis will give you the most information. https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Hi all! I have an ayam cemani hen that is only a little over a year old. About a month ago, she started being the last hen to come in after free ranging. I’d usually have to go find her and pick her up to bring her over to the coop. She was still walking around at this point, but weirdly easy to catch. Then she started just laying somewhere out in the woods & I’d have to find her there to bring her in. Eventually I realized I saw her just laying around all the time… not doing normal chicken things. And now it’s much worse. She will not move. She stays wherever I sit her and seems unable to walk and very unstable on her feet. She has no visible injuries, is eating/drinking/pooping, and is very alert. She hasn’t laid an egg though for quite awhile, not that her breed is known for laying lots of eggs. It truly just seems like her legs aren’t working. I am deworming my flock currently in case that’s making her weak? But I truly am at a loss of what to do for her. Any advice/ideas is so appreciated!

 

[ericalee33]

Do you have photos of her and her poop?

Any bloat or fluid in the abdomen below the vent between her legs?

I'd consider giving her 1 Calcium Citrate with D3 once daily for a week to see if she's able to expel egg or material.

Start her on vitamins to give her a boost. 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. See that she's eating her normal feed.

Hard to know what's going on with her. Marek's disease comes to mind, if you lose her, sending the body to your state lab for analysis will give you the most information. https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

I don’t have photos of her poop, but it has looked normal! No bloat or fluid build up. I’m planning to bring her in today so I can keep a closer eye on her & give her some vitamins/supplements. REALLY hoping it isn’t Mareks.

 

[oneandacrumb]

I don’t have photos of her poop, but it has looked normal! No bloat or fluid build up. I’m planning to bring her in today so I can keep a closer eye on her & give her some vitamins/supplements. REALLY hoping it isn’t Mareks.

Hi all! I have an ayam cemani hen that is only a little over a year old. About a month ago, she started being the last hen to come in after free ranging. I’d usually have to go find her and pick her up to bring her over to the coop. She was still walking around at this point, but weirdly easy to catch. Then she started just laying somewhere out in the woods & I’d have to find her there to bring her in. Eventually I realized I saw her just laying around all the time… not doing normal chicken things. And now it’s much worse. She will not move. She stays wherever I sit her and seems unable to walk and very unstable on her feet. She has no visible injuries, is eating/drinking/pooping, and is very alert. She hasn’t laid an egg though for quite awhile, not that her breed is known for laying lots of eggs. It truly just seems like her legs aren’t working. I am deworming my flock currently in case that’s making her weak? But I truly am at a loss of what to do for her. Any advice/ideas is so appreciated!

Did your girl pull through? I have a Cream Legbar who did this exact same thing, right down to sleeping in random spots and being super easy to catch. She’s really not well now but I’m trying my best to help her. She’s only 6 months old and has only laid 1 egg and we’re not even 100% sure if it was hers.

 

[ericalee33]

Did your girl pull through? I have a Cream Legbar who did this exact same thing, right down to sleeping in random spots and being super easy to catch. She’s really not well now but I’m trying my best to help her. She’s only 6 months old and has only laid 1 egg and we’re not even 100% sure if it was hers.

She is still with us, but she is the exact same as she was when I made this post. Still alert & seems totally content… but not walking at all. She will stand for short spurts, but that’s it. I keep almost taking her to be euthanized, but then someone else with chickens will tell me that the same thing happened to theirs then they just randomly got up & started walking after a few months. So I’m trying to give her time but it feels cruel since she can’t do anything chickens are supposed to go out & do.

 

[oneandacrumb]

She is still with us, but she is the exact same as she was when I made this post. Still alert & seems totally content… but not walking at all. She will stand for short spurts, but that’s it. I keep almost taking her to be euthanized, but then someone else with chickens will tell me that the same thing happened to theirs then they just randomly got up & started walking after a few months. So I’m trying to give her time but it feels cruel since she can’t do anything chickens are supposed to go out & do.

Are you keeping her in the house and just putting food and water near her? I’m not sure mine is going to make it. She stopped eating today but is drinking a lot. She barfed up water three times this evening. I hope she eats something in the morning.

 

[ericalee33]

Are you keeping her in the house and just putting food and water near her? I’m not sure mine is going to make it. She stopped eating today but is drinking a lot. She barfed up water three times this evening. I hope she eats something in the morning.

I had her inside for a bit, but now she is in my brooder box within the chicken coop. I don’t have chicks right now, so it’s an easy way to keep her separated from everyone so they don’t pick on her or get into her food/water. I’m sorry your hen is not doing well it’s good that she still wants to drink water! Maybe try to give her something yummy in the morning? I give my little hen scrambled eggs topped with some mealworms a couple days a week.

 

[oneandacrumb]

I had her inside for a bit, but now she is in my brooder box within the chicken coop. I don’t have chicks right now, so it’s an easy way to keep her separated from everyone so they don’t pick on her or get into her food/water. I’m sorry your hen is not doing well it’s good that she still wants to drink water! Maybe try to give her something yummy in the morning? I give my little hen scrambled eggs topped with some mealworms a couple days a week.

She actually woke up this morning acting almost like a normal chicken! I also gave her a (gloved!) finger probe to make sure it's not an egg-bound situation and I couldn't feel anything in there so I don't think it's that. We still gave her a bath anyways because she was covered in poop and she sure seemed to enjoy that! She didn't even mind the blowdryer. We also clipped her puffy butt feathers so it was like she spent the morning at the salon. Now she's wandering around the house like a princess with me following her with a spray bottle and roll of paper towel. Haha. I'm going to keep giving her all the things so hopefully she'll conquer this. Her appetite still isn't great but she's eating a little more today.

 

[ericalee33]

She actually woke up this morning acting almost like a normal chicken! I also gave her a (gloved!) finger probe to make sure it's not an egg-bound situation and I couldn't feel anything in there so I don't think it's that. We still gave her a bath anyways because she was covered in poop and she sure seemed to enjoy that! She didn't even mind the blowdryer. We also clipped her puffy butt feathers so it was like she spent the morning at the salon. Now she's wandering around the house like a princess with me following her with a spray bottle and roll of paper towel. Haha. I'm going to keep giving her all the things so hopefully she'll conquer this. Her appetite still isn't great but she's eating a little more today.

That’s great news! They do weird things sometimes.