Hen staggering and walking funny; UPDATE: Mites??

[PioneerPrincess]

My hen is walking funny and staggering. She is definetly not egg-bound as her egg is high in the rib cage. The last time she was introduced to new chickens was about three months ago.

1. White Plymouth Rock, 1 year, don't know weight
2. Walking funny, staggering, can't walk walk for a long time, sits or lays down, and she is shivering.
3. No bleeding, injury that I know of, no broken bones
4. I don't know what happened
5. I haven't seen her drink. Last night she ate soaked dry cat food with calcium. She has eaten laying pellets and chick feed.
6. Her fecal matter is normal.
7. I've given her calcium, cat food, warm water bottles, put vaseline on her vent because I at first thought she was egg-bound, kept her in the coop all day.
8. I want to completely treat myself without a vet.
9. I can't get a photo as it wouldn't tell the problem.
10. She has been resting in a nesting box filled with alfalfa hay.


Thank you for your help!

 

[horsejody]

Have you checked her for mites?

 

[PioneerPrincess]

I don't believe she has mites. A friend came over to help because I thought she was egg-bound. She confirmed that she wasn't and is as perplexed at her situation as I am. Also, her chickens have had mites, so she would have said that was the problem if she saw it. Could my hen have an ear infection? I am researching that right now if that might be a possibility.

 

[mustangrose & chicks]

I had a two year old Araucana hen do this earlier this year. It seemed like her legs would not hold her up. I gave her a couple of drops of vitamin D from an eyedropper and the next day she was walking around as if nothing had ever been wrong. I don't know if that is the answer but it seemed to help her. I just happened to have the vitamin D on hand because I do a lot of hatching and was trying to find a remedy for that one in 150 chicks that can not stand up after they hatch. The best remedy for the chicks is to hobble them for a day. It seems to put their legs in the right place and then they do okay. I lost quite a few chicks before I found that out. Hope your hen gets better real soon.

 

[Msbear]

could be some sort of toxin. Has she been into anything rotten or been drinking from a stagnet mud puddle?

 

[dancingr6]

Any inflamation? Feel real well around joints, the hocks, crop area, and under the belly. Compare both sides of the body-- if there is inflamation I had the same problem. PM me for details if it applies.

 

[PioneerPrincess]

First of all, thank you for all your input and advice. I still haven't found out the problem. She is no better and no worse.
I will check tomorrow if she has any inflammed areas. If she had any inflammed areas would they be red and warm to the touch?
Also, there aren't any areas that she could get to stagnant water unless she crossed into our neighbors yard (which none of our chickens ever do). She hasn't eaten anything rotten that I know of. I don't think she has an ear infection because one of the symptoms for it was absurd movements of the head.
I read something about chickens having internal worms. Is that a possibility or do you think all the chickens would be affected by it? Here is what I read that the symptoms are:

" Symptoms of a chicken with intestinal worms are as follows:
watery runny droppings
loss of appetite
ceasing of egg laying
dehydration
going off alone
loss of balance (due to weakness from a heavy infestation)
dull comb,wattles and eyes"

What would you treat a chicken who has worms with? Tomorrow I will look to see if she has any worms in her fecal matter.​

 

[PioneerPrincess]

I checked her this morning and she didn't have any worms. I didn't see or feel any inflammed areas. Now when I put her on the ground she can't walk, even if I lift her up. She is eating a little chicken food and she won't eat the scraps I offer her except for pieces of orange slices.
I am starting to give her cornmeal mash with vitamin D and A, and dry milk.

 

[MimiChick]

This sounds so much like my Blueberry (see my post "She can't walk"). There's so many possibilities on what it could be. I'm going to take her to the vet Monday. Maybe there will be some answers and help for you too. I think what's keeping me (and Blueberry) going right now is making sure she eats, drinks and gets lots of vitamins and calcium. I've had a little trouble getting her to drink (what I consider) enough, but I found that leaving an apple with a bit cut off near her head works pretty well. She pecks at that and gets some moisture from it. I hope your girl recovers. Check my post for updates on what I've been doing and my progress. Good luck.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Try putting some Electrolytes in her water.....
and check out img/smilies/fl.gif" alt="fl" />">http://www.bing.com/search?q=Hen+staggering&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IE8SRC