hen suddenly can't walk -- i see no telltale signs why

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If your not giving vitamins in her water, you need to. I just had one die from a vit. E deficence and he was doing the crawling thing. Please get her on vitamins. If you are super worried about it, you should email Dr. Perter Brown on www.featherfanciers.com You will need to register and then go to the forum "I need help, Doc".
 
OK, I will see where I can get some vitamins quickly. thanks for the tip.
Just one question: If I have 55 or so free-ranging birds, do you think just one would get a vitamin deficiency, if the others are happy and healthy?
 
Only one of mine was.... Vitamins can boost their imumunity, less illnesses.

I would also ask Dr. Peter Brown on the featherfanciers.com He is a chicken Dr. and he is free!!!
 
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. There are vitamins from a really good company (Fertrell) in my chicken feed. I still may need the vitamins in water. Also, I think I may have found the answer froman excellent article today about chicken leg problems with pastured chickens. I don't have time now, but I will type the details and post to the forum later. The abbreviated version: The 4 most common leg problems mentioned in the article are from different causes:

1. Curly toes -- a Riboflavin deficiency. Increase B vitamins.

2. Spraddle Leg -- we all know about this but here it says it's a Manganese deficiency. No cure, but preventable.

3. Marek's -- a tumor growth on sciatic nerve, can be prevented with vaccination. Possibly helps to increase vitamin E in water.

4. Viral Arthritis -- infection that enters through the skin of the hock joint due to poor bedding conditions.

I am pretty sure with my hen, it's either 1 or 4 (unfortunately). I already gave her B vitamins, and tommorrow we're cleaning out the coop -- she sleeps in one box that has built up poop in it. Their henhouse is generally neat and clean but the one area has gotten kinda poopy. I feel horrible if it is #4 because then it's our fault for not keeping her area more clean.
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I am going to do my best to help her recover.
 
* I'm glad you found some possible clues to her condition, CA. Isn't it amazing what can result from vitamin deficiencies?? Does the site you found give any info on "remedial" doses and treatment durations??
 
* I'm glad you found some possible clues to her condition, CA. Isn't it amazing what can result from vitamin deficiencies?? Does the site you found give any info on "remedial" doses and treatment durations?? (Frack!)
 
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Update: I have been attempting to treat my hen, and I keep her in a pen by herself. Her legs are not getting better. 2 days ago I was horrified to notice she had tiny mites crawling around her eyes. She preens constantly and I realized she must have mites that are bothering her skin. I am looking to buy some diatomaceous earth for external use for the mites, but in the meantime I "gave" her a dustbath myself because she is unable to use her legs and feet to kick the dirt on herself. It wasn't easy, and I think she hated it. She couldn't even shake the dust off herself, so I had to shake the dirt off her too. It seemed to help a tiny bit (less preening). None of the other chickens have mites or this condition -- I checked them.

She still eats and drinks and isn't acting droopy, but her legs are not improving and I'm realizing that I might just be torturing her by keeping her alive in this state. My best guess at this point is that in her weakened condition she is starting to have secondary issues, such as the mites. Her weight is not gaining, in fact I think she's losing. She has some strange bulges and ligaments at her back and neck area that I think are related to her crookedness. If she acted more "sick" I might not feel so bad about putting her out of her misery, but it's more of a functional issue with her immobility and her legs not functioning. She sits on the ground on her haunches, hocks flat, most of the day and occassionally drags herself along in tiny painful looking mini-steps with her useless feet curled inward.

So all this to say I'm looking for some moral turpitude to possibly decide if I should set her free (cull her) or keep her going despite knowing it could be a long, slow decline.
 

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