Coyote Mint
Hatching
- Apr 22, 2023
- 4
- 4
- 9
Hello all! I have sort of a strange thing happening with my Indian runner hen. She’s almost a year. So I’m wondering if it’s just young duck common problems. I’ve googled for days and am not getting anywhere. Bear with me, this is long but I want y’all to know the full story! 
So about 6 days ago I went outside to see my hen unable to walk. Her legs seemed stuck out behind her. I scooped her up and carried her inside but couldn’t see anything obvious (no respiratory distress, no soft abdomen, no injuries etc) I was stumped but I figured I’d put her in a lukewarm bath while I researched. I threw peas and spinach in and she happily floated along munching. When I drained the tub, I realized she was standing! Thought “well that was a freebie.” Kept her in the quarantine kennel over night and woke up to her at 3:30am angrily SCREAM quacking to let me know she was ready to go back out. I worried it was overbreeding from drakes, so I separated her and few hens.
For two days she was totally normal. Eating, swimming, waddling around… then yesterday I went outside to find her back in that same way. I again scooped her up, searched for obvious signs. I kept thinking she was egg bound, but she was pooping and at that point it had been like 3 days since this started... Put her in the tub again, but noticed this time she was shaking very badly and wasn’t eating. I gave her some caprofren and let her soak in the tub for a bit. When I went back in, she was calmer but legs were still “stuck”. I moved her to some towels and gently burritoed her while I went to make her some fave foods to see if I could get her to eat.
When I went back in she was running around the bathroom
I was confused but then noticed an egg in the towel. A soft shelled egg. So it WAS a hard egg laying, poor girl. But I felt better knowing she passed it and we got through it.
Kept her in again overnight, this morning let her back out with the ladies and kept an eye on her. Totally normal.
Then, at sundown I went to lock the coops up and spotted her hiding under a chair… again unable to move!!! She’s currently soaking in the tub and I just don’t know what’s happening. I’m assuming it’s a calcium issue, but the flock definitely gets a lot. She might just have a harder time absorbing so I’ve already ordered her some calcium Gluconate but that won’t be here for a few days (I live VERY isolated closest town is 3 hours away). A drake snuck in earlier so maybe it is a breeding issue but he’s the same size as her and he’s a fairly gentle fella. I am going to build a separate pen and completely separate my drakes and hens for the time being though.
I also just did a fecal study for all the critters on the ranch and we got a 100% clean bill of health, so I don’t think it’s a parasite or bacteria.
I’m just so confused and rarely confused when it comes to critters. Really hoping you guys have some insight!!!
Feed: - peas all day everyday. Seriously I bought a separate freezer just for their peas
- mazuri waterfowl maintenance
- oyster shells
- nutritional yeast
- misc treats like mealworms, lettuce, strawberries, etc
- they free range as well in the pond and pasture.
Thank you in advance to anyone who reads all this
So about 6 days ago I went outside to see my hen unable to walk. Her legs seemed stuck out behind her. I scooped her up and carried her inside but couldn’t see anything obvious (no respiratory distress, no soft abdomen, no injuries etc) I was stumped but I figured I’d put her in a lukewarm bath while I researched. I threw peas and spinach in and she happily floated along munching. When I drained the tub, I realized she was standing! Thought “well that was a freebie.” Kept her in the quarantine kennel over night and woke up to her at 3:30am angrily SCREAM quacking to let me know she was ready to go back out. I worried it was overbreeding from drakes, so I separated her and few hens.
For two days she was totally normal. Eating, swimming, waddling around… then yesterday I went outside to find her back in that same way. I again scooped her up, searched for obvious signs. I kept thinking she was egg bound, but she was pooping and at that point it had been like 3 days since this started... Put her in the tub again, but noticed this time she was shaking very badly and wasn’t eating. I gave her some caprofren and let her soak in the tub for a bit. When I went back in, she was calmer but legs were still “stuck”. I moved her to some towels and gently burritoed her while I went to make her some fave foods to see if I could get her to eat.
When I went back in she was running around the bathroom
I was confused but then noticed an egg in the towel. A soft shelled egg. So it WAS a hard egg laying, poor girl. But I felt better knowing she passed it and we got through it. Kept her in again overnight, this morning let her back out with the ladies and kept an eye on her. Totally normal.
Then, at sundown I went to lock the coops up and spotted her hiding under a chair… again unable to move!!! She’s currently soaking in the tub and I just don’t know what’s happening. I’m assuming it’s a calcium issue, but the flock definitely gets a lot. She might just have a harder time absorbing so I’ve already ordered her some calcium Gluconate but that won’t be here for a few days (I live VERY isolated closest town is 3 hours away). A drake snuck in earlier so maybe it is a breeding issue but he’s the same size as her and he’s a fairly gentle fella. I am going to build a separate pen and completely separate my drakes and hens for the time being though.
I also just did a fecal study for all the critters on the ranch and we got a 100% clean bill of health, so I don’t think it’s a parasite or bacteria.
I’m just so confused and rarely confused when it comes to critters. Really hoping you guys have some insight!!!
Feed: - peas all day everyday. Seriously I bought a separate freezer just for their peas
- mazuri waterfowl maintenance
- oyster shells
- nutritional yeast
- misc treats like mealworms, lettuce, strawberries, etc
- they free range as well in the pond and pasture.
Thank you in advance to anyone who reads all this
