# Our Hen cant stand or walk??



## Rinji D Williams (Sep 13, 2019)

Hello, my mother and I have a couple of Hens. One of our Buff Orpingtons can't walk or stand anymore (this happened a couple of days ago) We have her in our bathroom next to food and water. We checked her legs and feet and so far there is nothing wrong that we can tell. We have been giving her Liver for B12, scrambled eggs, and chicken vitamin water as well as her normal feeding. She was doing well and started to try and walk on her own yesterday but today she seems to have gotten worse. She falls over in the box we made for her and her poop has gotten runny. We don't have the money to take her to a vet and my mother tried contacting people in her chicken group nearby to come over and help but no one replied. If anyone has an idea what is wrong with her we would appreciate it!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

These situations are always hard. We want to help but have no idea how.

A few questions, how old is she? When do you think she last laid?

Has anyone checked to see if she has an egg stuck in her reproductive tract? 

I'll give a shout out to another so maybe we have good coverage for things to look at.


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## Rinji D Williams (Sep 13, 2019)

We were told she is around 7 to 8 months, they are all around the same age. None of them have been laying yet which we find odd but the other girls seem to be doing alright. One of our other chickens died to Merks but Goldy Locks ( the Buff O.) Isn't really showing the signs the other one did... My mother has tried to check but she doesn't know where the right place to feel is at or how it should feel or look.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How was it confirmed the one died of Mareks? Because I did wonder if this wasn't what she was suffering from. 

The physical signs they show depends on what part of the body the virus attacks. 

The watery droppings is kind of an indicator that she's not eating but is drinking. Making her a wet mash of her food might encourage her to eat.


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## Rinji D Williams (Sep 13, 2019)

My mother was with her the entire time and she told me her bottom was covered in gunk which is apparently a sign? She also couldn't walk or eat/drink but then past away in her sleep after a week. I am not sure if it was Mareks or not but she researched it and said it was. 

Goldy Locks has been eating but she hasn't been drinking so we used an eyedropper and gave her water that way. A day or so before she was reported to sit and couldn't walk, she was drop kicked by our neighbor's rooster and I had speculations that maybe she hurt her legs? I don't think that maybe the cause since she has tried to walk but isn't in pain, it is just when we stand her up her toes curl.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The curled toes is a significant symptom.

I'm going to post a link to what might be causing her issues.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/curly-toed-paralysis Even though she isn't a newly hatched chick it does not mean this couldn't be an issue for her. Especially, as noted in the article, she came from parents that were deficient.

So get some riboflavin/B2 vitamins and start hitting her with those. Being a B vitamin excess will leave the body through the kidneys and not build up in the fat.

Without a necropsy stating that it was Mareks can be misleading. It takes close observation of the internal structures of a bird to confirm that diagnosis.


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## Rinji D Williams (Sep 13, 2019)

Thank you! We were trying to find good foods that she can eat with B12 but it is hard to find the right ones. We gave her a little liver and scrambled eggs as I've said before. Do you know how long it would take for her to get better?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Not B12, B2. Better known as riboflavin. Get some B2 from the store and give that to her. If it's in an oil form you can prick the gelatin and squeeze it on some tasty morsel. If not then mash some up, put it in water and using a syringe without a needle give that to her the same way you were giving her water.


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## Rinji D Williams (Sep 13, 2019)

I told my Mom, she got B2 drops and brewers yeast. Thank you so much for the help, praying that our hen gets better!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Let's hope that's what is plaguing her. Many times we never know. 

Please keep us posted on how she does. 

Oh, and don't expect to see a big change right away. It takes time for improvement to happen.


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## Rinji D Williams (Sep 13, 2019)

yes, of course I will update! Also, how many times or how often are we supposed to give her the B2 drops a day ?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm going to have to do some digging. But you can't really hurt her with giving her too much of the B vitamins.

I'd like to see her get a heavy dose until you start seeing improvement. 

I have to warn you, I'm still hoping this is her issue. The curled feet points that way.


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## Rinji D Williams (Sep 13, 2019)

Thank you so much for your help. We gave her a dose of 0.4mm about an hour ago


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

2.6 mg per lb Not sure what your bottle says. You'll have to see where that dosage stands with whatever you have. Plus, if she'll eat at all you can put the brewers yeast on top of her feed. 

You could also do polyvisol vitamins for babies. A couple of drops a day.


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## KathyAnn (Aug 26, 2019)

We lost 2 laying hens earlier this summer with curly toes. Checked for blockage, wasn't any. f it happens again I'll try the B2 (riboflaven). Also, thanks for the DVM link!!!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

KathyAnn, I would be hesitant to think that was your issue since you had two like that. If it was then you need to do two things, look at your feed for deficiencies and at where the birds came from. 

Could you give a better description what you're calling curly toes?


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## KathyAnn (Aug 26, 2019)

robin416 said:


> KathyAnn, I would be hesitant to think that was your issue since you had two like that. If it was then you need to do two things, look at your feed for deficiencies and at where the birds came from.
> 
> Could you give a better description what you're calling curly toes?


Robin; Their feet curled in upon themselves, as if making a loose fist. I think it was the feed, they were only getting scratch as they woudn't eat the laying pellets. Have since switched to crumbles and the remaing two original hens and the new three are eating it. I also give them left over medicated chick crumbles when I refresh the chick feed for our new chicks. 
There is grit available and they also get mealworms from time to time and kitchen scraps.

We purchase all of our chicks from the local Tractor Supply and have had good results.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It was their diet so you hit on that correctly. Many birds refuse pellets, especially those big pellets. I found a local mill that had small pellets in it that my birds would eat. 

If you're using medicated chick feed be careful feeding that to the big birds. Medicated feed blocks thiamine uptake. It's fine when the birds get into it on their own but as a full ration for any length of time it could cause them problems.


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## KathyAnn (Aug 26, 2019)

Thanks for the feed info, I wil stop giving the big ones any medcated feed. 

They have been eating the granulated laying feed a little better.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, we sometimes have to go along with what they demand. Crumbles is usually the choice they make. If it's hot where you are they're eating will slow down during the heat. Or if they're getting too many treats they won't eat the feed as they should. 

There's kind of a fine balance there. 

How is the one hen doing?


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## KathyAnn (Aug 26, 2019)

We are in south Texas, about 50 miles from the Gulf. It's hot and humid mostly. Only 2 or 3 days below 100 in September.

The 2 original hens, about 5 years old, are doing fine, Samantha is very actve and 'ruling the roost', Goldie has become sort of broody, sits on the fresh eggs, but gets up running at meal time. Will be letting the new chicks out of the 'nusery' in a month or so, they are 6 weeks old and getting big.

Love our flock and enjoy watchng them.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I thought watching fish in an aquarium was the ticket, little did I know that chickens wins hands down when it comes to observing them. 

I'm glad to hear they are doing so much better. One of the tricks you can use to help cool them down is provide shallow pans of water. Many hens automatically know to go stand in them to cool down. The water helps leach the excess heat from their bodies. 

And there's always misters. I was surprised at how effective they were even in a high humidity area like mine.


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