Hen not doing well

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 7:34 am

So one of my hens is not doing well, and I need some input from others.

A week or so back, she was just perching, not down on the floor or outside, and I looked at her and a wing was sort of drooping. So I caught her and did some examination, and nothing broken, thought maybe a pulled muscle. Put her in her own cage/pen, thinking she needed some rest and food for a few days. Did ok, but no real change, not in any pain or anything. So I put her back with the bunch. No eggs during that week or so she was in there.

When I set her on the floor, she sort of staggered. Like maybe the leg on that side is not working properly. If she was human. I would say she has had a very mild stroke.

She is not in distress, and it doesn't seem like the others are picking on her. She is a Marans/Americauna cross olive egger, last spring hatch.

I am thinking that if she doesn't start to come around in another week or so, she is for the pot.
Any thoughts, advice? Thanks.

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 7:55 am

Kinda sounds like Marek's disease, no help for her.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 8:05 am

Not certain on the Marek's at her age and with that type of progression/non progression. Can you check her eyes for any type of clouding and pupillary response?

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 8:30 am

I know nothing about Mareks. Will it go through the flock? Communicable? The mother of this one (only Marans hen I have) sometimes walks sideways sort of, but lays nearly every day, just some times a weird walk. Maybe hereditary?

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 9:35 am

Mareks is a complicated subject. Different strains. SOme vaccinate some not. Many chickens carry natural resistance. Odd her Mum was like that too. I am leaning to potential vitamin/mineral deficiency which given her dams history may make her more prone to. Sort of like stargazing. Hoping someone can chime in here. Basically consider her quality of life, if she seems OK keep trying? Remember though a chicken can hide many symptoms to avoid getting picked on.

Post by **WLLady** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 9:54 am

check her comb-especially the region furthest from her beak, see if it is darker than the rest, even if just a little bit more on the purplish side of red-in this case it's probably heart and underoxygenation of the blood causing other issues-usually they're pretty purple by then though. easy way to check for stroke with a chicken/dog/cat/person/cow/horse etc, with head away from you (and chicken upright) move your hand down rather quickly on her right...see if she tips her head to watch the direction of your hand moving. do on the other side. the side OPPOSITE to the stroke she will not respond, or will have a delayed response. a really good sign of stroke is if she looks at your hand on one side, and then completely shies away on the other, the side she shied from means the other side had a stroke and she can't interpret the motion as "away from her" instead she thinks you will hit her and is getting out of the way.

if you lift her up holding her under the tummy and leave her wings loose and then lower your hands (in essence "dropping her" without dropping her) do her wings spread out like normal? or is the one still droopy? also, if the leg and wing weakness are on the same side, then she's probably had a stroke on the other side of her brain. you can see which leg(s) is weak by just putting her feet touching the ground, see which one lifts first, and if she leaves one on the ground to take any weight. the weak one will be drawn up.

vitamin B deficiency can mimic heart/brain issues too. maybe up her vitamin b (feed stores have injectable)...maybe she's just low on the pecking order and not getting everything she needs due to competition (or lack of wanting confrontation).

my experience with mareks is you'll get it about 16 weeks if you get it at all. and those birds stumble around for less than a day, and then either pass or don't eat and drink and pass (or get done in by me before then). most birds (even unvaccinated) will get a resistance to mareks from the environment. and vaccination doesn't necessarily confer protection....

otherwise a vet can help better than i can, because i'm not a vet by any stretch. these are the things i look for in any of my birds not doing "normally".

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 11:56 am

Went and looked at her eyes, no sign of anything different either one. Am going to do some more tests like just advised, and I will get back. There will be no vet involved, I like my birds, but monetarily and everything else considered, no vet. I would probably if it seemed to be going through the flock, but not for one.

Her mom still walks sideways some days, but lays every day mostly at 3 or 4 yrs old, no distress or picked on. But this one is huddling in the corner, even in the cage by herself. Might try that dropping thing and hands by the eye.

I shall report back in soon.

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 12:20 pm

OK, just went out to the coop, and its not good.

Waved my hand both sides of her face, no reaction at all, seems blind, but eyes still bright and functioning. Stroked her head and the second eyelid is blinking.

Comb is small pea comb. Not bright red, a little darker toward the beak.

Now the really bad part. I cradled her in my hands, and sort of dropped her. No reaction right side. Dropper from about a foot, and no leg reaction, just flopped on her side. Did get up and is standing in the corner, with appearance of using both legs. Still not in distress, but my best description of her would be bewildered.

So, I think the decision is going to be made that she get recycled into the food chain. And right now, I think out into the bush, not the pot. Any thoughts on that?

Post by **WLLady** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 12:26 pm

i think it's a good call. if the reflexes aren't there it's not looking too good.
sorry. :-(

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 1:32 pm

Poor girl. You need to do what's best for her.