Help, my chicken can no longer stand and she sits on her belly and vent, with her legs pointed out straight from under her

[Ultimatevillan]

It started over a week ago. She started limping, then lost complete control over her left leg, then the right leg. Other than this, eggs, drinks coos, everything else literally normal…

 

[Ultimatevillan]

She eats, drinks, very alert, tries to shuffle her feet to stand, etc etc. Could her spine be injured?

 

[RoyalChick]

How old is she, and can you feel any injury in her leg?
Two things spring to mind: Vitamin B deficiency (you can give her supplements from the pharmacy - it takes a week or more to take effect) or Marek’s (which sadly you can’t do much about).
No harm in trying vitamin B treatment.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She eats, drinks, very alert, tries to shuffle her feet to stand, etc etc. Could her spine be injured?

It started over a week ago. She started limping, then lost complete control over her left leg, then the right leg. Other than this, eggs, drinks coos, everything else literally normal…

Welcome To BYC

What do you feed, including treats?

I'm sorry she's not doing well.

Marek's disease comes to mind unless you can find physical signs of bruising/scrapes/cuts.

I agree, I'd start her on B-Complex, give 1/4 tablet daily. See that she's eating a nutritionally balanced poultry feed.

If you happen to lose her and want to find out what was causing her decline, you can send the body to your state lab for analysis.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[Ultimatevillan]

How old is she, and can you feel any injury in her leg?
Two things spring to mind: Vitamin B deficiency (you can give her supplements from the pharmacy - it takes a week or more to take effect) or Marek’s (which sadly you can’t do much about).
No harm in trying vitamin B treatment.

How old is she, and can you feel any injury in her leg?
Two things spring to mind: Vitamin B deficiency (you can give her supplements from the pharmacy - it takes a week or more to take effect) or Marek’s (which sadly you can’t do much about).
No harm in trying vitamin B treatment.

She’s is about 1.5. Her traditional diet is corn crumbles, egg layer crumbles, scratch grains mixed equally. When eggs are in a surplus, scrambled eggs and shells are given back to entire flock. Sometimes I catch her eating a earth worm or too. And any scraps we have from veggies and left overs.

 

[Ultimatevillan]

Welcome To BYC

What do you feed, including treats?

I'm sorry she's not doing well.

Marek's disease comes to mind unless you can find physical signs of bruising/scrapes/cuts.

I agree, I'd start her on B-Complex, give 1/4 tablet daily. See that she's eating a nutritionally balanced poultry feed.

If you happen to lose her and want to find out what was causing her decline, you can send the body to your state lab for analysis.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Thank you. I hope it won’t come to that, but if it does.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you’re not feeding a balanced layer or all flock feed as the most of her diet, then it could be a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Mareks or an injury would be suspected as well. Chickens should not receive corn or scratch, except as an occasional treat. A balanced feed such as the egg layer crumbles is the best for her. They will prefer the corn or the scratch because it is like candy to them, so take those and the scraps away, and only give a small bit occasionally as a treat. Try the B complex vitamins for a couple of weeks. Hopefully, it is not Mareks disease. Do you have a rooster who may have hurt her?

 

[nuthatched]

She’s is about 1.5. Her traditional diet is corn crumbles, egg layer crumbles, scratch grains mixed equally. When eggs are in a surplus, scrambled eggs and shells are given back to entire flock. Sometimes I catch her eating a earth worm or too. And any scraps we have from veggies and left overs.

Unfortunately, that's not a great diet.
What are corn crumbles? Cracked corn?
Extras like scratch, corn, eggs and scraps dilute their nutrition and are low nutrition calories, high in fat and carbs. They should have those things in very minor amounts, less than 1 tablespoon per bird, once or twice a week.

 

[RoyalChick]

Others have weighed in on diet.
I would immediately start feeding her layer mash with a couple of vitamin B capsules (for people from the pharmacy) mixed in.
Do this for at least two weeks before giving up.

 

[Ultimatevillan]

If you’re not feeding a balanced layer or all flock feed as the most of her diet, then it could be a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Mareks or an injury would be suspected as well. Chickens should not receive corn or scratch, except as an occasional treat. A balanced feed such as the egg layer crumbles is the best for her. They will prefer the corn or the scratch because it is like candy to them, so take those and the scraps away, and only give a small bit occasionally as a treat. Try the B complex vitamins for a couple of weeks. Hopefully, it is not Mareks disease. Do you have a rooster who may have hurt her?