Chicken can't walk, long term

[Tracyree]

So I have a white rock gen that is about 5. She used to be in our flock of 12 but we moved to a neighborhood and I had to give my flock away. I kept the white rock because she couldn't walk well and was always beat up by the others. They scalped her twice!

We still own the country home and she's been living there in a secure coop being checked on several times a week. It's been a year now that she's been living alone and her leg problem has worsened to the point that she can't walk. She propels herself but pushing off with her legs and flipping where she needs to go, but she has now lost a lot of weight so I feel like she isn't getting to her food well enough in the big coop and I've brought her to our neighborhood house and have her set up in a dog crate in the garage.

I don't think its Mareks as all the hens she was with when this all started (years ago), never showed any symptoms. It would be unlikely that one gen out of a dozen has problems of it's an infectious thing, no?

Any ideas? I never imagined she'd survive this long. I can't see euthanizing her simply because her legs don't work. She happily eats grass when I put her in it. She seems Normal except for her mobility problem.

I am worming her today to see if her thinness could be that. Will try to fatten her up and also starting vitamins. Anything else I can do?

This couldn't be anything that would make my kids sick, could it??

 

[Eggcessive]

I would doubt that she has anything to make your kids sick. Do you have other pets who might be company to her? Many chickens will not eat well if they are alone, and chickens are flock animals. It's hard to say if she has Mareks or not, without testing which is usually done after death with a necropsy. She may have suffered a brain or back injury from being bullied. Vitamin deficiencies can also cause lameness. She might brighten up more if she were a house chicken where she could have more interaction with people. If she does not get chick vitamins or probiotics already, I would try some to help with her appetite.

 

[Tracyree]

Thanks! Really appreciate the feedback. No pets that could keep her company, we have two little dogs that would terrorize her if they could.

Since containing her in the small crate she's been eating pretty much non stop. He appetite seems fantastic, I really think it was a matter of not being able to get to the food easily. (I hung it super low, but the coop was big and she would sleep too far away from food I think.

I wish I could figure out some company for her. Bringing her indoors is not an option with our dogs (not to mention my husband and my germaphobia!) I'd hate to confine another hen in a small space.

I don't have high hopes for her to improve as this has been progressing for years. I can't imagine it would be a vitamin deficiency, I've always fed them high quality food and let them free range. Fingers crossed though!!