Hen Won't Walk! Please Help!

[EmieHB]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and I'm in desperate need of help and answers. I live in Hamilton county Iowa. It's getting exstreamly cold. 3 days ago, I found one of my Cornish Hens laying on the ground, when I walk up to them, they usually get up and greet me. But she didn't. She laid there and just looked up at me. She doesn't look sick, doesn' act it, she just can't stand up. I have heard that this breed of chicken's weight, if not kept on a stricked diet, will be too heavy to keep themselves up, causing them to break their legs or become too weak. The thing is, I have 4 other hens JUST LIKE HER. They are free ranged so they run around freely. They are known to lay around but these girls don't. They walk 24/7 unless it's warm and or sunny. I do NOT use my chickens for meat. Anyways, she drinks like a race horse and hardly goes for food. I've given her some Tylan but she hasn' perked up at all. It' as if she' gotten weaker. Has anyone had these problems before? Please help, she means a lot to me. I've been told to put her down but I'm not ready for that, I still haven' gotten a straight answer. Please, help me and my hen. I've never had this problem before with this breed.

 

[Lochloosachicks]

Is she getting up to drink herself? Are you giving her the Tylan orally? Where is she sitting when you approach? In the coop or just on the ground? How old is she?

 

[Pyxis]

Is she a purebred cornish, or a cornish cross? Can you weigh her? Can she move her legs or does it seem like they are paralyzed?

 

[EmieHB]

Is she getting up to drink herself? Are you giving her the Tylan orally? Where is she sitting when you approach? In the coop or just on the ground? How old is she?

No, I have her inside my house in a dog cennal. I take her out everyday and try to make her stand up. Her legs move to the side awkwadly and she won't use them. I give her the Tylan through a needle into the breast. She is now 4 months old. When I first found her she was just laying in the ground.

 

[peterlund]

A meat bird? Leg issues are expected as they get immense. Bred for a short life... 50 - 60 days tops. They just can't be regular chickens. They just can't!

 

[EmieHB]

Is she a purebred cornish, or a cornish cross? Can you weigh her? Can she move her legs or does it seem like they are paralyzed?

I think she is a Cornish cross. I got her from Bomgars after seeing her and 14 other chicks bleeding from being pecked. She doesn't seem to try or be able to move them. They seem paralyzed. I have not been able to weigh her yet.

 

[Lochloosachicks]

I'm not familiar with meat birds, but it seems strange that she would be getting around fine and then suddenly not be able to get up at all due to weight. Wouldn't there have been some slowing down or instability first?

 

[EmieHB]

I'm not familiar with meat birds, but it seems strange that she would be getting around fine and then suddenly not be able to get up at all due to weight. Wouldn't there have been some slowing down or instability first?

Exactly! I have 4 more exactly like her and they are completely fine and healthy. Which doesn't make sense.

 

[Pyxis]

I think she is a Cornish cross. I got her from Bomgars after seeing her and 14 other chicks bleeding from being pecked. She doesn't seem to try or be able to move them. They seem paralyzed. I have not been able to weigh her yet.

You might be able to keep a cornish cross alive for a year or so if you restrict their feed and make sure they're getting plenty of exercise, but even that can be pushing it. Have you been restricting their feed to make sure they are not over-eating?

They are very prone to heart issues too due to their rapid growth rate, and of course leg issues due to their large size.

Any chance you can post a picture of her so we can confirm she is indeed a cornish cross?

I would stop the Tylan because it's not going to help anything if she doesn't have some kind of bacterial disease, and it doesn't sound like she does.

 

[EmieHB]

You might be able to keep a cornish cross alive for a year or so if you restrict their feed and make sure they're getting plenty of exercise, but even that can be pushing it. Have you been restricting their feed to make sure they are not over-eating?

They are very prone to heart issues too due to their rapid growth rate, and of course leg issues due to their large size.

Any chance you can post a picture of her so we can confirm she is indeed a cornish cross?

I would stop the Tylan because it's not going to help anything if she doesn't have some kind of bacterial disease, and it doesn't sound like she does.