vitamin B2 riboflavin deficient hen

[farmchick986]

Hi everyone! I have a mille fleur bantam hen about 8 months old who I believe had a riboflavin/b2 deficiency. Started with a limp and I thought she may have sprained something, so I separated her. Then a week or 2 later I found that she couldn't walk anymore so I started her on vitamins (vita-pro soluble) after which she quickly improved and was hopping around on one leg. Her other leg her toes were curled up but she could spread them out and used them to help her hop around (not fully functioning on that 1 leg). Now, she seems to have gone downhill again and I did lots of research and believe it is a b2 deficiency. I read through lots of forum threads on here that say to give Vitamin B Complex, so I am going to pick up a bottle of them for her. My question is I can buy the b complex 50 mg tablets, or 100 mg tablets. Which is the right one? And what dosage for either of them?

 

[Eggcessive]

Either one is fine, and just give her 1/4 tablet daily crushed in food or a spoonful of water. It looks like the pro-vita may also have riboflavin in it:
https://www.drugs.com/vet/vita-pro-soluble-can.html

How long has this been going on? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? Hopefully, she will respond to the vitamins soon. mareks can cause similar symptoms, unfortunately. Let us know how she gets along. Check out some chicken slings in case they might help.

 

[RoyalChick]

I had a chick that went lame with curly toes. Too young for Marek’s.
She needed very large doses of B2 for several months. Each time I eased off she went lame again.
The vet said not to worry about B2 overdose and just keep on giving it to her.
Then after a few months she was suddenly better.
Every now and then I sprinkle a capsule on their food now - but I don’t think she really needs it any more.

 

[farmchick986]

Either one is fine, and just give her 1/4 tablet daily crushed in food or a spoonful of water. It looks like the pro-vita may also have riboflavin in it:
https://www.drugs.com/vet/vita-pro-soluble-can.html

How long has this been going on? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? Hopefully, she will respond to the vitamins soon. mareks can cause similar symptoms, unfortunately. Let us know how she gets along. Check out some chicken slings in case they might help.

Great! yes the vita-pro has some riboflavin in it, but I don't think its a high enough dose to combat a deficiency like this.
I apologize for the lengthy post I'm about to write, just want to give the full story. It all started about a month ago, with the limp progressing to not being able to walk. The issue is that I go to the city for college during the week and am relying on my parents to take care of her so I don't get all the details often. When she couldn't walk I started her on the vita-pro vitamins and that is when she began hopping around on the one foot. Now she can't walk again(maybe because she isn't getting enough vitamins throughout the week?)
Her legs both work as she likes to kick them around and flail around on the ground, but she cant seem to get them under her to walk. She almost has fits of kicking her legs like she wants to get up and walk.
I made her a sling a few hours ago but she kept trying to kick out of it, Im' not sure if I should leave her in the sling anyways or take her back out?
She was not vaccinated for Marek's, she hatched from a dozen eggs that I bought from a local guy who was starting out selling eggs. I think the deficiency might have started from his hens and passed onto the eggs that I hatched. I have researched a lot about marek's as well but as of now I'm leaning more towards it being a b2 deficiency. Thank you for your words of advice!

 

[kickassgirl]

Great! yes the vita-pro has some riboflavin in it, but I don't think its a high enough dose to combat a deficiency like this.
I apologize for the lengthy post I'm about to write, just want to give the full story. It all started about a month ago, with the limp progressing to not being able to walk. The issue is that I go to the city for college during the week and am relying on my parents to take care of her so I don't get all the details often. When she couldn't walk I started her on the vita-pro vitamins and that is when she began hopping around on the one foot. Now she can't walk again(maybe because she isn't getting enough vitamins throughout the week?)
Her legs both work as she likes to kick them around and flail around on the ground, but she cant seem to get them under her to walk. She almost has fits of kicking her legs like she wants to get up and walk.
I made her a sling a few hours ago but she kept trying to kick out of it, Im' not sure if I should leave her in the sling anyways or take her back out?
She was not vaccinated for Marek's, she hatched from a dozen eggs that I bought from a local guy who was starting out selling eggs. I think the deficiency might have started from his hens and passed onto the eggs that I hatched. I have researched a lot about marek's as well but as of now I'm leaning more towards it being a b2 deficiency. Thank you for your words of advice!

Just wondering if your chick recovered. I have one going through the same thing. Started with splay leg, I used tape for a few days until it was corrected. within a few weeks she had curly toe on one leg, she isn’t growing or getting feathers in like the other flock. I started her on vitamin supplements late in the game. She’s 2 months old, just hoping the mega vitamin supplements will help and that it’s not too late. Everything I have read points to riboflavin and B12 deficiency.

 

[TerryTLC]

I had a chick that went lame with curly toes. Too young for Marek’s.
She needed very large doses of B2 for several months. Each time I eased off she went lame again.
The vet said not to worry about B2 overdose and just keep on giving it to her.
Then after a few months she was suddenly better.
Every now and then I sprinkle a capsule on their food now - but I don’t think she really needs it any more.

You give me hope! I have 2 with that issue. Do you have 100 mg. Capsules? That's what I could find at the store. How often did you give it?