My hen has lost the use of her legs

[jarviscockatiel]

One of my Speckledies has lost the use of her legs. We noticed it on Tuesday when she began sitting quietly in the coop rather than being in the garden. She spent the next 2 days sitting upright, like a dog but now is lying on her front with her legs splayed out behind her. We have tried to help her to stand but her legs just hang limply and she doesn't move them at all.

She looks bright enough; she is eating and drinking and her feathers look and feel in good condition.

Any ideas what could be wrong with her? The other 5 hens all seem fine.

Don't know what causes it, but once it happens there's no getting better I'm afraid. Sadly I'd wring her neck to put her out of her misery.

Thanks for your reply. If we felt she was suffering and in pain we would look at having her put down but at the moment she is feeding well, not losing weight and integrating with the other hens - albeit from a laying down position.

Mine too!

I was researching mareks, as this can cause this.

I think for my girl, she actually has another issue with her egg laying equipment and she has been poorly, not drunk in the heat and got dehydrated. I've stringed in some water and have her separate. Her crop is full, so she is eating.

Hope your girl is improving. Mine has laid a softy and is back to herself again.

I'm glad yours has improved. I looked at Mareks too, but her eyes are completely normal. She hasn't been laying regularly for a while, but as she's about 4 1/2 years of age it's not unexpected.

She was pleased to see me this morning and has eaten all her breakfast. It remains a mystery!!

I remember reading somewhere about a chicken that did recover from this, am going to look on my bookshelves to see if I can find the ref.

Some of our bantams got Mareks disease. For most of them it was the end. However, the smallest, oldest one did survive it and went on to live for many more years - she relearned how to balance on her legs (I think the back claw never worked properly afterwards so it was like walking on tiptoe all the time - rather wobbly at times).

how is she doing now Ok? I can't find the story of the hen, though am still hunting.

meant to type "OP" not OK!!

Thanks for asking. She's really still the same. eating well and looking bright eyed. Her legs have twitched occasionally but she's still lying down and being waited on hand and foot!

I've found the thing I read, it is in "Zen and the art of Chicken maintenance". The hen did recover but he did a lot to try and get her (literally) back on her feet, at one point she was in a little harness!

Well that's certainly an idea! No real change today, 9 days from when it started.

The hen in the book, called Yvette, was about to be put down when she managed to lurch back to the box she'd been brought it. The vet commented that maybe she should be given another chance, so the owner took her home and tried to work on bringing power back to her legs. At one point he made a little sling out of an old t-shirt and suspended her in the air, and he did little cycling movements with her legs to keep the muscles active.
She did recover but had a slightly odd gait afterwards. It took about a month before she could stand unaded, the sling was mainly to keep her upright so she wasn't sitting in poo.
Does your vet use homoeopathy? I did have a homoeopathic bird book but have lost it, I know there is a remedy for this kind of paralysis that might be worth a try?

She ate her dinner at noon as usual but when I got home from work her head was drooping and sadly she died in front of me. Very sad :(

Oh jarvis I am so sorry. Maybe it was Mareks after all. I'm sure she had a lovely life with you, she was obviously very well cared for.