Poorly chicken

[bigmommasally]

My 5 year old Silkie looked nearly dead this morning when I opened the cube. She was lying on her side, eyes closed and was unable to stand and unable to lift her head. She looked quite grotestly deformed and was just wildly flapping her wings when I tried to help her up. I removed her from the coop and placed her in a pet carrier, put her in the dark garage and covered her up whilst I found the out of hours vet number. She definitely looked on her way out.

 

OH and I went out to check on her an hour later and she was completely recovered, sitting perkily in the pet carrier So I took her back to the run and opened the carrier and she has walked out into the run as if nothing was wrong.

 

Any ideas anyone?

[Nicola O]

How odd, but could she perhaps have been knocked over and sat on??

 

It sounds silly but it happened to one of my girls a couple of years ago. I found her in the cube with her legs through the bars, almost on her side. When I got her out she couldn't move her legs or stand but it gradually came back over 20 minutes and she was then running about as normal. I assumed that as she had been pushed down and was stradling the bars her legs had gone numb and 'dead' and once I lifter her out the circulation and feeling came back. Just a thought .

 

Nicola

[bigmommasally]

Hi Nicola

Thanks for replying. It's a possibility, she is the littlest of the group. OH said she looked a bit funny yesterday morning as well but he popped her out in the run and she then seemed fine. She has been out free ranging with the other girls all day today, mainly sitting in the sun but looking okay until about half an hour ago when she had a funny turn and flopped on her side and couldn't get up. I rushed to pick her up as a couple of the other girls ran over and started to peck her. She is now sitting in the garage in the pet carrier and seems okay.

When I put her back in the pet carrier I noticed a big normal looking poo in there from this morning so I think she must be eating and drinking okay, and I have seen her eating today.

I think I will keep her indoors tonight in the warm and she what she looks like in the morning and get her to the vet tomorrow evening.

[bigmommasally]

Mary was PTS this evening by the vet.

 

She had several more fits last night and although okay this morning she had a definite head tilt. Vet said she also was showing lack of feeling in the back of her feet.

He couldn't obviously say for sure what it was, possible brain tumour or virus affecting the brain but he is also bearing in mind that it could be Newcastle's diease. He is keeping her body on ice for a month until we are sure none of the other birds ar affected.

 

RIP my pretty little Mary, you were a "Ooops, word censored!"y little hen, the smallest of my flock but the loudest voice.

[mimi5]

Ah sorry about your Mary I also lost a Mary this time last year to an impacted crop RIP Mary's gone but not forgotten

[Egghead68]

Sorry to hear this.

[merlina]

sorry to hear about Mary /hugs

[bigmommasally]

Thanks everyone - its very quiet in my garden this morning as Mary was always the vocal one of the group

 

Vet called last night - he has spoke to Defra they don't want to examine Mary at this stage but he said we are not to move hens on or off the property for the next month until we are sure no other hens are affected.

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear it.