Young Bantam Hen can't walk or stand

[Pigeonman624]

Hi,
I'm new to the chicken world. Have bred and raced homing pigeon for over forty years. I have a young Bantam hen( about a year old) who has been doing fine until last Monday. I came Monday at lunch to let the dogs out and check on the birds. All was fine. I came home after work about 5:20 and the hen was lying in the dirt. I thought she was just cooling off ,till I went in to feed them and she didn't move. I picked her up checked her out she looked and felt fine. I put her back down and she just laid there. So I took her to the cellar put her in a box with plenty of shavings, food and water. It's been almost a week now and no improvement. She eats and drinks a little. I give her vitamin pills twice a day I use for the pigeons. She looks fine except for the fact that she can not stand or walk. Any help will be appreciated. Pigeonman624

 

[karminski]

wish i could help you but i would say that shes paralysed via an attack or injury a trip to the vet would be the best bet .

 

[Sue]

It would probably be a good idea to get her checked by a vet so that you know whether it is likely to be a temporary or permanent problem. You will then be able to make an informed decision regarding the best course of action. I'm assuming you know that her legs aren't actually broken. Are they completely paralysed? Can she move her feet? Can she stand at all if you stand her up? Could she have hurt her back in any way?

If she were mine I would take her to a 'chicken friendly' vet to be checked over and if it was likely to only be temporary then you could decide between yourself and the vet a time limit to give her to see if she improves. Of course he may not be able to tell you what the problem is and it may just be a wait and see situation, but at least if you see a vet you know you've done all you can to help.

 

[chrismahon]

I agree with Sue and Karminski and a trip to the vet is in order. It may be damage that has caused a swelling which is putting pressure on the spine -anti inflamatories. Or it may be neuroligical, which does happen and there is no cure. A course of Metacam be resolve it.

 

[Chuck]

Problem with so many vets is that you will come away much poorer and none the wiser. If she has been down for a week it doesn't sound good.
If she was a pigeon, what would you do ?

 

[karminski]

and it doesnt help when the worse happens over a bank holiday and no vets are open that always happens to me .

 

[Sue]

She's not a pigeon Chuck! Her owner obviously wants to do the best they can for her which is why they have asked this forum for useful advice.

 

[charliefox]

Hi if you have kept pigions for forty years you already know the answer to this question ? uncle fox

 

[charliefox]

Hi if you have kept pigions for forty years you already know the answer to this question ? uncle fox

perhaps but comeing back with a reply like that helps no one

 

[Chuck]

She's not a pigeon Chuck! Her owner obviously wants to do the best they can for her which is why they have asked this forum for useful advice.

So, so often, you miss the point Sue !!

 

[karminski]

i would say dealing with pigeons and poultry is to different things even if the spytoms seem similar all we can do is offer adivce and its up to pigeonman to make any decision , i hope you can get her to a vet a.s.a.p and it turns out to be nothing nasty good luck lets us know how you get on please .

 

[Sue]

She's not a pigeon Chuck! Her owner obviously wants to do the best they can for her which is why they have asked this forum for useful advice.

So, so often, you miss the point Sue !!

Well Chuck I'm sure you are right. In fact I'm sure you believe you're right about everything and everyone else is always wrong! I thought this forum was for people to ask for help or opinions from others and to discuss and share opinions, experiences and ideas on anything and everything poultry related or otherwise. Have you actually asked for anyones help or advice on anything at all on this forum Chuck? I would be very interested to know. But then you wouldn't be interested in anyone else's opinions or advice would you, because you're always right!!!!!!!!!!

I expect I've missed the point again though haven't I Chuck! :roll: :roll:

 

[Marigold]

Now, now, boys and girls, let's not give Pigeonman the impression that on this Forum we are inclined to squabble among ourselves, because we all know that's not how we do things here. Sue's advice, and that of others, to take the bird to the vet, was sensible since none of us could actually see the sick chicken and are not vets anyway, and probably that was what Pigeonman was thinking of doing. However, I think Chuck's comment was just appealing to Pigeonman's 40 years of experience with other species, which do have plenty in common, and he was just pointing out that sometimes an owner just knows when the time has come that vet treatment is unlikely to help, and the best and kindest thing may be to cull the bird.

And by the way, Pigeonman, a big welcome to the Forum and I hope you'll be posting in the Other Poultry section about your pigeons as well as letting us know how this hen does.

 

[Tim]

Welcome to the forum

If it's neurological, they seem to lose their legs but seem fine in all other ways. I had a Sussex do this last year and I couldn't explain it. She couldn't walk but examination showed nothing. I suspected Marek's disease but couldn't be sure without tests.

I wasn't prepared to pay for tests since the chances of a recovery I felt were very slim. I wouldn't want to breed from her either as her susceptibility to this would have been passed on to her offspring.

After a week I culled her. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea and I respect that but in the long term it helps my flock to breed from older birds that have 'stood the test of time' and therefore have a natural immunity.

I think it's up to an individual and very much a personal choice to decide whether a bird needs veterinary attention or whether it should be dispatched humanely, either by a vet or at home using the recognised neck dislocation method and we should all respect one anothers choices, it's never an easy one.

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but has she been wormed? A heavy worm burden can sometimes make them go off their legs. Flubenvet is the best. Worth a try.

 

[Chuck]

You can get a line through from other birds as there are diseases which are common to most. If you have kept any type of birds over a long period, you get to know when a condition is a lost cause and when there is hope of reviving. In the many cases where birds are seen as functional rather than as pets, a decision is made after consideration on what action to take.
If one of his pigeons went off it's legs for a week, I'm sure he would have made a decision. He asked for help, he got a couple of pieces of advice. I offered alternative advice and suggested he make a decision based on his pigeon experience which he had said was forty years and which I consider to be considerable !