Seizures in Chickens

[Denim Deb]

I have a chicken that's having seizures. I've never seen anything like it. At first I thought it was the water. I noticed that if I didn't give them fresh water, she'd have a seizure. Or, if she drank the water that I dumped she'd have a seizure. So, I try to make sure they always had fresh water. It didn't help.

Because the chickens are in w/the horses, and I was afraid of her getting stepped on when she had one, I brought her home. Then I noticed that when it started getting dark, or if it was cloudy, she have a seizure. I tried putting a solar light out w/her. It didn't help.

I'm at my wits ends as to what to do w/her. When I first brought her home, she seemed to be getting better. But it didn't last. She'll get seizures for no apparent reason. Has anyone else ever dealt w/something like this? I've tried, w/out much luck, to find info on the internet that fits her reactions, and have had no luck. If I can't get this figured out, I'll probably end up putting her down.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't think I've ever heard of that - really strange. Hope she gets past it, but if not, putting her down is probably the best solution for her.

 

[Hinotori]

Did she possibility get into some chemical?

she may have a disorder and needs kept in a small coop or put down.

 

[lcertuche]

I wouldn't keep a chicken that had any real problems. It would be culled. If it is a genetic problem you wouldn't want to pass it on. Could be it has been injured somehow. First when I have a injured or sick bird that I believe can recover I isolate it putting it in a small cage where it can't move around much with lots of bedding, feed and fresh water. If after a couple of days it isn't pretty much recovered it will probably get put out of it's misery. I've never had chickens to have seizures but I know different things can cause them like toxicity, malnourishment, injuries, and infectious diseases. Some people would just keep them but I raise them for eggs, meat, and insect control so I want them up and moving, but that's just me.

 

[Hinotori]

I have a blind silkie rooster. He was the terror of the yard and the large fowl were scared of him. One ameraucana hen finally stood up to him and got a good peck in on his head, blinding him. (Vaulted silkie skulls are different and they have vulnerable brains). I cared for him to see if he would recover. Depression almost took him when he quit eating, but I put him in a pen with just older retired hens who like him. That helped him. He can see some light and dark and will respond to my shadow on sunny days. He acts mostly normal and talks in that happy chicken tone.

I would have put him down if he wasn't such a sweetheart. That's what I normally do.

 

[MoonShadows]

I would put the chicken down.

 

[sumi]

Deb, I had one chicken with seizures years ago, but she was severely stunted and that caused some health issues for her, so I put it down to that. I just did a search on BYC for seizures in chickens and found this:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/346677/chicken-seizures/0_30

There's a fair bit of info etc there, hope it helps!

 

[baymule]

Sometimes things happen that we have no explanation for.....and it isn't worth hundreds of dollars to find out on a $25 chicken. It's tough, I know you feel bad for her, none of us like to see our animals suffer. If she doesn't get better, I would put her down. Sorry about your girl.

 

[Denim Deb]

Sumi, I read that thread when I first noticed she was having problems. And I hunted in I don't know how many stores for the Poly-Vi-Sol. The only store I found it in only had it w/iron.

None of the other chickens have displayed any type of symptom. I mainly want to find out what this is, not so much so that I can save her, but so I can help others who might experience something similar. If I can find the vitamins, I'll try them. Then, when my older birds stop laying, I'll worm them and do her as well. If none of that helps, I will put her down.

 

[Hinotori]

I had to go to a specialty vitamin store to find it. No regular store around here has poly-vi-sol without iron.