The Poultry Keeper

phil.woodshed · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 2

From time to time i get a young bird that will go off its legs and sit and walk (usually backwards) on its hocks. I can sometimes feel a distension in the lower digestive tract which appears painful for the bird. The general appearance is droopy wings and hanging head though sometimes they will perk up. They can be persuaded to eat and drink but are generally clingy and want to nestle into a warm place. The problem doesn't spread and I have brought birds in that are well one day and ill the next. So far I have nursed them through to then lose them or they have died overnight.
The present bird was from a clutch of Hamburgs that were all fine (and still are) and the one bird is well and active but the other has the above symptoms. Its faeces are slightly watery but not that unusual considering I am feeding it on fresh crushed maize and water plus sweet tea and garlic/polenta mash as these are about all it will take, oh and blackcurrant jam which it wakes right up for!! Nothing is making it worse nor is it declining greatly and its buddy is happily wandering about with it crapping all over my living room floor where they both are out of the way of my grumpy old hens who would dance on them given half a chance.
Help! I really want to beat this problem as I have nearly pulled birds through before. What is the problem?

Sylvia · Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:38 am Post subject:

Hi Phil, Welcome to the Forum.

A few questions.
How old is the bird?
Does it have access to grit?
What do you normally feed?

phil.woodshed · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 2

I have pellet available alongside water at all times and then mid day they get mixed corn or maize. Most days they are free ranging so can eat scraps and all usual stuff. I don't provide grit but there is ample on the ground here so it should never be a problem. From Jan to End of summer I give them crushed oyster shell.
In the case of this bird I picked up a pair of hamburgs at the same time I bought three POL hens. All looked well and the rest of the birds there were in good shape and the chap,though I hadn't met him before, knows a friend of mine and trades geese with him so isn't a fly by night breeder. I can't say what he was providing but they were penned in arks that had been moved possibly daily by the marks on the grass. I haven't gone back to him yet as there is nothing worse than that phone call the day after you sell a few birds to say 'one of your hens you sold me has died/is sick'.
I have only had this problem every now and then with young hens and for no apparent reason. As I said i have nursed them through but lost them at the last minute. The sickly hamburg and the well bird are together and there is no change in either I put them in an ark yesterday and this is on a gravelly bit of ground that has grass and herbs on it and last night they were both fine thought he sick bird still is wobbling on its legs. It is like they have no balance and seem to be in a daze with the strength gone in one or both thighs. All the breeders and poultrymen I have asked before just kill everything that looks less than perfect but they are dealing with tens to hundreds of birds so don't care about the odd one.