Help Please

[Msfreebird]

Came home from work and checked on my birds (as usual), One of my hens was on the floor of the loft with wings spread trying to get away from another bird that was walking all over her. (Everybody has been fine, no problems other than some aggresive cocks - but nothing major).
She can't seem to walk - she stretches her wings out to help her move along. I picked her up to check her over. Very alert, good weight, can't feel an egg (if I'm checking it right - I don't want to hurt her if it is an egg), small bald spot on the back of her head. I set her up in a small cage and brought her in the house. She ate some food and grit (pigeon grit w/calcium and minerals) and drank some water. Very alert and resting comfortably - looking around.
Any suggestions on what else to check, or do, or what might have happened? She's been fine, is it possible one of the cocks was too rough on her?

[Lovebirds]

It sounds like maybe an egg issue. I believe that Pidgey has said there's a nerve that runs along their spine and sometimes the egg can pinch it and cause their legs not to work. That's not exactly how he would explain it, but.........
Was/Is she mated? I expect the cock bird that was after her was picking on her simply because he could. I doubt anything he did has anything to do with her problem.
I'm sure someone who REALLY knows what they're talking about will be along shortly.
Bringing her in was the right thing to do. Do you have her on heat?

[Charis]

I need to leave for a few minutes but in the mean time, put a heating pad under her, set on low and I'll chek back in a few minutes. If you can track down Pigdey or Maggie in the mean time...

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

It sounds like maybe an egg issue. I believe that Pidgey has said there's a nerve that runs along their spine and sometimes the egg can pinch it and cause their legs not to work. That's not exactly how he would explain it, but.........
Was/Is she mated? I expect the cock bird that was after her was picking on her simply because he could. I doubt anything he did has anything to do with her problem.
I'm sure someone who REALLY knows what they're talking about will be along shortly.
Bringing her in was the right thing to do. Do you have her on heat?

She could have been mated, I took out all the nesting boxes to slow them down but their laying eggs everywhere! (its a free for all right now because I have them all in 1 loft while a put a new floor in my other loft).
I went to get my heating pad and my cat chewed the cord!! So thats out! It's 82 degrees here right now, so its very warm in the house. I do have some lactated ringers bags that I could put in the microwave so she could sit on, but I don't want them under her when they cool during the night.

[Reti]

Do you have an antiiflammatory like Metacam or baby Motrin? If she has no injuries my thought would be an egg issue. Has she laid an egg you haven't seen maybe?

Reti

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by Msfreebird

She could have been mated, I took out all the nesting boxes to slow them down but their laying eggs everywhere! (its a free for all right now because I have them all in 1 loft while a put a new floor in my other loft).
I went to get my heating pad and my cat chewed the cord!! So thats out! It's 82 degrees here right now, so its very warm in the house. I do have some lactated ringers bags that I could put in the microwave so she could sit on, but I don't want them under her when they cool during the night.

Well, you could use them for a little while until bed time. You could also give her a couple of drops of olive oil. If it IS an egg, that would help pass it maybe, and if it's not, the olive oil wouldn't hurt her.

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by Reti

Do you have an antiiflammatory like Metacam or baby Motrin? If she has no injuries my thought would be an egg issue. Has she laid an egg you haven't seen maybe?

Reti

I have every antibiotic in the house that you could think of - but wouldn't you know it, not one anti inflamitory! I'm heating the fluid bags to put under her for starters.
She is very calm and alert. A soft little grunt a couple of times when I patted her.

[Charis]

I'm back although you have been well taken care of. You also can heat rice in a sock and put that around her.
You need to put the nest boxes back in the coop. Removing them won't slow anyone down.Pigeons will lay anywhere. In your thread about Runts, I recommended buying some wooden eggs. Really, they need to complete their cycle. without hatching any babies. If they just keep laying eggs, it will deplete their systems of calcium which is not good.... t could have something to do with the current situation.

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by Charis

I'm back although you have been well taken care of. You also can heat rice in a sock and put that around her.
You need to put the nest boxes back in the coop. Removing them won't slow anyone down.Pigeons will lay anywhere. In your thread about Runts, I recommended buying some wooden eggs. Really, they need to complete their cycle. without hatching any babies. If they just keep laying eggs, it will deplete their systems of calcium which is not good.... t could have something to do with the current situation.

OK, I'll get wooden eggs right away, Foyes has them - right?
I have her sitting on the heated ringers bags. She could have layed an egg already - I don't know for sure. Anything else I can do? What am I watching for? I've never had this problem before. She's still eating food, grit and water, but not moving her butt off the heat bags. Had a very good poop for herself!

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

Well, you could use them for a little while until bed time. You could also give her a couple of drops of olive oil. If it IS an egg, that would help pass it maybe, and if it's not, the olive oil wouldn't hurt her.

I have mineral oil. Would that be ok to use? How much orally?

[Charis]

Originally Posted by Msfreebird

OK, I'll get wooden eggs right away, Foyes has them - right?
I have her sitting on the heated ringers bags. She could have layed an egg already - I don't know for sure. Anything else I can do? What am I watching for? I've never had this problem before. She's still eating food, grit and water, but not moving her butt off the heat bags. Had a very good poop for herself!

Great about the poop. Sounds like she is much more comfortable.
Buy more wooden eggs than you think you need.

[kippermom]

I bought wooden "beads" at a craft store that the birds treat like eggs...and I drew a ring with a marker around the center circumference of each of the eggs (both Jedds and the craft store beads) so I could tell at a glance whether they were already on wooden ones or had laid new or other ones...I used to lose track and get oops babies. The bald head on this hen could be from an aggressive male but that is not the cause of the leg problem. Make sure she keeps eating and drinking, watch her weight, check her crop etc. Others will have better, more specific ideas about the leg problem.

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by kippermom

I bought wooden "beads" at a craft store that the birds treat like eggs...and I drew a ring with a marker around the center circumference of each of the eggs (both Jedds and the craft store beads) so I could tell at a glance whether they were already on wooden ones or had laid new or other ones...I used to lose track and get oops babies. The bald head on this hen could be from an aggressive male but that is not the cause of the leg problem. Make sure she keeps eating and drinking, watch her weight, check her crop etc. Others will have better, more specific ideas about the leg problem.

Thats a great idea!, I can get those tomorrow. She's eating and drinking, crop is full. Very bright and alert but just sits there "like she's nesting". When I pick her up to check her she can kick and move her legs, she just has trouble walking - using her wings to help her along. Very small bald spot on the back of her head which tells me someones been after her. She is one of my smaller quieter hens. I gave her a couple drops of olive oil. She's resting and seems comfortable, So I hope she's ok in the morning. I'll check back in the morning and give an update. Thanks

[Charis]

Can you get Metacam tomorrow?

[TerriB]

Sounds like you're doing a wonderful job supporting this little hen. If it's egg-paralysis (pressure on the nerve), she should recover with a few days of your good TLC.