Can a chicken have a stroke? What are the signs and how to treat it?

Without knowing more about the signs that your birds are showing, it is difficult to say what is going on with them. There is a lot of overlap with infectious diseases in chickens, so many of them can look alike. The treatments for them, however, can vary, and need to be initiated by a veterinarian. I would recommend that you contact a veterinarian in your area so that s/he can do a physical exam on at least one of your birds. I was unable to find where you were located based on your zip code, as it did not give any results for the US. There are some regions which have avian diagnostic labs, and many times they have a chicken veterinarian on staff. This may be an option for you depending on your location. At home, you can try supportive care for the birds. Ensuring they have a warm place to go is crucial, so they don’t have to work as hard to keep warm (chicken body temperatures are about 102-104 F). Also make sure they have fresh water and food easily available to them, and monitor to ensure they are eating. To do this, you can feel along the bottom of their necks - this is where the crop is, and it is a pocket in their esophagus where good is stored when they eat. If you feel good in it, that is good as it indicates they are eating. If it is empty, they are not. Please do not give any human medications to your birds, as many of them can be harmful to chickens. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck.

It is possible that your bird is having symptoms of a contagious disease but there is no way to know this without seeing your chicken. I would be concerned especially if you have multiple chickens and would find an avian or mixed animal veterinarian in your area to see right away. I would recommend blood work and infectious disease screening if possible.

Hello. It is very common to see reproductive disease in chickens including salpingitis & egg yolk peritonitis. If you could bring her indoors where it is a bit cooler, feed her nutritious foods such as cornbread, cooked eggs, even a bit ( not much ) of canned cat food & see if she perks up. Many of these birds are actually in quite a bit of pain, so if there is any way to have her seen by a vet, this would be best. X-rays are often taken in these cases to evaluate the internal organs or see if she is actually egg bound. There is a lot we know about chickens, but sometimes not much we can do to save them. Hope you can have her evaluated soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ideally Stella needs a vet visit to asses. She could have a fracture or dislocation or make have a viral infection suck as Marek's disease that can affect the nerves of the leg. In many cases a fracture or dislocation in a hen requires sedation to attempt to fix but because they are two legged animals it requires a lot of TLC and nursing care to help them recover. She needs to be kep inside and have a sling fashioned to help her stand upright. She may need help cleaning herself. And in the case of bone injury she should have pain medication. Many times culling or euthanasia is chosen for chickens with leg injuries because of the difficulty in recovery.

I'm sorry to hear chicken was paralyzed from her illness. You can try keeping her separate from the flock with her own pen and access to food and water that is low to the ground. Low perches and nest boxes may also help. However, if she is kept with the flock, the other birds may pick on her if she seems "different" and can't keep up, which may lead to additional injury. If she is getting picked on, keeping her separate is needed. If she's not in a predator-proof area and can't move around well, she is also going to be a bigger target to predators, so that is something else to keep in mind.

In adult chickens, "wry neck", can be caused by infection, trauma or poor diet. Hen pecking can cause trauma and infection. A poor diet results in a vitamin deficiency, usually E, B1, D or a combination. Have her examined by a vet experienced in treating domestic fowl. Separate her from the flock for now. Feed a fortified chicken feed. Vitamin E should be given daily. Give with the mineral selenium to enhance absorption. Vit B can be mixed in with food or water. Infection should be confirmed and treated with the appropriate antibiotic if indicated.

It sounds like Bink is extremely ill and needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. It is possible there is a wound that got infected, an underlying illness causing his symptoms, or other underlying problem which needs to be treated. If he is kept with a flock, it is best to remove him from the flock to prevent being picked on and to prevent the spread of any illness to other birds. You can keep him separated and with easy access to food and water, or try syringe feeding, however if he is very weak and not moving much at all, and has visible swelling or wounds, seeking vet care immediately is needed.