Very Ill Chicken (please help)

She is 7 months old and is a Buff Rock hen. We had about a dozen other chickens with her, including 3 roosters.

We had noticed for a couple of weeks that she was always puffed up and never ran around like the others did. Yesterday, we decided to bring her inside. We put her in a crate. She just sat there all puffed up like she does. She wasn't eating or drinking. Later that night we had to sryringe feed her. It had a mixture of apples, spaghetti squash, dog food, and water. We squirted that just inside her beak and she ate it.

That night we put her in the crate for the night.

When my dad woke up she was on her back with her feet in the air. My dad assumed she was dead. Then my mom came and saw that she was slightly moving and still barley alive. My dad said she would most likely die later today. But she didn't.

A few minutes ago we came and saw that she has no total use of her legs. Like she is paralyzed. Her head is moving and she flapped her wings once. Also, her toes curl up when we sit her down.

A few minutes ago we sryringe fed her again. She kinda ate it. After we were done and getting ready to put her back in the crate, her head and neck dropped. I lifted it back up and she started twitching, like she was having a seizure. We put her in the crate and she is sitting still. We know she is pretty much gone and there is probably nothing we can do.

What is wrong with her?

((Thanks in advance!))

Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? She seems to be having neurological issues, and Mareks along with botulism, lead poisoning, or infection could be possible causes.Botulism can be caused from eating a toxin found in decayed remains of animals or vegetation. I would suggest sending her refrigerated body to the state veterinarian for a necropsy if she dies, to find the cause of death. For now give her electrolyte and vitamin water. Do you feed your chickens layer or all flock chicken feed normally?

Eggcessive said:

Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? She seems to be having neurological issues, and Mareks along with botulism, lead poisoning, or infection could be possible causes.Botulism can be caused from eating a toxin found in decayed remains of animals or vegetation.  I would suggest sending her refrigerated body to the state veterinarian for a necropsy if she dies, to find the cause of death. For now give her electrolyte and vitamin water. Do you feed your chickens layer or all flock chicken feed normally?

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She was vaccinated for Mareks. We feed them all Omega Layer feed by Purina. The others are doing terriffic and have no symptoms of her at all.

Severe dehydration can cause neurological symptoms. Hopefully, it isn't Mareks, although the vaccine isn't always 100% effective in preventing it. Botulism can be fairly common around ponds or compost beds. Here are some links for you to read for your state vet, one on Mareks disease, and another on botulism:
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/19/botulism

Eggcessive said:

Severe dehydration can cause neurological symptoms. Hopefully, it isn't Mareks, although the vaccine isn't always 100% effective in preventing it. Botulism can be fairly common around ponds or compost beds.  Here are some links for you to read for your state vet, one on Mareks disease, and another on botulism:
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/19/botulism

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Thank you so much! She is still alive. Also, is it okay to feed her electrolyte witha sryringe because she will not drink on her own.

Yes, but it can be easy to choke her. Just feed a 1/4 ml at a time and let her swallow. I sometimes will hold a small cup up to the beak and remind them to drink. Tube feeding may be a good thing for you to try. A piece of aquarium tubing, burned on one end to round off sharp edges, can be used for tube feeding if connected to a 35 or 60 cc syringe. Here is a series of links including videos for that: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

She needs fluids if she has not been drinking. Never force feed a bird that's not drinking, it can kill them. Hydration must always be corrected before feeding.

-Kathy

Coccidiosis and/or worms can also cause paralysis.

-Kathy

I'm pretty sure there is nothing else we can do. I just came home and saw that she was sleeping so I shook the crate a bit and she didn't move. I hate to see her suffer.

You could tube sugar water to her. FYI, she should be kept in a room that's 80-85 degrees.

-Kathy