15 week old has episodes of wobbling, loss of balance

[JCE123]

Hi!
I have a 15 week old showgirl silkie who is lowest on the totem pole. Once in a while when she feels nervous and tries to run, she gets all discombobulated and falls down. Not always though. And it's been going on for a couple weeks, I think. At first I though she bonked her head, it looked like maybe she had a swelling on the back of her head. But I don't know, she has a weird looking head anyway. Yes, I am new to chickens ;-)
I have never seen the others peck her, but the head hen does seem to intimidate her.
Do you think she did get pecked and has brain damage?
Could she be dehydrated? I do place several water dishes around though. I had been giving electrolytes for a few days just in case.
Does it sound like a sickness? She does eat. Although she is a spaz and has trouble getting the worms I occasionally give them. Like she has bad aim or something.
And I've been away for home for a week, so i am getting second hand info. I will be home tomorrow.
What is up with this wacky creature?

 

[JCE123]

Oh heck, now she's not walking much at all. One of her legs is not cooperating. Maybe she fell and injured it? Any ideas?

 

[Crisses]

How's she doing now?
Another thread had a silkie who had this issue (a couple years ago) and I'm wondering if this is a "silkie thing"? :/

I came to the thread because I have a 9-week old silkie mutt (I think -- barnyard mixes! but she has the 5 toes) who started wobbling this morning, losing balance. I separated her into the isolation coop (the others will be free ranging all around her), gave her some yogurt then a grower mash with yogurt and some water, and she's eating but is constantly correcting her balance.

All my flock is banty -- but I think she's a regular silkie dad + banty mom mix, she's bigger than all the chicks and almost adult size. Got her egg from another farmer.

I don't think she's injured. She was walking and moving fine (I didn't notice anything odd) when I put them in the garage last night and turned the light out.

Yesterday was weaning day -- mommy left them. She was very attached to her banty RIR mommy, and I don't know if the illness is a coincidence or something related to stress -- I'm a little worried isolation will just make it worse. Her siblings (6 black 4-toed banty chicks, who knows what breed! -- 5 pullets & 1 crowing cockerel -- I so lucked out!) have hung out near her cage so I put some food out near there for them, to encourage them to hang out nearby and keep her company.

Any tips or indication of what might be going on would be appreciated. I checked her crop, I think she's fine there, and she is eating which I know is always a good sign with just about any creature. She shouldn't be egg-bound at her age. :/


In terms of your silkie -- can she see? I mean, is she one of the birds with feathers covering her eyes? Could that be why she's clumsy?

My silkie "Chip" still has a bit of the "chipmunk" thing going on -- real stiff feathers up top, fuzzy deep grey/lavender silkie-like feathers on the bottom. If she is a half-silkie, I have to say thank goodness for mom because dad was a pretty big bird. I saw him when I got the eggs from the farmer.

 

[JCE123]

My silkie is not great. We think it might have been Marek's disease, but not entirely sure. This is about 2 weeks since I posted this. She is alive and well, except that she can't walk much :/
But she has not deteriorated in any way past that. We have been nursing her pretty intensively, she's had an antibiotic shot and is finishing a week of steroids. I've been giving her hypericum (herbal remedy stuff), vitamins, electrolytes, etc. the works. I believe that she is permanently paralyzed. Now I need to decide if I can deal with keeping a handicapped chicken!
She is a showgirl naked neck silkie, can see fine. Ridiculously adorable and sweet.
I do hope yours receivers better than mine! Good luck!

 

[JCE123]

So, about two weeks after posting this, my little showgirl was up and running around. She is now darn hard to catch while free ranging the backyard, LOL! Not only that, she seems to think I am a monster, me, who nursed the little knuckle head for WEEKS. And she is being super mean and bossy to our new silkie. Who would have guessed? Maybe this is the little reprieve that Marek's sometimes gives, but maybe not. Either way, hooray! Even if she is a little brat now.

 

[seminolewind]

I'm glad she's better.

 

[Crisses]

It's a few weeks later, and Chip seems fine. I had isolated her part of the day but the wobblies went away after a few hours and some yogurt-soaked mash and water. It might have been something to do with weaning -- many of the chicks were pretty upset because mom had been with them so long. I saw no more signs of wobblies and instead of stressing Chip with more isolation, we let her out by the end of the day. She's been fine since. Maybe she just hadn't eaten as much the day before or something, woke up a little weak from lack of nutrients? Dunno. But she's fine.

Still don't know if she's a silky (or part-silky), though. I posted photos in another thread, and got no answers. So I have a whole barnyard mix of 7 birds with this 1 oddball and the rest are black -- and no idea what breed any are Just this one (Chip) with the extra toe but no leg feathers, and 2 black ones with leg feathers. The world may never know....I don't mind mutts as long as the flock is strong and happy and lay plenty of eggs

 

[JCE123]

Chrisses, have you ID'd your Chip yet?

 

[cliffinswg]

My silkie is not great. We think it might have been Marek's disease, but not entirely sure. This is about 2 weeks since I posted this. She is alive and well, except that she can't walk much :/
But she has not deteriorated in any way past that. We have been nursing her pretty intensively, she's had an antibiotic shot and is finishing a week of steroids. I've been giving her hypericum (herbal remedy stuff), vitamins, electrolytes, etc. the works. I believe that she is permanently paralyzed. Now I need to decide if I can deal with keeping a handicapped chicken!
She is a showgirl naked neck silkie, can see fine. Ridiculously adorable and sweet.
I do hope yours receivers better than mine! Good luck!

I know you have cured your baby since this post, but if parapelegia is ever an issue again: Tot Rider from Walmart, three small bungies attached to a sandwich baggie