Balance issue???

[Greystone farm]

Hi there! My silver laced Wyandotte chick Penelope, who is a few weeks over a month old, seems to have developed some sort of balance issue. Her center of balance is very low, and she tends to lean back on her shanks and hock joints a lot, to the point where she sometimes ends up toppling backwards to sit on her bum like a human. She can walk and move about normally but as I mentioned stays low and leans backwards more than her flock mates so that her shanks are almost parallel to the ground. She has no other symptoms other than being super pliable and cuddly, but I think that’s just her personality. Eyes and nostrils are clear, poop is normal, legs are unmarked and healthy, she is not overweight, she eats and drinks normally, and her flock mates who are on the same diet and everything are perfectly fine. She doesn’t totally fall over when she walks, just leans back. When she perches, she sometimes leans back so far she falls off of my hand.
I read online that it could be a vitamin deficiency. Does that sound accurate? Thanks for any help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can try vitamin therapy to see if it helps. Give her 1/4 tablet human B-Complex daily.

Marek's disease is another possibility.

 

[Greystone farm]

You can try vitamin therapy to see if it helps. Give her 1/4 tablet human B-Complex daily.

Marek's disease is another possibility.

Okay, thanks! The vet is coming tonight and we’ll see what she says

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Let us know what she says.
I hope your pullet gets better.

 

[Greystone farm]

Let us know what she says.
I hope your pullet gets better.

Thanks!

 

[Greystone farm]

So the vet came and luckily she says that it is unlikely that Penny had Mareks. She has no neurological issues or other symptoms and really no apparent reason not to stand properly. She doesn’t even seem to be in pain. So, we think she’s just in a weird growth phase where her pelvis is causing her discomfort and she already seems to be walking better as the days go by. You know how pullets are—all out of proportion while growing. I think she just needs to grow into her own body lol

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad to hear she's improving.

Never heard of such an explanation that pullets are all out of proportion while growing. Interesting concept. You may want to explore that avenue some more.

 

[dawg53]

I suspect a vitamin D3 deficiency. Supplement with vitamin D3. Here's where you can buy a poultry supplement.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30E078D3-7B6A-11D5-A192-00B0D0204AE5