Diagnosis Please: 22wk old Wheaten Marans Can’t Walk

[kie4]

Hello, I’d appreciate any diagnosis and/or advice on how to deal with the condition in the video.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
She does feel a little light, but then she’s still young. Since Inspotted he condition she has he own area/food/water in the coop.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She stands okay, then is unable to walk. It looks like the right side that is failing her. She has a rock hard swollen toe joint.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
1 week

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No all fine

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
I felt around and couldn’t find any dislocations or broken bones. I’m not an expert looking for breaks though.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Multiple jumps down from a high roost onto a wooden coop floor?

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Nutrina Layena, she eats and drinks well.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop is fine

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Two 20min epsom salt baths, every other day.

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Treat myself.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Please see video

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Deep litter in the run, wooden floor under the roost.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Following to see what the experts think. Looks like a leg injury to me but I'm not an authority. How high is the roost?

 

[ellenscoop]

The only way your going to get a diagnosis is by bringing them to a vet. Have you tried PoultryDVM's chicken symptom checker tool? This is a useful tool - http://www.poultrydvm.com/symptoms

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be anything from a broken leg or foot, a ruptured hock tendon, to Mareks disease. Can you show a closeup picture of the swollen toe? Could she have gotten her toe caught in something, and possibly broken her leg. If you could see a vet nearby who could xray the leg, that might be the quickest way to get a diagnosis. If not, keep her separated in a dog crate with food and water close to her, and watch her for a bit to see if it gets better. I would crush a half of a vitamin B complex tablet into her food or water daily. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[JeanR]

Chickens seldom have leg injuries that prevent walking. They can fly down from roof tops, high tree limb roosting and never hurt. Heavy breeds do not usually do that high flying and seldom have leg injuries without wound or bumble foot--easy to see problems. Few Veterinarians do chickens or study their illnesses. Costly. Symptoms of your hen are very similar to Marek's Disease (NO TREATMENT, NO CURE). So forget all the remedies of vitamins, drugs, etc. All your chickens eat the same feed, so one will not be affected without others, also. However, IF it IS Mareks, others will be infected (may not show symptoms--or MAY, as time goes by). Mareks is progressive paralysis, usually, one leg, then wing on the same side, then go down, as leg and wing on other side have paralysis. If they can reach food and water, scooting, if possible, they will eat and drink until the neck and throat become paralyzed . Then, there MAY be slow recovery (weight loss) or death. Recovered pullets may lay again, and the Marek's virus is NOT carried in the eggs or on their shells--safe to eat, hatch healthy chicks. No pain, just dear birds do not know what is happening. Pullets usually show symptoms at about time of first laying---Cockerels at younger age. but it can appear at any age.

NOW, hope it is not Marek's! I hate to see birds "medicated" with "try this" or "try this", causing misery, where there is just frustration now. If it is Marek's, all your birds are exposed, but may or may not show symptoms--might be naturally "immune"???? Or like some flocks, sadly, most will die of a severe form of the virus. YOU KNOW, Antibiotics do not treat VIRUSes-a waste to use them, and one of the reasons (wide use without diagnoses) is making Antibiotics less useful for Bacterial infections--where they used to be Miracle cures! For people, also--so sad.

Now, keep hope that it is Not Marek's and that recovery IS possible. Best of luck, see that she can reach food and water--and am so sorry for the worry of your LOVELY PULLET.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully the hard swollen toe joint is a clue to an injury. It also appears to be a wound on the right lower leg. Pictures are important sometimes.