Hello,
I was hoping some one could help me figure out what is wrong with my chickens. One my pullets (at least I think she is a pullet) recently developed the inability to walk, or even stand. At first it just seemed to be effecting one leg, and she could hop around. But than it developed in both legs. I don't think it's a broken bone, because it's in both legs and seems to effect her neck as well. Her legs aren't swollen and we felt for any breaks.
It isn’t spraddle leg either, we tried hobbling her and it made things worse. She can pull her legs under her, and they don't go out to the sides like in spraddle leg.
I was wondering if it was something like myotoni, like in fainting goats, which stiffen up when they get scare. Her legs stiffen when she tries to stand or when I lift her up. They go straight out behind her or straight down and her neck goes straight out in front of her. She jerks, even when she isn't falling, like she's trying to keep her balance, and cheeps loudly, flapping her wings to try to catch herself. Its really sad. I was hoping some one might know something about this, because I really want to help her. If we can't, we'll have to euthanize her.
She’s a bantam chicken (her name is Amber), she has some Naked-neck Silkie, Sebright and I think a little Old English Game in there as well. She’s around a month and a half to two months old. She has 9 siblings (most of them not from the same biological parents) and none of them have developed any symptoms, nor have any of my adult chickens.
I was wondering if it was physical (head or spine injury), disease (a parasites or virus in her spine or something like that), or genetic (just a deformity). But why would it develop so suddenly, and only in her? I don’t know if she was inbred (I didn’t want them to be, but I think Amber’s parents were related, either father and daughter or brother and sister).
Mentally she seems all there (I've had chickens who weren't), and when relaxed she can almost stand up. She eats and drinks when I prop her up, and she responds to your voice and to the other chickens calls, so as far as it being neurological, it doesn’t seem to be effecting her mentally, just physically.
Anyways, I know this was long, but I would really appreciate some kind of explanation for why this happened and to know if there is a cure.
This is her sitting down. You can see her legs in an unnatural position
This is her having a mild spasm (legs tense, neck stretched out)
Thanks for listening!
I was hoping some one could help me figure out what is wrong with my chickens. One my pullets (at least I think she is a pullet) recently developed the inability to walk, or even stand. At first it just seemed to be effecting one leg, and she could hop around. But than it developed in both legs. I don't think it's a broken bone, because it's in both legs and seems to effect her neck as well. Her legs aren't swollen and we felt for any breaks.
It isn’t spraddle leg either, we tried hobbling her and it made things worse. She can pull her legs under her, and they don't go out to the sides like in spraddle leg.
I was wondering if it was something like myotoni, like in fainting goats, which stiffen up when they get scare. Her legs stiffen when she tries to stand or when I lift her up. They go straight out behind her or straight down and her neck goes straight out in front of her. She jerks, even when she isn't falling, like she's trying to keep her balance, and cheeps loudly, flapping her wings to try to catch herself. Its really sad. I was hoping some one might know something about this, because I really want to help her. If we can't, we'll have to euthanize her.
She’s a bantam chicken (her name is Amber), she has some Naked-neck Silkie, Sebright and I think a little Old English Game in there as well. She’s around a month and a half to two months old. She has 9 siblings (most of them not from the same biological parents) and none of them have developed any symptoms, nor have any of my adult chickens.
I was wondering if it was physical (head or spine injury), disease (a parasites or virus in her spine or something like that), or genetic (just a deformity). But why would it develop so suddenly, and only in her? I don’t know if she was inbred (I didn’t want them to be, but I think Amber’s parents were related, either father and daughter or brother and sister).
Mentally she seems all there (I've had chickens who weren't), and when relaxed she can almost stand up. She eats and drinks when I prop her up, and she responds to your voice and to the other chickens calls, so as far as it being neurological, it doesn’t seem to be effecting her mentally, just physically.
Anyways, I know this was long, but I would really appreciate some kind of explanation for why this happened and to know if there is a cure.
This is her sitting down. You can see her legs in an unnatural position
This is her having a mild spasm (legs tense, neck stretched out)
Thanks for listening!
