1 month old chicken w/dislocated or broken legs(s)

[ChickedFarmer]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.):
Not sure exactly about the breed. The chicken is around a month old. It has the same weight as all the other little chickens.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.:
Can't walk around. She moves around with her wings mostly. When she sits her legs come out from under her. She can still move her legs, just not in any useful fashion.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?:
Since this morning, around 5 1/2 hours now. At least that's when it was first noticed.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?: No, every other bird is fine. Both adults and juveniles.

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.:
Nothing that's obvious. I don't think she has a broken bone(s). I've felt around her hips but can't feel anything that seems out of place. Though I'm not sure what to look for.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.:
The little chicken was fine all the way up to when they were locked up to sleep. The only possible thing I could think of would be that her mother maybe stepped on her or something like that. Or perhaps she got stuck in a fence.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all:
Regular baby chicken food and water along with scraps around the yard. The same as the rest of the chickens.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Her excretions seems normal as of now.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
None as of yet. We've felt around to see if we can feel anything off with her. We've contemplated bringing her inside)separating her from the flock for the time being. Made sure she's had water and food.

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?:
A vet cannot be afford. It just isn't worth it for a little chicken. Anything that would be done would be by ourselves.

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


12) Describe the housing/bedding in use:
Regular straw bedding. Old straw, been outside for awhile. Doesn't seem to be bothering them.

The little chicken doesn't seem to be is much pain.She can move around, but that amounts to flailing her legs and wings. I just don;t know what's happened to her.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Have you examined it for broken bones? The leg and the pelvis?

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be an injury if she has always walked normally until now. I would start some chick vitamins in the water containing riboflavin (vitamin B 2) or crush a 1/2 human B complex tablet in some egg or feed daily. She may have a vitamin deficiency, or possibly a leg bone deformity that has caused her hock tendon to become affected. You might try splinting her legs closer together. There are some articles on "how to fix a slipped tendon" if that might be a problem by Googling that.

 

[ChickedFarmer]

Have you examined it for broken bones? The leg and the pelvis?

I've felt around. It doesn't feel off. Though I'm not exactly sure how a regular pelvis should feel. The legs themselves look fine. No odd angles and the like

It could be an injury if she has always walked normally until now. I would start some chick vitamins in the water containing riboflavin (vitamin B 2) or crush a 1/2 human B complex tablet in some egg or feed daily. She may have a vitamin deficiency, or possibly a leg bone deformity that has caused her hock tendon to become affected. You might try splinting her legs closer together. There are some articles on "how to fix a slipped tendon" if that might be a problem by Googling that.

We've read up that it may be something to do with something she ate/hasn't ate. We've read that feeding her boiled egg/shell may help. Though we have gotten any Vitamins or riboflavin. Though we've been contemplating it.

 

[ChickedFarmer]

Update:
She's pretty much the same as before. No improvement.

We're straying away from the possibility of it being a vitamin issue. She eats the same store bought food as all the other chickens and none of the others show any symptoms.

I don't think it's a slipped tendon. Her hocks look and feel normal. I also didn't feel anything when I gently rubbed them. It definitely seems more pelvic-oriented.

Maybe it was something bad she ate, but I'd think that if she got into something bad other chickens would've also.

The only possible cause we can conjur up is that she was crushed by the mother whilst they were sleeping. But I'm not sure. How likely is that to happen for a month old chicken? Now the babies don't even sleep under the mother, moreso around her. I'd think she would've tried to get out from underneath the mom if she were to get underneath her. Perhaps she was squashed by the mother's foot? Any ideas?

I feel the options are running out for the poor little girl. Pics to follow.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could be botulism which causes paralysis, but generally they can't hold up their necks.

Looks suspiciously like Mareks, but it seems young for that, but you never know.

 

[ChickedFarmer]

Could be botulism which causes paralysis, but generally they can't hold up their necks.

Looks suspiciously like Mareks, but it seems young for that, but you never know.

I'll research both. Those could be the cause. As for as paralysis goes, she can still move her legs. She tries to walk with them and moves them when I pick her up. Just not in any way that's useful. The rest of her body seems fine. Her wings act normal and she has no issues with her head.

As far as Mereks is concerned, some of the symptoms do look similar. Especially the whole paralysis in the legs part. It just seems odd that she'd be the only one to contract it. In any case, I'll do further research on it. Perhaps we can tape her legs together to keep them under her body in the meantime.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mareks is a hit and miss disease, some show symptoms and others never do. In the last 10 years I've seen about 5-6 young birds show symptoms and needing culling because of it, out of about 150 chickens.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would not hesitate to start something with riboflavin in it, since vitamin B2 deficiency has to be treated quickly to be successful. Beef liver chopped finely, plain yogurt, nutritional yeast, and B complex tablets all contain riboflavin. Even though your feed may be balanced and no other birds have symptoms, they can inherit B2 deficiency. There is a good link that you can read by The Poultry Site on "riboflavin deficiency in chickens" if you Google that. Curled toe paralysis is the term that they use for it. She almost looks like a splay legged chick, so she might benefit by a hobble, getting the legs closer together about 1 1/4 inches apart with a bandaid or vet wrap tape. You can also make a shoe for the curled toes with tape and cardboard on the foot.

 

[ChickedFarmer]

T

Mareks is a hit and miss disease, some show symptoms and others never do. In the last 10 years I've seen about 5-6 young birds show symptoms and needing culling because of it, out of about 150 chickens.

That's what I've gathered from my readings. Quite the tricky disease. How sudden is the onset? With this chicken it was day and night. She went to sleep walking and woke up disabled, practically. She doesn't have any other symptoms. Her eyes look fine and she doesn't have any lumps near her follicles. Seems very quick if it is Marek's disease.

Also, by paralysed does it mean fully paralysed with no movement? Because she can still move and feel her legs. Or is partial paralysis more likely?

I would not hesitate to start something with riboflavin in it, since vitamin B2 deficiency has to be treated quickly to be successful. Beef liver chopped finely, plain yogurt, nutritional yeast, and B complex tablets all contain riboflavin. Even though your feed may be balanced and no other birds have symptoms, they can inherit B2 deficiency. There is a good link that you can read by The Poultry Site on "riboflavin deficiency in chickens" if you Google that. Curled toe paralysis is the term that they use for it. She almost looks like a splay legged chick, so she might benefit by a hobble, getting the legs closer together about 1 1/4 inches apart with a bandaid or vet wrap tape. You can also make a shoe for the curled toes with tape and cardboard on the foot.

I'll look into giving her some vitamin supplements. It very well could be a B12 deficiency. As for the hobble, we've proceeded to make her legs closer together by using a bandaid. Hopefully that gives some relief/aid.