2 month old welsummer pullet sick, is it mareks?

[steph5253]

I am sure this is on here a lot, and I have done my research, but I am still at a loss!! Maybe mareks, botulism, electrolyte imbalance, worms....

My 9.5 week old welsummer pullet is not able to walk since yesterday. She sits on her hocks and sometimes waddles. She started out looking wobbly three or four days ago. I finally realized something was really up three days ago and separated her with her chick feed and vit water. She was still spunky and eating and drinking. She has progressively gotten worse. Now she can't stand at all and she mostly sits on her hocks and waddles to where she needs to go. It doesn't seem like she is eating and drinking as much either, though she does not seem super lethargic.
This am I took her out of her hospital cage and she took the biggest poop I have ever seen, like she was holding it all night and let it go the minute I took her out so she would not sit on her own poop ( though now she has pooped and sat in it). It was about an inch by 4 inches, then she went again. Warning pic of poop coming, let me know what you think:
First big poop, 1x4 inches!!

A min later poop, smaller 1/2 inch by 1.5 inches

It looks as though she is losing use of her legs, or she doesnt have the energy to use them (except she does move and kick when i pick her up). Seems She has gradually weakened over the past few days but legs are not flaccid and toes are not curled. Both feet are kept under her, so no stereotypical leg forward as seen in mareks. SHE HAS BEEN VACCINATED. Though I know she can technically still get mareks it is not as likely.

Here are pics of her today

I will mention two important things: one, I thought she seemed wobbly a few weeks ago but could not be sure and she seemed fine since. Two, I had another older pullet get wobbly and stop eating about a month ago. This pullet was wobbly but never lost use of her legs. She just stumbled a lot. She was better within 2-3 days of feed and vitamins. This seems different. Take a look at the post about that chicken: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...e-and-lethargic-not-eating-help#post_13505895

Please help!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Are you trying vitamins with this one?
Even though the toes aren't curled it may be worth a try.

 

[steph5253]

Ye

Are you trying vitamins with this one?
Even though the toes aren't curled it may be worth a try.

Yes vit/elec in water and also giving poly vi sol 1 ml by syringe daily... Same thing with the other chicken. Though the other chicken I had to spoon and syringe feed bc it was weak and lethargic. This chick is mildly lethargic and is eating, though not as much as she was a day ago. She fights me when I give her the drops so I guess that's good

 

[steph5253]

Update
She seems about the same as yesterday. She is eating and drinking a bit but not as much as the day before yest. She still hobbles around but mostly sits on her hocks.
Her poops are different. She did the same thing when I took her out this am, she pooped twice. The first was watery and the second was normally formed but small:
Here's the first watery poop

This is what she looks like this am

 

[seminolewind]

Since she was vaccinated, and as long as she keeps her weight on , I would give her a few weeks and see if it resolves. A vaccinated hen of mine did this and she actually was walking again in 6 weeks and is 2 years old now. But she had eaten and drank on her own the whole time.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Some of my pullets/young hens get like that every so often, it's never roosters. I've never had one recover and a lingering death is always the end result, so as soon as mine start stumbling & goose stepping I cull them.

 

[steph5253]

Since she was vaccinated, and as long as she keeps her weight on , I would give her a few weeks and see if it resolves.  A vaccinated hen of mine did this and she actually was walking again in 6 weeks and is 2 years old now.  But she had eaten and drank on her own the whole time.

I will give her time. I just wish I knew what it was! I never knew chicken keeping would be this hard!

 

[steph5253]

Some of my pullets/young hens get like that every so often, it's never roosters. I've never had one recover and a lingering death is always the end result, so as soon as mine start stumbling & goose stepping I cull them.

Thanks for your input, People have told me that too. I just can't bring myself to cull her! Our small flock are our family pets. I would only do that (well hubby would) if it seemed like she was suffering or had no quality of life.

 

[seminolewind]

Mine lived in a crate in my bedroom and took naps on my bed with me. 6 weeks.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Mine would start out be not being able to balance on the roost bar, and start sleeping in the nestboxes instead. Then start sleeping on the ground because she was too unbalanced to hop up the 18" to reach the nestbox perch. Then start falling over face first while eating & drinking. Then hobbling about using her wings on the ground to steady her. Then being reduced to flopping about on the ground to get to the feeder & waterer. Then, being unable to even do that and if the other chickens didn't scalp her, she starved to death. This would take place over a period of several months.
After seeing this happen many times over the years I found it more humane to just cull the bird.
I live in a humid area, 90-95% with 100* temps, so mold, fungus, allergies and respiratory problems & infections are the norm, for both animals and humans.