2 peafowl with lameness in left leg - need help

[stacir]

I live in Northern Minnesota and have free range peafowl, chickens, guinea hens and turkeys and some water fowl. Two days ago, a male yearling blac shoulder seem to be having trouble with his left leg. It was very odd, the toes were curled and the leg seems useless, almost like nerve damage. He is laying on the ground not moving and not wanting to use the leg. Yesterday he did make it up to the rafters in the barn to roost and is still up there.

I also noticed my 3 year old female black shoulder female limping slighting 2 days ago, and now she is in the same boat as the male. Same leg, the left, and can't use it. It drags behind her when she moves.

I also found my guinea hen in the barn unable to walk, with two bad legs and a chicken wth one bad leg. The chicken has been hopping along on one foot and seems to be OK otherwise. There are no lesions or cuts or bruises or swelling on feet or legs.

I am concerned that there is some disease going around, but have been unable to find any information related to lameness. I have spoken to a vet and another breeder who don't have any ideas.

All birds seem healthy otherwise, they get commercial feeder along with what they can find free range. Any ideas? I had to put down my guinea hen, but don't want to put down my peafowl unless I absoulutely have to. Any advice would be greatly appreciatded

 

[chickenzoo]

When were they all last wormed? Worms can bring them down fast. I recently had a silkie roo returned to me after a few months because he couldn't walk and crawled on his belly and could not use his legs. On close inspection he was covered in lice, I wormed him and in a week he began to stand.... So check them for parasites.

 

[stacir]

I haven't wormed them yet this season. Will worms cause leg lameness in just one leg? It looks as if they can't put any weight on the bad leg. And they don't seem sick in any other way.

 

[Kenboy]

It sounds like a neurological disorder of some kind. Have you sprayed with any insecticide where they may have come in contact with it?

 

[stacir]

That's what it seemed like to me as well. I never thought about pesticides. I have planted fields on both sides of my property an they have been spraying lately. I did spray with round up the other day as well around my patio. I hope it's not because of that.

They could have come in contact with it. I just don't know what to do - whether I should put down these birds or not. I will wait a few more days to see if there is any improvement. But it's tough to watch them trying to get around. Thanks for the reply.

 

[chickenzoo]

If you think it may be a poison, then you can do a molasses flush. Do a search on here for the specifics and then keep up supportive care with vitamins and keeping them confined to see if it will work it's weigh out. With my one chicken with lice it, it looked like he had Mareks, lost the use of one leg, used wing like a crutch, but after worming he got better...........

 

[stacir]

I just got my results back from the lab. The diagnosis was gout. The vet said this can come from to much protien or not enough water. They do seem to be getting better.

 

[deerman]

If they were not free range, that would be my guess to high protien.. Seen that were people add egg yolk to the feed.

 

[stacir]

They are free range and I mix regular grower feed with scratch grain as a supplement in the summer. The only thing I can think of is that I've been feeding them cat food as a treat in the am and pm. The birds show up at my doorstep every morning and evening begging for them. I am going to cut out the treats and see if this helps. We have a 1 acre pond on our property that all the birds have access to, and we've also had a lot of rain this spring, so I can't imaging it's from dehydration. I am being diligent, however, keeing fresh water in the barn as well, where they sleep at night.

 

[chickenzoo]

i think also having a lot of salt in the cat food and such can bring on gout, I think it does in people also?