7 Month old roo not walking well (when he walks) Partial Paralysis?

[mejsrd]

7 mo old. Buff Orp Rooster; hatched by a surrogate mom and raised from chick on our homestead.

One week ago seemed to lose strength in one leg (limping) has slowly progressed to both legs barley able to hold him up when he walks. He seems to be using his hips as knees. One of the hens is pecking him so much we've quarantined him...well that and we are thinking poss Mareks.

Checked him over head to foot. DH thought he saw lice so we DE'd him, Washed Roo in salted water, blew dry, DE again (and whole coop) on Sat...2 days later, Roo is no better. He is the youngest and strongest in the small flock (6 hens plus him) his sister is doing fine, no other chickens effected and egg production high at 5-6 eggs per day. we free range and are giving feed rations and healthy grain snacks and food scraps.

He will eat if food is presented to him, will drink; tries to walk but not getting very far. so we've kept him away from the others or he'd be pecked to death.

Not seeing traditional signs of Mareks disease (that I can see, but I'm only one year into chicken raising)...really other than this strange bad walk/partial paralysis he seems to have nothing else wrong. good eye color (no blems), crown is beautiful and red, no bugs that I can see ...legs and feet look good.

what do you think? any and all thoughts welcome.

Thank you,
Mjar

 

[tatiana916]

This is exactly whats happening to my sumatra girl roughly the same age. Is he waddling almost like a duck? I.e swinging his bum with each step. Mine keeps losing her balance aswel.

 

[tatiana916]

Found this thread. Hope its not against the rules of posting.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=39845

 

[mejsrd]

I'll try some high protein foods, thanks for the idea....if anyone else has some ideas, please shout out!
Mjar

 

[marthacolleen]

It's almost certainly Mareck's, which is a viral disease, HIGHLY contagious, and carried in their "dander" - so any feathers they shed, etc... will carry the virus for months. There is a vaccination that can be given for it, it's a sub-cut injection that needs to be given at one day of age. I'm sorry you had this also, it's horrific to watch them succumb to it. There is no "cure" and they will all die different "deaths". For their sake, just hope it's quick. Breaks your heart. They are so confused as to why their little legs no longer work, they fall over... it's horrible.