Chick losing control left side

[Jynuine]

hey everyone! So we had a chick hatch under a broody hen mid Dec. She is a silver sebright/sumatran mix and has lived in the brooder with mama or the past 2 mos.
Last night she started displaying symptoms of paralysis in one side- she was fine in the morning. Her left eye and left leg is not working- could this be a vitamin deficiency?
I'm giving her electrolytes and vitamins from a dropper but does anyone else know what I should be feeding her otherwise?
It's just been her and mama in there and I feed them flock raiser.

 

[Jynuine]

 

[MrsBrooke]

Unsure. I hope someone can come give you some advice.

MrsB

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your chick. It sounds a bit like Mareks disease, but anything like a stroke or a severe head injury could cause similar symptoms. I doubt that a vitamin deficiency has caused the paralysis on one side. I would try to give the chick supportive care to see if there is any improvement. In rare cases, Mareks can cause temporary paralysis which may go away. Later on in life other symptoms of Mareks can return.

 

[rebrascora]

Unfortunately I believe Seabrights are very susceptible to Marek's disease and she may well have caught it from her mother who could be a carrier. It is a very common disease and very easily spread. Carriers often have no symptoms of it.
I have two legbar pullets suffering from leg paralysis due to this. One is able to hop around and is otherwise fit and healthy and has got no worse since she developed it 4 months ago. The other went lame 3 months ago for a few days and then got better, but sadly just as she is reaching point of lay, she has got leg paralysis again. I'm treating her with turmeric and black pepper which I mix into a combination of scrambled egg, yoghurt and chick crumb. Too early to say if it is having any effect as it has only been a few days since I started, but she wolfs it down! There is no known cure for Marek's but turmeric and black pepper are reported to have beneficial effect on tumours, which the disease causes. Some people also treat affected birds with St John's Wort. Difficult to know if either treatment works as the symptoms can flare up and then disappear or get worse on their own, but it is really important to reduce stress as this is likely to trigger an attack.

I really hope your chick pulls through, whatever is ailing her.

Good luck in nursing her. It is heart breaking to see them suffer and not know what to do for the best.

Regards

Barbara

 

[casportpony]

It does sound and look like it could be Marek's, but I would try vitamin therapy with something like Rooster Booster Poultry Drench before culling.

-Kathy

 

[Jynuine]

Awe yeah she is having a tougher time today and is gasping for more air with less control. So sad because she was going to be a beautiful mix.
Should I worry about the other flock birds?

 

[casportpony]

Awe

yeah she is having a tougher time today and is gasping for more air with less control. So sad because she was going to be a beautiful mix.
Should I worry about the other flock birds?

If she dies, have her tested at the lab.

-Kathy

 

[Jynuine]

It does sound and look like it could be Marek's, but I would try vitamin therapy with something like Rooster Booster Poultry Drench before culling.

-Kathy

So do you think maybe this is what killed my other pullets ? We vowed to never do winter chicks again

 

[casportpony]

Name: Dr. Brad LeaMaster
Title: State Veterinarian
Agency: Animal and Identification Division
Department: Oregon Department of Agriculture
Office Address: 635 Capitol St., NE
Salem, OR 97301-2532
Office Telephone No: (503) 986-4680
Fax No: (503) 986-4734
E-mail : [email protected]

Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Oregon State Univ., Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
Magruder Hall 134
Corvallis, Oregon 97331
Phone: 541-737-6964 Fax 541-737-6817