Chick not wanting to stand

[casportpony]

@BirdLeaf, other things can cause this, but I would like to see some poop pictures before I make more guesses.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It does looks a lot like Marek's, but I have never seen a 4 week old with it. .

I did 2 years ago. Of course I was just assuming that's it was Mareks, because we don't necropsy. 1 out of 4 in a bantam clutch started walking drunk and stumbling, we culled when it began to fall over too much. The other 3 are still going with no problems.

 

[ChickNanny13]

It could be vitamin deficiency (Riboflavin) ...
I had a chick (out of 36) at 3wks develop over night, couldn't walk was flopping around, then his toes curled. Reading alot (PoultryPedia) & asking of help (Thank you BYC Members) , went with the simplest treatment first. PolyVisol without iron (1 drop 3x day on the side of the beak), mixed boiled egg yolk with his chick starter, taped his toes flat & kept him in the house. Did some "exercise", it got frustrating & thought of giving up but after about 2wks he was walking. You can try this & see what happens.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Is it possible it's injuries itself somehow?

 

[theoldchick]

Poor chick. So many diseases can cause these symptoms. Viral, bacterial and fungal infections can invade the brain and cause the symptoms you are seeing. Some times supportive care is all you can do. Make sure the feed is fresh, the environment is clean with plenty of ventilation. Sometimes an extreme parasite load can cause anemia and the bird will wobble and topple over. Veterinary care is always recommended in these cases, and some folks will sacrifice the sickest bird to have a necropsy performed by a professional. This will help determine what exactly is happening and will protect the rest of your flock.

http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/nervous/default.htm

 

[BirdLeaf]

I’ll try to answer everyone so here goes:
1. She’s been raised indoors her whole life, however there are mice in the garage. She’s never been exposed to any birds other than the ones she was born/raised with.

2. Her poop looks dry, but if you pick it up with a paper towel, it’s reasonably moist. I’ll see if I can get a picture.

3. Just got this bag of feed yesterday from the feed store, it’s chick days so everything is new. Must be the newest they can get

4. She’s got electrolytes in her water and a B vitamin mixed into the food just in case.

5. I don’t have a scale that I could weigh a bird on but I could go get one, any recommendations?

6. It’s possible she has injured herself, however it’s unlikely given her symptoms.

7. The only Marek’s symptom she’s showing is the leg problem. I know it can present with only one or no symptoms but I feel like other birds would be showing signs of illness at this point too. Is it possible it’s a non contagious birth defect? Eggs from this particular hen usually aren’t fertile or don’t hatch. She was the only one to hatch from this hen ever so far. I doubt I’ll be incubating any more eggs from this hen.

 

[BirdLeaf]

New development: traces of blood in the poop. Not sure which turds came from which birds (only two in the pen) but here are the three freshest droppings.

 

[casportpony]

Some people have reported that coccidiosis can cause paralysis, so you could try treating with amprolium (Corid).

 

[casportpony]

Scale - Go to Walmart or Target and get a digital food scale.

 

[BirdLeaf]

Started them on Corid, ordering a scale on Amazon. Also treating the main chick pen just in case. The sick pen birds are eating medicated starter, she’s reluctant to drink from the waterer suddenly but I used the medicated water to soup-ify the feed. She wants to drink the soup but not the actual water. If/when she recovers, will she still be all messed up as far as walking goes?
Her legs are still functional, she can move them, flex them, kick them but not stand on them. She usually keeps one leg flexed/stretched out and the other leg is at rest.