Chicken’s legs not working but she’s eating and alert, HELP?!

[Central Coast Chicks]

Can you please pass this onto your chicken loving friend:

HELP! My healthy feisty 9 month old Rhode Island Red girl has had a hard few weeks: some diarrhea (which went away) then incredible heat exhaustion (while the others were fine), now she can not stand or walk at all. She’s not had blood in her poop, her comb is in good shape and color, she can bend toes, her feet and skin look good, she laid an egg during this a few days ago, she still eats and drinks and is very alert. Supposedly was vaccinated against Mareks (but we had another bird that had it and was also “vaccinated”) coincidentally we just started having rabbits, squirrels and I’ve seen rat poop near their food. I read a stuck egg can cut off the nerve, but I don’t notice anything weird with her vent or belly. I’m giving them that ricketts special recipe I’ve read about, but ANY other ideas?

 

[nuthatched]

What's this Ricketts remedy?
What's their diet?
The vaccine doesn't prevent the disease or the spread if the disease, it just (usually) stops the tumors from growing.

 

[Central Coast Chicks]

It was recommended on a similar thread. I’ve just made it twice for them. I’ll attach a bit of the link below. I also just started a b2 riboflavin supplement I hope she’ll get enough of in time.

Normally her diet is layer feed, and she gets apple, yogurt, and other plant things, this bird particularly goes crazy for the dried meal worms (can they eat too many?) and she eats everything else, that’s why I wondered if she possibly ate squirrel or rat poop and got sick)

An avian vet did a test on a previous pet chicken and determined it had Mareks by a foot test, and my bird now doesn’t have the same issue (her toes bend) and they were supposedly vaccinated.

 

[nuthatched]

It was recommended on a similar thread. I’ve just made it twice for them. I’ll attach a bit of the link below. I also just started a b2 riboflavin supplement I hope she’ll get enough of in time.

Normally her diet is layer feed, and she gets apple, yogurt, and other plant things, this bird particularly goes crazy for the dried meal worms (can they eat too many?) and she eats everything else, that’s why I wondered if she possibly ate squirrel or rat poop and got sick)

An avian vet did a test on a previous pet chicken and determined it had Mareks by a foot test, and my bird now doesn’t have the same issue (her toes bend) and they were supposedly vaccinated.

Too many treats can cause vitamin deficiency.
I'd scrap that recipe and give 400i.u vitamin e capsule and a third of a B complex tablet every day for a few weeks, any brand from the grocery store.

 

[Central Coast Chicks]

Too many treats can cause vitamin deficiency.
I'd scrap that recipe and give 400i.u vitamin e capsule and a third of a B complex tablet every day for a few weeks, any brand from the grocery store.

Thanks so much. Good to know on the over feeding of dried worms. I’ll add vitamin E to her mix for nerve damage.

 

[Central Coast Chicks]

Yes, it’s been a few days of getting worse and she did the splits and now she’s got them locked forward. (Tho’ the toes can bend) She was alert, eager, hungry yesterday, but today she’s less interested and surely frustrated and depressed. She’s had a rough few weeks. I’ll probably break down and take her to a Vet tonight.

 

[Central Coast Chicks]

Does anyone know that foot/toe test the vets use? Something about if it’s Mareks their toe won’t bend when they push a rod or pencil under the birds foot? (I guess normally they bend it instinctually, but with Mareks they can’t ?)

 

[Bkaye]

Does anyone know that foot/toe test the vets use? Something about if it’s Mareks their toe won’t bend when they push a rod or pencil under the birds foot? (I guess normally they bend it instinctually, but with Mareks they can’t ?)

That's not necessarily true. Birds present in different ways. I have a Mareks positive flock. My first girl that presented with paralysis couldn't walk, would stretch her legs forward if you supported her weight and would still grip my finger if I pushed against the bottom of her feet.

Supposedly was vaccinated against Mareks (but we had another bird that had it and was also “vaccinated”)

Was your other chicken confirmed to have Mareks? If you previously had Mareks unless you have culled all of you birds and waited a substantial amount of time before getting birds again all of your birds are carriers and have Markes even if they are not showing symptoms. Like has been said above the vaccine does not prevent Mareks it is suppose to help tumors from forming but that is not a guarantee. My original birds were vaccinated for Mareks before I had Mareks on my property. I have lost one of those girls to Mareks. She developed ocular Mareks and a short while later died from internal tumors due to Mareks.

 

[Central Coast Chicks]

No, it wasn’t “confirmed” but the Avian vet thought the first bird had it, and apparently other birds from this same vaccinated farm have come up in our community with it too, so it probably is compromised like you said. Dang it. Breaks my heart, but that’s probably what it is. whew, Chicken raising ain’t for sissies.