Chicken 911

[bird_nerd]

Ok guys, my local veterinarian is unable to see my chicken until Monday, which will for sure be too late, I think. She is a 4.5 month old blue ameraucana from Meyer, I had her vaccinated by the hatchery. I have about 60 chickens total and they all appear healthy, they're all super spoiled so I don't think that this has to do with improper husbandry, but I don't know.

Last night when I put the chickens away (they free range on an acre with a year-round stream on it during the day) and my blue girl was the last chicken in the coop--on her way she walked into 2 objects which I thought was super weird, but I thought maybe it was because it was getting dark and she couldn't see well. This morning she was just laying in a nest box, not moving at all and super limp all over.

I'm going to list her symptoms: not moving, eyes closed most of the time, feet are limp but she can kind of stand if made to do so, she has white runny poop as of this morning, she has a little intermittent trembling all over.

Here is what's not wrong with her: She did not stagger around, she will drink water from a feeding syringe but not on her own, she isn't fluffed or puffy looking in her feathers, her wings aren't drooping (her neck and feet are droopy), she will open her eyes if I pick her up but that's about it, she has clear eyes and a clean vent and no mites, I dewormed using safe guard (fenbendazole) pellets which were rx'd by my vet about 3 weeks ago.

I've been searching all day and I think she might have botulism poisoning ? I really have no idea. I examined her vent and I don't feel an egg bound up, and her lungs sound clear/eyes and nose are healthy looking and clear. Her crop is full but appears normal (pink skin, no yellow or white pockets showing) and isn't hard (I can easily massage the grain around in there).

Here is what I've done so far: I crushed a 1.5 gram activated charcoal tab and made a slurry with water and fed her about half of it hoping maybe it would absorb potential toxins, and then I dissolved 1 teaspoon of plain epsom salt in one ounce of water and fed her that. She has also been given plain water. I'm a vet tech and although I don't know a lot about birds, I'm just going to say that she does not look good, she doesn't seem like an animal that is going to survive and I really hope I'm wrong and she can bounce back. Please help if you can, any ideas or advice are more than welcome. Thank you

 

[Wezdin]

I would be sure to check her crop in the morning, if she cant get to food tonight her crop should be empty. Do you know if has she started laying? A picture could be very useful in diagnosing. When you said vaccinated from the hatchery, was that for Mareks? Another thing, Stay calm, this dosen't seem like anything you could have prevented, from what you said she is in good hands. I had a hen with pretty sure botulism and she acted fine but just lost the use of her legs at first.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post photos or a video of her? (for video upload to YouTube and provide a link)

 

[bird_nerd]

Thank you I will keep a close eye on her tonight, she is currently in the house in a laundry basket with towels for cushion and then I have one draped over the basket just to try and reduce any further stress. If she does have food in her crop tomorrow morning I'll be back here asking how to best flush a crop (I have an idea but have never attempted). She definitely did not eat anything today. She is about 4.5 months old and is quite a bit younger than my other hens who just started laying (they're about 6 months old). I checked her vent by using Vaseline on my pinky and inserting about an inch into her vent (poor girl). Everything felt normal, no hard masses. She is sitting up on her own now and will open her eyes when I pull the towel back to check on her. I consider this an improvement in her behavior, but she is still super lethargic and limp overall.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any electrolytes, SaveAChick, Poultry NutriDrench, gatorade or pedialyte that you can offer to her? Cooked egg or wet feed may be good to offer her. If you remove her from the nest box and set her down in the coop, what does she do? Does she have any missing feathers on her chest? Hopefully, she just needs some fluids and food, or she might possibly be going broody.

 

[bird_nerd]

 

[bird_nerd]

I removed the dish of water because I didn’t want her to fall into it and drown herself.

 

[bird_nerd]

UPDATE: As of this morning my chicken is standing, walking, alert and eating and drinking on her own. Yesterday she started improving but I noticed she was knuckling when taking steps, which I see as a neurological malfunction. I believe she did get botulism which caused her paralysis and neuropathy. Maybe because I caught it quickly the activated charcoal was able to remove enough of the toxin to save her. I think she is going to be alright, I will update if she doesn't completely return to normal. I have her in the house, separated from the other birds (if she has botulism she can shed it in her poop for about a week, plus always best to quarantine a sick animal). Here's a link to info on botulism in poultry:https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/botulism/botulism-in-poultry
Has anyone vaccinated their poultry against botulism?

 

[Eggcessive]

There is no vaccine to protect against botulism. Botulism is more common in ducks, but they get it from eating dead animal remains, rotten vegetation, or maggots that have been without oxygen either buried or under water. I kind of doubt that she had that since she would not have been able to stand at all even with help. It causes flaccid paralysis starting at the feet spreading up the spinal nerves to the wings, neck, and eyelids. There could have been some other neurological problem, dehdydration, mold poisoning, or toxin, but most times we don’t get answers unless there is a necropsy after death. Hopefully, she will get back to normal soon. I would give her some form of chicken vitamins or human B complex for riboflavin.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Following believe she has great help already