Chicken can't stand up

[Katiel89]

Hoping someone can help...

I have a one year old Plymouth Rock who can't stand up. I separated her from the others 2 weeks ago and have kept her inside. She can stand if I help her balance but not on her own so she has plenty of strength in her legs still. She will eat and drink when I hand feed her but not from the bowl right next to her.

Given her protein and vitamins and had thought it was probably mareks but the longer it is going on and her seeming quite happy still the more I wonder if it could be something else. Any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

It's hard to tell what the problem is for sure without testing or a necropsy by the state vet where you request testing for Mareks. Texas A&M and other vet poultry centers will do the PCR test for Mareks for about $30 if you can get your vet to draw blood. I would contact them first, and get the details on what needs to be done. If you go to the search at the top of this page, and search for the Mareks Faq by Nambroth, it has a list of conditions that can look like Mareks, such as lead poisoning, mold toxicity of feed, or other problems. You might also want to start some poultry vitamins and/or minerals in the water or feed, in case of a vitamin deficiency.