Chicken drastic change in condition

[ChickensinG]

I have an 11 month old Amber link (supposedly), she is very large about twice the size of my Golden comets and has always wattled when walking. She is dominant and very vocal. Yesterday she wouldn't walk, her leg is stretched out backwards. She didn't cluck anymore, very quiet and has the wing on the same side open some. She doesn't pull away or react when I manipulate the leg. Not sure what to do? Any ideas

 

[ChickensinG]

I'm sorry
Having a friend that can help you with this is good.

I'm sure it's been a hard decision and to find out that she is a meat bird instead of Amber Link. When chicks are shipped in mass volume to feed stores, they often come in boxes with just cardboard dividers. The boxes are marked with the breeds, but I'm told the chicks are not, so if boxes contain breeds that look very similar as 1-3 day old, they can easily get mixed up when taken out and placed in bins. I'm not excusing TSC, but there's been many threads where folks have purchased chicks from feed stores (not just TSC) and thought they had XYZ breed and come to find out they were CX instead.

Don't give up on getting chicks from a feed store, especially if that's your main source of acquiring birds. Sometimes all they get in are straight runs, so do be aware you might end up with a cockerel too.

Thanks! I have a rooster so hopefully we will have a group of chicks this spring. I'll keep y'all posted.

 

[Perris]

mareks perhaps? If you can provide a photo and more details about her environment and condition, it will help others try to diagnose at a distance.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have an 11 month old Amber link (supposedly), she is very large about twice the size of my Golden comets and has always wattled when walking. She is dominant and very vocal. Yesterday she wouldn't walk, her leg is stretched out backwards. She didn't cluck anymore, very quiet and has the wing on the same side open some. She doesn't pull away or react when I manipulate the leg. Not sure what to do? Any ideas

Can you please post some photos?
How long has it been since she laid an egg? Is she pooping?

I would separate her out, work on hydrating her, then see if she will eat. Any lice/mites?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Is that why she's so big? Not what to do at this point?

Yep.
They can get so big that their legs will eventually stop being able too lift them up.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I won't trust Tractor supply anymore with hybrid's. Thanks

They mix them up pretty often. You're not the first.

 

[Painted Calls]

She's got a horrible case of lice/mites. Would do her good to treat those too. They're definitely not doing her any favors.

Should check and treat the rest of your flock accordingly as well. Odds are that they have them as well.

 

[ChickensinG]

She's separated in a container,. She eats, poops, and drinks water. She repositions herself using her wings and good leg. She begining to act normal again. No lice or mites. She's only laid 3 small eggs when she was about 25 weeks and nothing since. She's almost a year now.

Here is what she looks like. They didn't attach in the earlier post

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Cornish X are made to grow extremely fast, and gain a lot of weight. They often don't survive past a few months/a year as their hearts give out or their legs collapse under their own weight. So sorry.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sadly, I agree, it looks like she's a meat bird, so her legs are likely unable to support her any longer.
She's lost all her feathers underneath her is soiled. This is usually what meat birds look like.
I do see what looks like an issue on the bottom of her feet, hard to tell if it's just caked on mud/debris or if it's bumblefoot. Swelling of the Ankle (Joint), could be a slipped tendon or blown tendon which happens with meat birds too.

I'm sorry you face this. Depending on how much time you have to dedicate to her care, you can try placing her in a sling for periods of time to get her more upright. Some folks do this to buy more time.
Everyone keeps chickens for different reasons, so culling her may be more in line with your keeping goals. Not always an easy thing to do, especially when you get attached to them.