Chicken laying on side, can't stand up

[TexasJeans]

My leghorn chicken can't seem to stand up. She is on her side and moves her legs and wings around but can't stand up. I have tried to set her upright but she falls right over. I have put food and water close to her head and she seems to be eating and drinking. She is about a year old, give or take a few months. I have been reading about Marek's and it sounds like that's an option. I have also read that chickens can get botulism from spoiled fruits? I give them fruit and vegetable scraps and things that have gone bad. I thought that would be a treat for them, I didn't know it could hurt them!

 

[micstrachan]

Hi there. So sorry about your Leghorn. I’m not sure if there is an antidote for botulism, but supportive care can help a chicken survive Marek’s. Is she laying? I think I have read that sometimes an egg can pinch a nerve, but I don’t recall the details. Can you set her up with a sling?

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your chicken. Mareks is a possibility. I would not worry about the fruit, unless it was moldy. Mold can cause apergillosis and aflatoxin poisoning. Botulism is more a problem if they have eaten dead animals or fish, or vegetation that has been underground or under water without oxygen for a time to cause anaerobic bacteria to grow. I would start her on some Poultry Cell vitamins 2-3 ml daily, and Google chicken slings. Those can help get them upright. You can also prop her up with towels and place her food and water near to her. Encourage her to drink or dip her beak for a second. Try to tell if she can stand and walk or if her legs wings do not work.

Just saw where micstrachan posted a picture of a sling while I was writing.

 

[TexasJeans]

She hasn't been laying but since she is young, I'm not 100% sure that she has started laying. Those slings look nice, I will look into that! Is that cheesecloth? I think I have given them strawberries with mold on them.

 

[Eggcessive]

The sling material looks more like mesh, such as those laundry mesh bags made out of nylon. Some slings are made with tee shirt material. One person made one from a tank top.

 

[ChickenCrazyAnnie]

My leghorn chicken can't seem to stand up. She is on her side and moves her legs and wings around but can't stand up. I have tried to set her upright but she falls right over. I have put food and water close to her head and she seems to be eating and drinking. She is about a year old, give or take a few months. I have been reading about Marek's and it sounds like that's an option. I have also read that chickens can get botulism from spoiled fruits? I give them fruit and vegetable scraps and things that have gone bad. I thought that would be a treat for them, I didn't know it could hurt them!

Hi TexasJeans, sorry to hear about your hen. Can't give you any advice about her condition but just want to say that you shouldn't give your hens any food that is spoiled or bad, if it's not ok for you, it won't be ok for your hens. You could try giving her water with apple cider vinegar or even natural or malt vinegar in her water which has antibacterial properties, or ask your vet for antibiotics to treat her. If it is Mareks, her legs would be splayed and sorry to say there's not much to do, euthanasia is your only option. Good luck.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Here's a great BYC article by someone who's really done her research.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Pay particular attention to the sections titled Are there any other diseases that look like Marek's? and Are there any medications I can give specifically for Marek's?

 

[sylviethecochin]

If it is Mareks, her legs would be splayed and sorry to say there's not much to do, euthanasia is your only option. Good luck.

I've had a pullet that recovered from Marek's. It took her a month, but she lived. And her legs weren't splayed, they were just incapable of holding her up. There are several different strains of Marek's, and most have different symptoms, which is what makes it so hard to diagnose.