chicken legs emergency!!!

[pendragon]

hi guys

I have 4 barred rock Plymouth birds almost 3 months old and I really care about them. I'll post my story elsewhere but its been a bit of a nightmare of a first time for me so I wanna take care of this little guy.

I woke up yesterday to find my little guy sprawled out with his legs in front of him. it seems that hr can't stand on his legs or move around on them. occasionally he will throw an fit and flail his legs around as if he's trying to get up.

from what I've read I think its a riboflavin deficiency. I can't go out and get anything for him until Saturday evening at least so I want to figure out what to do in the immediate.. if its a riboflavin deficiency what can I do? is this reversible? what do you guys think? any thoughts would be highly appreciated!

thanks in advance!

 

[pendragon]

http://postimage.org/image/uel01rnol

 

[chickenzoo]

It could be a few things. Mareks is one....if so there is nothing you can do but give supportive care and help him pass. it could be coccidia or a parasite that has depleted his condition andare him too weak to get up. In this case you can dose him with Corid for coccidia and a drop of safeguard equine paste. Dust him.with a poultry dust and.check weight on others. Give supportive care...scrambled egg..keep him hydrated and warm with a heat lamp.... I don't have a lot of experience with vitamin issues so ill let someone chime in on that.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

I would say its Mareks.

 

[pendragon]

I'll be really sad if its mareks I will try to start a st johns wort treatment

 

[Amanda4414]

During this past year, my 4-H fair had an incubator of eggs that were ready to hatch, and my sister and I got 4. My one chick( I named her Muffin) had the same thing so everyday I would hold her feet straight and just hold her so it would be like she was standing ( if you know what I mean). My chick though, always would shoot her legs out to the side and her one foot had her toes all curled up. She couldn't walk but then all of a sudden she was better. Then about 2 weeks later, both feet were curled up so I would un-curl her toes and hold her up.I always would straighten out her legs and just hold her up for a minute or so each day. She sadly couldn't go out into the pen with the other new chicks because of her size. Her feathers were always puffed up, I was told it was so because she didn't feel well and I was afraid she was going to die. During this time frame, she never grew, but now Muffin is 4 months old and about 5 inches tall and 6 inches long and her feathers flattened out. Unfortunately, out of the four chicks we got, 2 died from getting beaten up and the other one that is alive ( not Muffin) suprisingly gets along well with Muffin so they must sadly stay in their own coop, just the 2 of them, despite that my sister's 4 month rooster that was hatched with it is 3x Muffin's size. Muffin can now thankfully walk, I wondered if the therapy stuff worked or was it just luck, and I was wondering if she could have... like a relapse or something?

 

[pendragon]

UPDATE

now all four of my chicks are exhibiting the same symptoms. so I think its safe to assume its Mareks
.
I will try to administer a st johns worts treatment.. only have the tea right now but tomorrow will go buy the pills.

thanks for all the help guys..

 

[chickenzoo]

Try the worming and coccidia treatment just incase....something about its condition in the pic is picking at me.

 

[pendragon]

UPDATE

One of my chicks has passed. I am pretty sure it was mareks. the chick in the pic is still alive and flails his legs all night to the point that his joints are red and raw and bloody and no he has no appetite.. I feel so helpless