chicken not walking, falling over

flyballgirl

In the Brooder
6 Years
Aug 3, 2013
37
0
34
Our chicken, Hairdo, has been having leg problems for quite a while. At first we thought she might have a broken leg but now we don't know. This past week she was just sitting and falling over whenever she tried to stand up. Because my kids were so upset I took her to the vet and she gave us antibiotics and pain killer. She said the leg was not broken.

Today she is the worst she has been. She falls over when she tries to stand and has her right leg sticking straight back in order to stay upright. She is also using her wings to balance and I am afraid that she is going to injure them (if she hasn't already). I need to give her a bath because she has poop all over her underside from not being able to stand up.

I don't think it is Marek's based on all the reading about it I have done on this forum.

She has been eating and drinking but is VERY skinny. We checked her poop for worms and there is no evidence in the poop but I do have Wazine that I could give her. I have also put vitamins and electrolytes in their water and am giving high calcium foods like broccoli and egg shells (per the vet).

Around a month ago I treated them both (I have the two at my house right now - Hairdo who is a Polish and Ulpia who is a bantam frizzle something) for coccidiosis. Someone on this forum told me to give probiotics which I did but I stopped them when the vet gave me the antibiotics.

Help, please! My kids love these chickens and I have to figure out what is wrong with Hairdo. I may call the vet again but with the first visit being $85 I would like to figure it out myself if I can. I will take a picture of her and post it also.

Thanks to anyone who has any advice!!!
 
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I'm sorry, but that really looks like Marek's to me. That stance (one leg forward, one leg back) and the fact that she's eating but still skinny are two symptoms of Marek's Disease. You can try giving her some vitamins, just in case its a vitamin deficiency. You can get special poultry vitamins, or some Poly Vi Sol infant vitamins from a supermarket.
 
X2 , I'm very sorry to say she looks like a classic Mareks case. This does not mean your whole flock will get the symptoms of mareks but it does mean now they are likely carriers of the disease although not sick themselves. Meaning they can infect other birds with the disease. There are many people here on this forum going though mareks and have done extensive research on this disease and can give you
great advice on how to move foward in a positive
direction even though mareks is present.i would
search the forum for threads talking about mareks
and I'm sure they can help you. Only testing can
positivly confirm mareks and I urge you to have the
testing done. Some other diseases can cause
paralysis but the position of her legs and her symptoms very much look like mareks. Was she ever vaccinated for mareks? Mareks causes tumors that can press on nerve endings causing limping and paralysis. I'm very very sorry about your bird but I would definitely get her tested so you can move foward in a positive direction from there and you will know with out a doubt what your dealing with. I wish you the best. Again I'm sorry.
 
I agree that it looks like Mareks. She does not need extra calcium in her diet besides what is in her food. Egg shells can be offered free choice however--she will take what she needs. There is an ongoing thread here about Mareks if you want to read about it called "Not and emergency--Mareks in the flock" with various knowledgeable people. Here are 2 good links for Mareks--be sure to look at all of the pictures in the Cornell link:
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/741957/not-an-emergency-mareks-in-the-flock
 
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There's going to be a point where that chicken won't be able to walk nor move. Mereks is most likely what she has. If taking care of her don't work. You ain't got a choice but to cull her.
 
Eek... this does look like Marek's. There ARE other things it could be, so you should try the treatments for alternate illness just in case because our opinions are not the same thing as an actual diagnosis, but it truly does look like Marek's. Is she full or part Polish? They seem to be very susceptible to it as a breed.

I have a link in my signature below that can get you reading more about Marek's, if you'd like.
 
Eek... this does look like Marek's. There ARE other things it could be, so you should try the treatments for alternate illness just in case because our opinions are not the same thing as an actual diagnosis, but it truly does look like Marek's. Is she full or part Polish? They seem to be very susceptible to it as a breed.

I have a link in my signature below that can get you reading more about Marek's, if you'd like.
X2. Sorry
 

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