Chicken's legs aren't working

[tigercreekfarm]

Hi All,
I'm hoping for some advice here on what to do even if it's that I have to put my chicken down (crying).
I noticed about a week and a half ago that one of our 6-month-old hens (Bantam Rhode Island Red) was not able to use her left leg. It stuck out straight in front of her. I brought her into the house to rest. She seemed to be getting around a little better after a few days so I took her back out.
I brought her back into the house last night because now both of her legs are not working properly. They seem to be limp under her and she is using her wings to balance her on her side. She is eating and drinking. I have started her on poultry vitamins.
Any help would be appreciated. She's such a sweet little thing and hasn't started laying yet.

 

[AltonaAcres]

That sounds a lot like Mareks disease. If the vitamins seem to be helping, it could be a vitamin deficiency also.

 

[tigercreekfarm]

That sounds a lot like Mareks disease. If the vitamins seem to be helping, it could be a vitamin deficiency also.

Thank you

 

[microchick]

Hi All,
I'm hoping for some advice here on what to do even if it's that I have to put my chicken down (crying).
I noticed about a week and a half ago that one of our 6-month-old hens (Bantam Rhode Island Red) was not able to use her left leg. It stuck out straight in front of her. I brought her into the house to rest. She seemed to be getting around a little better after a few days so I took her back out.
I brought her back into the house last night because now both of her legs are not working properly. They seem to be limp under her and she is using her wings to balance her on her side. She is eating and drinking. I have started her on poultry vitamins.
Any help would be appreciated. She's such a sweet little thing and hasn't started laying yet.

First off, welcome to BYC! Sorry that you are facing this problem but you have come to the right place for help.

I have to agree with @AltonaAcres sounds suspiciously like Mareks disease to me. Birds that are hit with the primary infection sometimes can and do survive only to be struck down a year or two later by a secondary MD infection/tumors/neurological disorder. I was hit with a pretty bad strain of the disease 4 years ago and only recently has the disease seemed to have backed off in my flock. I still have a seemingly healthy bird drop dead unexpectedly, in fact, my flock master died last week out of the clear blue at the age of 2.5 years which seems to be the magic age for my birds to die if they are going to.

If it is Marek's about the only way you are going to get a definite diagnosis is to either cull the bird or wait for it to die naturally and have it's body necropsied by a reputable lab. You can usually find one on line that is in your state or call your local extension office. I believe there is an article here on BYC concerning labs available in all states.

In the meantime, support never hurts. You still may be faced with humanely putting your bird down so it doesn't suffer. Also, if it is Marek's, be aware that your entire flock is probably carriers or at least exposed to the disease. Marek's does not discriminate. It will take any bird it wants at any age, although young birds are it's primary target.

With an exposed flock my best advice is to close your flock. No birds in, no birds out until you know for certain. Okay to breed birds from your existing flock but you will want to hatch from eggs that are from your survivors. What is a survivor? Any bird that lasts 3 or more years without succumbing to the disease. Also if it is Marek's you will loose more birds but not your whole flock. Protect those survivors. They are gold.

I'm so sorry. I always hate telling people about Marek's disease and wish there was a silver lining to the cloud. It's a nasty heartbreaking disease but if you are dealing with it know you are not alone.

If you want to talk, feel free to PM me.

 

[AltonaAcres]

For a little more information Mareks is contagious, so keep your affected bird separated. You may have to put your bird down, because Mareks can take a long time to run it's course. However, some birds may "seem" to recover, though they will still have Mareks in their system. I am really sorry you have to deal with this

 

[tigercreekfarm]

First off, welcome to BYC! Sorry that you are facing this problem but you have come to the right place for help.

I have to agree with @AltonaAcres sounds suspiciously like Mareks disease to me. Birds that are hit with the primary infection sometimes can and do survive only to be struck down a year or two later by a secondary MD infection/tumors/neurological disorder. I was hit with a pretty bad strain of the disease 4 years ago and only recently has the disease seemed to have backed off in my flock. I still have a seemingly healthy bird drop dead unexpectedly, in fact, my flock master died last week out of the clear blue at the age of 2.5 years which seems to be the magic age for my birds to die if they are going to.

If it is Marek's about the only way you are going to get a definite diagnosis is to either cull the bird or wait for it to die naturally and have it's body necropsied by a reputable lab. You can usually find one on line that is in your state or call your local extension office. I believe there is an article here on BYC concerning labs available in all states.

In the meantime, support never hurts. You still may be faced with humanely putting your bird down so it doesn't suffer. Also, if it is Marek's, be aware that your entire flock is probably carriers or at least exposed to the disease. Marek's does not discriminate. It will take any bird it wants at any age, although young birds are it's primary target.

With an exposed flock my best advice is to close your flock. No birds in, no birds out until you know for certain. Okay to breed birds from your existing flock but you will want to hatch from eggs that are from your survivors. What is a survivor? Any bird that lasts 3 or more years without succumbing to the disease. Also if it is Marek's you will loose more birds but not your whole flock. Protect those survivors. They are gold.

I'm so sorry. I always hate telling people about Marek's disease and wish there was a silver lining to the cloud. It's a nasty heartbreaking disease but if you are dealing with it know you are not alone.

If you want to talk, feel free to PM me.

Thank you so much for your help. I feel so devastated right now and worried about our other chickens. I believe it is Marek's because our hen has one eye that is different than the other. When I looked it up online, the first picture was of the eyes and her eye is just like it. Her legs are also just like the white chicken below.

 

[tigercreekfarm]

For a little more information Mareks is contagious, so keep your affected bird separated. You may have to put your bird down, because Mareks can take a long time to run it's course. However, some birds may "seem" to recover, though they will still have Mareks in their system. I am really sorry you have to deal with this

Thank you! Sigh...

 

[slordaz]

it could also be an injury, unless your watching them 24 hours, which if she was doing better after being in house over night and only after being let out then had both of them affected, it's easy for them to do if they have a hard landing catch their leg on something while not paying attention as they are focused on chasing a bug they want.

Snake or spider could have bit her.

Though it is a possibility it is a virus that has hit your flock, if it is Mereks, it is highly contagious and and all your birds have already been exposed, though at that age it doesn't seem likely. Is taking to a vet an option?

If vet is not an option and she passes, double bag the body and put in fridge and contact your state vet to either take or send body to for a necropsy so you know what your dealing with and if it's contagious and you need to close your flock meaning no birds in or out.

knowing at least your state would be helpful here is a post by Texas Kiki that hast them listed by state as I don't know them all yet and have no clue where you are.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/necropsy-and-disease-testing-lab-info.1236884/

@casportpony
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive

 

[microchick]

Thank you so much for your help. I feel so devastated right now and worried about our other chickens. I believe it is Marek's because our hen has one eye that is different than the other. When I looked it up online, the first picture was of the eyes and her eye is just like it. Her legs are also just like the white chicken below. View attachment 1931771

I know how you feel. I called the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine and talked to their head lab doctor who clued me in on Marek's disease and gave me excellent advice. I was in denial of "OH NO! THIS CAN"T HAPPEN TO MY FLOCK!" until I talked to him. He offered to do a necropsy for me but when I got off the phone I realized I had a bird with classic 'funky eye' as I called it then. My husband is a retired eye doctor and I asked him if a chicken's eye was like a human's and he told me eyes were eyes. So he got out his portable slit lamp and checked my Sassy's eye. He had to tell me it was a severe Herpatic Infection in her eyes. Namely, Ocular Marek's. This is how Sassy's eye presented:

When the Mizzou doctor told me he could pretty well predict he would find Marek's in my flock I got off the phone and cried. I'm a retired nurse. Death is no stranger to me but to realize that a good percentage of my flock was doomed broke my heart. I felt helpless like you do now.

The good news, the vet told me is that not all my birds will die. Sure enough they didn't. I lost over half of my original flock but just this year culled my old birds at 4 years of age. Not due to Marek's, but due to the fact that I had tried to breed from them and only 2 of their offspring had survived to the age of 3 and they had quit laying, preferring to sit in the coop, eat, poop and not want to free range.

If you want to add birds to your flock, you might want to do as I am doing and try breeds that are Marek's resistant. First with a bullet are Egyptian Fayoumis. I added 5 to my flock this year and they are thriving. They are also resistant to Marek's, Coccidia and a list of other chicken problems. There are other breeds also, Naked Neck Turkens the only other one that comes to mind.

I have also brought in vaccinated birds and they are doing well....so far. I always hold my breath every morning when I let them out.

Don't give up hope. Do not cull your whole flock. The ride will be bumpy, you will shed tears, you will loose birds. But it isn't hopeless.

Stay on top of parasite control and be ever watchful of illness or birds showing signs of the disease. It is a good idea to isolate them or cull them as soon as they appear to be declining as these birds shed the virus at an alarming degree and amount.

I've had to cull over 30 birds to Marek's. It doesn't get easier, but I'm determined and stubborn not to let this disease defeat me.

Hang in there.

 

[AltonaAcres]

Of my flock of 40, I've had to cull 10 I would say. Several more died on their own. I really hope your flock does well. Don't lose hope! I've had friends only lose 1 bird and the rest of their flock is perfectly healthy.