Crippled rooster.

[bmjrn2b]

I have a very young white leg horn rooster that isn't fully grown yet. I bought him at a chicken swap about a month ago. All the chicks I bought had respiratory issues which have since healed. He has been in perfect health otherwise. Today when I went to let the young chickens out the coop, he could not stand up. He is walking on the bend of his legs (using his wings for balance) and is so pitiful. He shows no other signs of sickness. It's affecting both legs . I tired to to stand him up myself and he could walk for a second but then fell to his knees again. He is by far the biggest in the coop of chickens I'm raising and I haven't noticed any bullying. I am new to chickens and don't really know what's going. Any help appreciated

 

[Wyandottes7]

Is there any chance that he has gotten into moldy food or litter? If this came on suddenly, it could be Botulism poisoning. If it was Botulism, you might also notice droopy wings or a droopy neck.

Are there any visible injuries? Feel both of the legs, noting whether they can move freely or if there is any reddness. Does he act in pain when you touch or move the legs?

Do you know exactly how old he is? If this came on slowly, its possible that he has Marek's Disease. Marek's causes inability to walk, paralysis of the legs and/or wings, and eventual death. It may also cause greyish pupils of the eyes. Marek's commonly affects birds around 6-10 months old, but can really affect all ages.

For now, I'd isolate him from the other birds. Keep him in an area/pen with a deep layer of bedding and easy access to feed an water. Give electrolytes and probiotics, if you have them, to help him get over stress. Add vitamins, too, to help strenthen his legs. Vitamins can also help heal legs.

 

[Shan30]

You may want to look into possible vitamin deficiencies as a number of them can cause this symptom.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou..._poultry/vitamin_deficiencies_in_poultry.html

This is a great link for symptoms an treatments. I would try using a multivitamin right away as a precaution as well as supplementing thiamine.

Good luck and hope it all works out!

 

[bmjrn2b]

I think he is about 3-4 months old. No visible injuries and no pain when I mess with his legs. They just seem to be very week. He hasn't been in contact with moldy or old food. He has just la around all day and on occasion he will limp around and flap his wings to keep his balance. He is so pitiful. I'm keeping fresh water and food close to him. I plan to go tomorrow to get some supplements. Thanks so much for the advice.