Curled toe hen... Vitamins didn't help!

[StashWithChicks]

'm having some issues with my poor 4 month old Silky hen. A month ago I noticed her limping from one leg, and a few days later I noticed she was sort of crawling around, not using her legs, but walking on her knees. Both feet were curled together, so I figured it could be a vitamin deficiency. I started giving her several doses of B2/B12 (Riboflavin) drops per day, in which I noticed the toes uncurl and she started using her legs a bit better again, however with not a lot of balance...

Since its been a few weeks without much improvement, I also started her on a chicken mix of vitamins and electrolytes, and continued her on the B drops, but still no improvement. This week I've had to give her two baths since she's been covered in her own poop sad.png I've been keeping her separated from the others for the most part, but when she goes to free range, she crawls into the bushes to stay by herself. Sometimes the rooster tries to jump on her head!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to fix her? I don't think it's mereks, since the other chicks aren't sick and she doesn't have any other symptoms. Eating, drinking, and pooping very normal. Help me help her!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your silkie pullet. She could still have Mareks although I hope it isn't. Was she vaccinated? Sometimes with a riboflavin deficiency, if treatment is not started soon enough, it can be permanent. Mareks has differing symptoms in each chicken-they may have one or two symptoms and not others. There are also 4 types of Mareks. Some chickens seem to be immune to Mareks. Here is some good info about Mareks, and some about riboflavin deficiency:
https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/90/mareks-disease/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency/
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p..._poultry/vitamin_deficiencies_in_poultry.html

 

[StashWithChicks]

I was hoping it wouldn't be Marek's.... no, the 3 silkies were not vaccinated unfortunately. The other two seem to be doing fine.

If it was Marek's, would the chick have shown any sign of improvement? As I mentioned, once I started giving her the vitamins, she started walking using her legs a bit better (with not alot of balance, though), and her feet uncurled.. However, now one of the feet has curled back, even with regular large doses of the vitamins. One is even bleeding as of yesterday, so not sure what she did. She isn't showing any other signs.

It has been about a month- is it time to put her down? Speaking of which.... is there an EASY and HUMANE way to do so? I simply can't break her neck, or doing anything of the sort, but it's several hundred dollars to bring her to the vet

Thanks!

 

[Maxi01]

'm having some issues with my poor 4 month old Silky hen. A month ago I noticed her limping from one leg, and a few days later I noticed she was sort of crawling around, not using her legs, but walking on her knees. Both feet were curled together, so I figured it could be a vitamin deficiency. I started giving her several doses of B2/B12 (Riboflavin) drops per day, in which I noticed the toes uncurl and she started using her legs a bit better again, however with not a lot of balance...

Since its been a few weeks without much improvement, I also started her on a chicken mix of vitamins and electrolytes, and continued her on the B drops, but still no improvement. This week I've had to give her two baths since she's been covered in her own poop sad.png I've been keeping her separated from the others for the most part, but when she goes to free range, she crawls into the bushes to stay by herself. Sometimes the rooster tries to jump on her head!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to fix her? I don't think it's mereks, since the other chicks aren't sick and she doesn't have any other symptoms. Eating, drinking, and pooping very normal. Help me help her!

Could be a broken toe like mine