Curled up toes and walking in a squat position--Help?

[100AcreFarm]

One of my 4 month old girls has been doing this for about 3 days now and I hadn't noticed but my son said she has been more likely to just sit around while the others scratch and do their thing for several days. She seems to be getting no better but no worse as the days go on. She's hesitant to try to walk unless she really needs to.

I checked her feet very thoroughly this morning and see no bumps or injuries. Nice soft normal colored pads. She didn't seem to mind me feeling and squeezing her feet but then she was pretty tense and still because she's not used to being handled (if I don't move maybe the giant thing will forget I'm here and put me down!)

She is otherwise bright eyed and alert. Her poo is kinda icky though. Yesterday morning she pooed clear stuff. Looked like egg white but totally clear. This morning she made a poo that was still pretty loose but more green/brown followed by a smaller one that looked more the white/green/brown normal textured chicken poo. Her feet remind me a little bit of my mom's arthritic hands.
The other 5 are behaving normally.

Any ideas for me? Not sure if I should separate, medicate or marinate at this point!

I'll try uploading a couple pics:

 

[100AcreFarm]

Since I got no replies earlier in the day I thought I'd pop this back toward the top and see if anyone bites!

Also thought I'd add that they get chick crumbles which are available constantly and they get plain water which is replaced at least twice per day. They get a scratch mixture from our feed store almost daily. I just toss out a couple handfulls in the morning before I head for work. I was giving them some fruit scraps like grapes, bananas, melon rinds and apple but haven't in about a week because we were out of that sort of food and short on funds till the next pay day. I was finally able to get to the store today and got more yogurt too as I'd been out of that for a couple weeks.
I asked at the feed store today about her symptoms and they said it could be malnutrition but since the other 5 are completely normal they didn't really know what to say. The others don't pick on her or try to keep her away from the food. It's just business as usual for the rest of the girls.

 

[chickenbottom]

ide say she has a problem with her back from a rooster or something

 

[100AcreFarm]

I don't have a rooster and they're fully enclosed in their coop and yard.

 

[chickenbottom]

ide still say a back problem if not it might be mereks. i had that happen to one of mine her legs gave out like that and i gave her some medicated feed and some gatorade and he purked up. but passed away from unknown causes i hope someone finds what wrong good luck

 

[slightlyscrambled]

It could be mareks, thats what mine did, I just put her in a small pen in the coop with vitamins in her water. Kept her from moving around to much. She got better within a few days and now you would never know she had anything wong. I am not sure that mine had/have mereks, just asumed that was what it was.

 

[100AcreFarm]

Hmmm...somehow I though chicks were normally vaccinated against Marek's in the hatchery. Maybe not. I tried looking through the web site of the hatchery we bought from but there was no info there about pre-shipping protocols other than sexing. Well, in case that's it then I should isolate her. Is that more for her own comfort and calm or is it to protect the others from catching it? Is it contagious? I would think that if they're going to get it then they have already been exposed as it's been several days of the one chicken's symptoms. By all means correct me if any of my assumptions are wrong! The only affected part seems to be her legs but she stretches out her left wing sometimes when she attempts to hobble around. I thought that was maybe for balance but maybe not?

Off to research Marek's and related things...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Looks like a nutritional deficiency--since they are all eating the same things, that means that for some reason her body is not processing all the various vitamins and minerals. Give extra vitamins (infant drops of polyvisol without iron is often mentioned, and/or Aviacharge 2000).

 

[100AcreFarm]

I mixed them up a nice nutrient-soup a while ago and they went nuts! Cooked oatmeal mixed with plain yogurt, chopped grapes, bananas and a squeezed out vitamin E capsule. I added a vitamin/electrolyte solution to their water. The "sick" one positioned herself between the bowl of goodies and the water and scarfed!
I'll keep up with the treated water and healthy treats in addition to the on-demand crumbles and hope for the best. I'll see about picking up some polyvisol tomorrow after church.

Still wondering if I should isolate the one chicken?

 

[mrbstephens]

Quote:
I believe you said they are getting chick food? This should only be given to them till they are 8 weeks old. Then grower feed till about 18 weeks or until they start laying. Then onto layer feed. It could be a vitamin deficiency because they are getting the wrong type of feed. Switch their feed and give them vitamin supplements.