Down & can't get up...

[Sara Ranch]

Looking for suggestions. I don't mind giving a bird a little extra because they have a health issue.

The chicken is several months old. I don't know if he was injured before or during his journey here. (It happens sometimes. Not a biggie. The chickens are resilient and bounce back.) Or if this is a new or a progressive condition.

I've noticed this chicken down on the ground several times, appearing unable to get up. Sometimes he will rock, like he's trying to get his feet under him but his feet won't listen. I've picked him up gently and let his legs dangle for a bit. When I put him down, he is able to stand on his own. He will gentle walk away. Quite often, his speed will pick up.

He seems to be on the ground, unable to get up, more and more often. He looks like someone squashed him/stepped on him, with his legs splayed out to one side. (This splayed leg thing is a normal position for sunbathing chickens.)

I haven't seen anyone picking on him. His wing feathers seem too long for his body. (I've seen this before. The birds grow into their wings, given time.) Tail feathers are small/short. (Seen this before too. It usually corrects itself, given time.)

His flock mates will rush to a spot together and they will jostle and jockey for a position around the feed bowl. (It's a large feed bowl, with room for everyone.)

Last night, I brought him in to the hospital (the one I have set up inside the house) and kept him there for observation. Last night, it seemed really bad. He ate a lot of food before he went to bed. He slept standing up, head tucked in. This morning, he came out of the kennel and immediately went foraging for bugs and dropped food. He looked and acted normal, so I put him in the pasture with his flock. Several times today, I have had to pick him up and set him on his feet. He stands there for a bit, then moves.

His weight is fine. His comb and his waddles are fine. Feathers are fine. Temp is fine. Appetite is great. Eyes and nose clear. Poop is normal. He's still sociable, just a slower walker than the others.

Suggestions on what I can do to make him for comfortable?

Ideas on what is causing this? (He is on vitamins and fermented feed. He has completed the Corid and the worming treatments.)

He's adopted, so I don't know all of his history. I doubt he was vaccinated for any diseases while in egg.

 

[andreanar]

I'm wondering if you have a meat bird. Can you post a photo?

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds a little like he may have a leg bone deformity, either varus or valgus deformity. If you Google "leg bone deformities in poultry," you will see a few articles such as those from ThePoultrySite and others. Leg bone deformities can cause the hock tendon to weaken or rupture with age. It might not be his problem, so I would continue giving a poultry vitamin/mineral in the food. Unfortunately, leg broblems qre very common in chickens?

 

[Sara Ranch]

@andreanar - went out and took a pic last night, but couldn't get it to load to my computer. (argh) He's was definitely not a meat chicken. Just a cute little guy that had leg/hip issues.

Picked him up and took him to the barn and set him on the roost. Little bugger got down from the roost and went to free range so more. So had to round him up AGAIN and take him to the barn with his buddies. He snuggled with a buddy (as he always does - this whole flock tends to).

This morning, he went from my arms to chicken heaven.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

@andreanar - went out and took a pic last night, but couldn't get it to load to my computer. (argh) He's was definitely not a meat chicken. Just a cute little guy that had leg/hip issues.

Picked him up and took him to the barn and set him on the roost. Little bugger got down from the roost and went to free range so more. So had to round him up AGAIN and take him to the barn with his buddies. He snuggled with a buddy (as he always does - this whole flock tends to).

This morning, he went from my arms to chicken heaven.

I'm SO sorry!

 

[Sara Ranch]

Thank you. It's been a sad, sad week. I lost another young one this morning. They stock pile every night...and I think they crushed her. (They have plenty of room to spread out and be comfy, but they always stock pile. I've never lost one to a stock pile before.

Yesterday, I found a small bird dead at the edge of the pasture. It wasn't one of mine, but he/she was on property, so I felt responsible for burial. I will plant bulbs there in the next few days.

Monday, lost a bird to an accident. One (or more) of the other birds knocked something over and it crushed Susan. There was no way I could save her. (Now I have learned that even if I don't think they can knock something over, don't take any chances. There's no way they should have been able to knock that over at all. But they did. Man, I not only have to chicken proof my place, I have to child proof it too!)

Sad, sad week. Lots of tears/sobbing. Lots of sadness. Lots of bulbs planted. Even Mother Nature has been crying all week (rain - day after day after day.)

Praying no more die (mine or on property.)

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

I'm so sorry you are going through a rough time with your flock.
I hate to add to it, but it sounds to me like your little guy that died had Marek's disease. The falling over and inability to get back up and legs stuck out is pretty typical for it. The other one that died in the stock pile could also have been Marek's. It primarily affects juvenile/adolescent birds and can kill suddenly (usually a visceral tumour) or more slowly starting with leg or wing paralysis. There are quite a few threads on the subject of this disease if you want to know more about it, but short of making them as comfortable as possible and giving them good nutrition which you are doing anyway, it is largely in the lap of the gods with it.

Good luck with the rest of your flock and I hope this is the end of your bad spell.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Sara Ranch]

Thank you Barbara. I have had read many of the posts/threads on Marek's (and all the other possibilities of stuffs that can go wrong with chickens, ducks, and turkeys.)

Notail might have had Mareks, but he didn't seem to have the rest of the symptoms of Marek's. None of his siblings are sick or having problems. I think one of the birds jumped him, knocked him down, and caused the leg problems. They are forever jumping over/on each other and jostling to get to the food. You'd think they had never seen food before and couldn't wait to eat! (They were fed more than the recommended amount of feed daily PLUS given fresh fruits. These pigs, I mean chickens, free range, eat 1 cup plus of fermented feed, fresh fruit (at least 1-3 apples EACH), and get the buggies. They are growing boys and just super hungry.)

RIR baby was vaccinated in egg for Marek's. She didn't have any symptoms of illness or disease. When you have 24 growing/bigger birds climb on top of you, it's possible to be crushed. I've started doing things to discourage the stockpiling. I am hoping to reduce that flock size soon via natural means. (I do know that being vaccinated does not mean that they can't get the disease.)

The two flocks are completely separate. No contact with each other.

I am hoping this ends the sad streak too.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for all of your losses this week.