Five-month old Australorp suddenly lame. Update: Now another pullet going lame!

[Perris]

May and I have plenty of time for a trip to the Bahamas while we're waiting

I'm so glad your sense of humour is surviving this; sometimes laughter is the best medicine, sometimes it's the only medicine

 

[azygous]

This ain't noth'n baby. I had one year so bad a while back, my dad died, followed by my brother's suicide, two lawsuits fired at me, and somewhere in there, I even had time to get cancer. Survive a year like that, and everything else seems like a walk in the park.

But, I've learned that life is really quite absurd and shouldn't be taken seriously.

 

[ValerieJ]

In the meantime, are you giving her anything at all? B12? Probiotics?

 

[aart]

This ain't noth'n baby. I had one year so bad a while back, my dad died, followed by my brother's suicide, two lawsuits fired at me, and somewhere in there, I even had time to get cancer. Survive a year like that, and everything else seems like a walk in the park.

But, I've learned that life is really quite absurd and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Comparative gratitude.

 

[ValerieJ]

But, I've learned that life is really quite absurd and shouldn't be taken seriously.

True!

Sorry you had such a bad year! I guess if we live long enough, we will have years like that. I know I have.

 

[azygous]

I began another round of Tylan 50 today. May also got some rice with keifer to add some good microbes to her gut. She was getting B-50, but it didn't seem to make any difference. She gets Nutri-drench every other day or so. (Loose stools if give too often). And fermented feed.

 

[joydix]

May, a five-month old Blue Australorp suddenly went lame yesterday. She is one of four BA chicks I got from TSC in late July. One of them came down with these exact symptoms at age twelve weeks, two months ago. I thought it was an injury and treated for a sprain or fracture. She declined to the point where she could no longer raise her head up, and she was existing on tube feeding. I euthanized her at that point.

Now it's another one with the same symptoms. Her poop is normal, eyes bright, she's still chatty, but she exhibits pain when she tries to stand by pecking at her right thigh. I have her in a crate, and right now, she's in the crate in the run with her mates and her nanny hen. Her appetite is failing and I am hoping they can encourage her to eat and drink.

I am treating for infection this time, not injury. She's on amoxicillin. It's a wild shot since I have no clue whatsoever what is wrong with her. Yes, it could be Marek's, but aside from the first pullet with these symptoms, there has never been any sign my flock carries Marek's, although they do carry lymphoid leucosis. These symptoms do not conform to LL, though. She's also getting vitamin E and B-50.

One more crazy thing I'm trying is Valacyclovir on the outside chance this is related to Marek's by targeting herpes virus. Hey, I figure it can't hurt, even though it very likely won't work. But can't tempt success unless you go out on a limb sometimes.

Okay, now for the main reason for this thread. I need input from a few of our BYC heavy hitters. @TwoCrows @dawg53 View attachment 2438747@casportpony Please tell me what you would do in this situation. I'm really totally hitting the wall here.

I have had mareks here. Sounds like it to me. Just the right age for it. It’s hard but recovery is highly unlikely. It can go thru whole flock.it is already on your property and stays there for years. You either live with that and get only vaccinated birds (which don’t keep them from contracting it but keeps symptoms at bay “usually”) or put your flock down and wait a few years before getting more and hope for best. I had 2 survivors, got 2 more within a couple months and they all lived to be 7 or 8 yrs old. I have had up to 30 birds and when one dies I send for necropsy at UC. Davis and always shows mareks present. It really sucks and put a damper on my chicken experience and my fault for getting chickens from unreliable sourceI lost some older birds this year and 3 or 4 young girls as well.

 

[joydix]

I rigged a cardborard box under a heat lamp in the run. I cut out windows and covered them with plastic so she can see her mates. She hated it at first, but eventually settled in and enjoyed the warmth. The lamp heats the sand and she is getting top and bottom warming.

In the coop, I refurbished a brooding nest box, put sand in it, and hung a heat lamp to warm both sand below and above while she sleeps. She had to get used to that, too, and wasn't happy, but settled in eventually.

Getting a chicken used to anything new requires surviving the massive tantrum they throw, convincing yourself to wait it out, then they always settle down.

She seemed perkier by the end of today. I hope it wasn't my wishful thinking.View attachment 2439356View attachment 2439357

Omg what a gorgeous coop! That is so cool,!, I love seeing other people’s setups.

 

[azygous]

Omg what a gorgeous coop! That is so cool,!, I love seeing other people’s setups.

Thank you. That's just the smaller run. The main run probably would blow you mind. It has wings and partitions, gates to isolate problems, and like the smaller run, is enclosed in winter with plastic panels. When I was building my runs, friends donated materials, and I made use of six glass doors incorporated as walls to act as permanent windbreaks in the runs. This allows the chickens to have a sense of being outside and also the sun can easily enter to make winter halfway bearable. Click on my avatar and that will take you to my photo albums where there are lots of photos of the run when I constructed it.

 

[joydix]

Wow I will love that! I have a nice set up but yours is well over the top awesome!