1) What type of bird , age and weight.
Lemon Cuckoo split Orpington, 3 months old, *was* 1.5 pounds
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
At first he seemed like his leg(s) were weak or injured and he just wanted to be held. Now he's all ruffled up, sitting on his butt instead of on his legs and his pupils are dilated - he can see, but can't judge distance. I put crumble in front of his face or pour it past his field of vision, he snaps at the air. He peeps when he hears me and clearly appreciates cuddling but can't tell if picking him up is just agitating or hurting him.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
This is his second week and he's deteriorating slowly. He'll drink if I rest his beak in the water, but he keeps his eyes closed most of the time now.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Nope - only this guy.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
He's had two baths in the last two weeks and I've gone over every inch of him looking for any outward physical sign. He's just getting too bony.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
If I knew what was wrong... ;-)
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Normal feed and water, until I realized yesterday that he must not have been eating really. 4 days ago he'd stand a little to compete for food (I had a smaller Houdan with a neck wound in with him). He's been on the GQF Vitamins in water for over 24 hours.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Mostly milky and runny. Today there's been a mix of green and brown in with it as well.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
He's in a box by himself, under a heat lamp, being hand-fed vitamin water every few hours.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Have to self treat at this point.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Nothing to see.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
In a large shed with a combination of adult birds and several others his own age. It's a LARGE shed - straw floor, cleaned when it's messy. He free ranges with everyone all day.
The first day I realized he was moving poorly was a day after he'd missed getting INto the shed at night and must have slept underneath by himself. A very similar occurrence happened to a Marans pullet of about the same age months ago. She wouldn't walk, but could get around a little - would try to stand and walk at times, if upset. She eventually recovered and never showed any lack of appetite or any other symptoms. For the first week and a half, I thought it was the same thing and started wondering what in the world could have caused this. She had been taken by a predator before he existed, so it wasn't something he could have "caught" from her.
It took her about 3 weeks to get back to normal - he's a different story. Yesterday I started looking for diseases that would cause these types of symptoms and, yes, Marek's immediately came to mind. He wasn't vaccinated so it's possible. His pupils are large and unresponsive, and his legs or hips are weak. He's in control of everything else and, as I stated earlier, peeps when I'm near or talk to him. If it weren't for the fact that he's, well, a 12-week-old HE - one could easily mistake him for a little broody Orpington pullet in his current state.
Any ideas? Anyone who has had Marek's experience on a 3-month old? Could seriously hurt muscles/joints cause this kind of reaction? My 4-year-old daughter LOVES herself some chickens to the point that I've got to take them away when she's holding them too tightly. This boy has lately gone from shy and aloof to coming over for attention in the past month is a real love. So it's easy for her to pick him up - I initially thought she had just hurt him. But now?
Thank you for any help/ideas/advice!
**Edited to add: he spends the whole day lying in a box doing the splits. It would be funny if it weren't so scary - what can be wrong with this guy?!?
Lemon Cuckoo split Orpington, 3 months old, *was* 1.5 pounds
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
At first he seemed like his leg(s) were weak or injured and he just wanted to be held. Now he's all ruffled up, sitting on his butt instead of on his legs and his pupils are dilated - he can see, but can't judge distance. I put crumble in front of his face or pour it past his field of vision, he snaps at the air. He peeps when he hears me and clearly appreciates cuddling but can't tell if picking him up is just agitating or hurting him.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
This is his second week and he's deteriorating slowly. He'll drink if I rest his beak in the water, but he keeps his eyes closed most of the time now.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Nope - only this guy.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
He's had two baths in the last two weeks and I've gone over every inch of him looking for any outward physical sign. He's just getting too bony.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
If I knew what was wrong... ;-)
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Normal feed and water, until I realized yesterday that he must not have been eating really. 4 days ago he'd stand a little to compete for food (I had a smaller Houdan with a neck wound in with him). He's been on the GQF Vitamins in water for over 24 hours.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Mostly milky and runny. Today there's been a mix of green and brown in with it as well.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
He's in a box by himself, under a heat lamp, being hand-fed vitamin water every few hours.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Have to self treat at this point.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Nothing to see.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
In a large shed with a combination of adult birds and several others his own age. It's a LARGE shed - straw floor, cleaned when it's messy. He free ranges with everyone all day.
The first day I realized he was moving poorly was a day after he'd missed getting INto the shed at night and must have slept underneath by himself. A very similar occurrence happened to a Marans pullet of about the same age months ago. She wouldn't walk, but could get around a little - would try to stand and walk at times, if upset. She eventually recovered and never showed any lack of appetite or any other symptoms. For the first week and a half, I thought it was the same thing and started wondering what in the world could have caused this. She had been taken by a predator before he existed, so it wasn't something he could have "caught" from her.
It took her about 3 weeks to get back to normal - he's a different story. Yesterday I started looking for diseases that would cause these types of symptoms and, yes, Marek's immediately came to mind. He wasn't vaccinated so it's possible. His pupils are large and unresponsive, and his legs or hips are weak. He's in control of everything else and, as I stated earlier, peeps when I'm near or talk to him. If it weren't for the fact that he's, well, a 12-week-old HE - one could easily mistake him for a little broody Orpington pullet in his current state.
Any ideas? Anyone who has had Marek's experience on a 3-month old? Could seriously hurt muscles/joints cause this kind of reaction? My 4-year-old daughter LOVES herself some chickens to the point that I've got to take them away when she's holding them too tightly. This boy has lately gone from shy and aloof to coming over for attention in the past month is a real love. So it's easy for her to pick him up - I initially thought she had just hurt him. But now?
Thank you for any help/ideas/advice!
**Edited to add: he spends the whole day lying in a box doing the splits. It would be funny if it weren't so scary - what can be wrong with this guy?!?
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