Help - Chicken unable to stand.

[Tawera]

I have a Shaver / bantam cross that hatched 10 of her own eggs 2 months ago. However she has suddenly become unable to stand. Initially it was a hobble and I thought it was foot pad lesions due to a recent wet spell making wet any litter I put down. However, even though it is now dry she has got worse. She has just started to lie down and stay down, unable to get up. She seems ok in every other aspect i.e. eyes look normal, eating the pellets ok, no diarrhoea, alert. It is possible it may be Marek's disease as I had another chook a couple of months ago that developed a limp and then died suddenly. However her legs do not seem paralysed, she flexes her claws but just cannot put weight on them and claws at the ground when she tries to get up. Also she seems to shiver / tremble a lot. Hope you can help or her chicks will have to be without mum soon.

 

[nzpouter]

if you suspect marek, take the chicks out now and raise them in a brooder.... mind you, 2 months old, they should be weaned anyway...