Help! My Chicken can't walk/stand

[Tabitha345]

I have a Egyptian Fayoumi she is not a year old yet, yesterday I went into the coop and she was laying on ground. When I picked her up and set her outside she couldn't hold herself up and fell over. I took her inside the house. I'm in Chicago and don't know if the cold weather has anything to do with this or not. She is eating and drinking fine, she tries to get stand up and just falls back down. I don't see anything wrong with her legs, no cuts, marks or swelling. Does anyone know what this could be or what I can try to do to help her.

Thank you!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you see any color changes in her legs? Frostbite may cause black and shrunken toes or feet. Injury from jumping or being jumped on may be most likely the cause, but some neurological diseases such as Mareks, botulism, and moldy food poisoning, can also be a possible cause of lameness. I would add chick vitamins containing riboflavin to her water in case of a vitamin deficiency. Keep her in a basket, extra bathtub, or a crate where she can reach her food and water. If it doesn't improve, a chicken sling can be used to get her up out of her droppings, and to help her heal. Here is a brief and a huge article on Mareks, but hopefully that is not the cause:
https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

photo of frostbite in toes by smwoodie

 

[Tabitha345]

Thank you, There is no color change on her feet or legs. Her legs are not swollen. she moves her legs and she try's to get up. She also has diarrhea but is eating and drinking.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you, There is no color change on her feet or legs. Her legs are not swollen. she moves her legs and she try's to get up. She also has diarrhea but is eating and drinking.

How old is she? Dehydration, or illnesses like cocci that can cause dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and diseases like Mareks, botulism, and moldy feed toxicity can be causes of lameness. Hopefully it is just the cold weather and needing some extra fluids. Let us know how she is getting along in a few days. About 18 months ago, I had an EE hen who suddenly went lame and stopped eating a drinking for at least 3 days. She spent a few days in my house, where she refused everything. I put her back outside with her friends, and she must have started eating again, and was walking around. To this day, she is alive at 6 years old, and an active member of the flock. I never figured out her problem, but it resolved on it's own.

 

[Tabitha345]

How old is she? Dehydration, or illnesses like cocci that can cause dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and diseases like Mareks, botulism, and moldy feed toxicity can be causes of lameness. Hopefully it is just the cold weather and needing some extra fluids. Let us know how she is getting along in a few days. About 18 months ago, I had an EE hen who suddenly went lame and stopped eating a drinking for at least 3 days. She spent a few days in my house, where she refused everything. I put her back outside with her friends, and she must have started eating again, and was walking around. To this day, she is alive at 6 years old, and an active member of the flock. I never figured out her problem, but it resolved on it's own.

She is about 8 months old. She is a Egyptian Fayoumi. She is eating and drinking. So will not enough vitamins cause her not to be able to walk? My other chickens are fine besides I think they have a upper respiratory thing going on they are sneezing. We are giving them VetRX. But she is not sneezing, and her not being able to walk just happened over night.

 

[Eggcessive]

Certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies (vitamin B2/riboflavin) can be a cause of lameness, causing walking or sitting on the hocks and the toes may curl under. Can she move her toes when you stroke them or both legs if you sit her up? I would give a poultry vitamin in the water, or use baby vitamins without iron 2-3 drops daily orally. Poultry Cell 2-3 drops daily is also good. Poultry Nutri-drench is one to avoid, since it does not contain riboflavin. Most others do. She probably has just injured herself and needs to recover, but place her food and water within reach.
Other deficiencies may occur if the feed is not balanced or fresh dated. Let us know how she gets along. Here is some reading about vitamin and mineral deficiency:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poult...ement-poultry/vitamin-deficiencies-in-poultry
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poult...ement-poultry/mineral-deficiencies-in-poultry

 

[Tabitha345]

Thank you I will try that!

 

[vanessamay]

Tabitha,

What ever happened with your chicken? Did she recover? I have a hen that is doing the same thing you've described.

 

[Code8]

Any updates? I've got a Jungle Fowl rooster with similar symptoms.

 

[Xyronne]

Got this with my chicken last 1 week
he survived a week then died..