Help, my chicken can't walk!

[FeatherBee]

Hello, I have a 3 month old Croad Langshan and it is clomsey and can hardly walk, it has had plenty of water and food but it is unable to walk! The others are fine but not this one! I have been giving it some garlic in its water but hadn't had much improvement, I have had three similar cases and one of them survived to be a great layer too, but this one is different because it can still move the rest of its body just not its legs! The other cases hve been completely unable to move at all! And it came on In a matter of hours!
Please Help me if you know what this might be, I'm desperate!

 

[boskelli1571]

Do you know if your birds are vaccinated against Mareks? This sounds a bit atypical, but you never know. Meanwhile, you need to isolate the bird. Ensure it has clean food/water - you may have to fed by hand to keep it fed and hydrated. Are you able to fix up some sort of sling? This way the bird can stand without putting weight on it's legs.
If there is no improvement, consider a veterinary...keep us posted,

 

[FeatherBee]

Reply to boskelli1571, thank you, my birds are not vaccinated against Marek's, I only just found out the can be! I have been looking into it though but do the cases happen on different occasions do you think! I have been dropper feeding it some garlic water and water and it is looking a bit better and I will isolate it just to be sure! And it has no problem with its appaitie! I will try out a sling and hhope it gets better!
Thank you!

 

[boskelli1571]

Reply to boskelli1571, thank you, my birds are not vaccinated against Marek's, I only just found out the can be! I have been looking into it though but do the cases happen on different occasions do you think! I have been dropper feeding it some garlic water and water and it is looking a bit better and I will isolate it just to be sure! And it has no problem with its appaitie! I will try out a sling and hhope it gets better!
Thank you!

If a bird gets run down, debilitated or stressed the Mareks can show through. Since it's looking a bit better, I'm still unsure, it may be a viral thing.
You can vaccinate older birds for Mareks, but I understand it's not common practice, can be expensive and there is currently a lot of discussion on the vaccine being 'leaky'. It really is personal choice. When I first started out with chickens years ago, I had them vaccinated, but the recent additions haven't been.

Keep us posted, I'm very curious!

 

[FeatherBee]

Well today the chicken is looking a little better, but still very wobbly on its feet but seems to not be eating quite as much, I'm unsure weather its is improving or not!

 

[boskelli1571]

Well today the chicken is looking a little better, but still very wobbly on its feet but seems to not be eating quite as much, I'm unsure weather its is improving or not!

At this point it's a waiting game. Will keep my fingers crossed - all other birds ok?

 

[FeatherBee]

All, my other birds are ok, I have ten chicks just hatched and they are looking sleepy but I think thats normal and they haven't been near the sick bird and I have been hygienic, but today it seems to be eating finewith a tiny improvement I think, but hasn't gotten any worse so far, so I guess I will just have to wait and see!
Thank you for your help

 

[boskelli1571]

All, my other birds are ok, I have ten chicks just hatched and they are looking sleepy but I think thats normal and they haven't been near the sick bird and I have been hygienic, but today it seems to be eating finewith a tiny improvement I think, but hasn't gotten any worse so far, so I guess I will just have to wait and see!
Thank you for your help

Not much help, but encouragement is always good! Keep us posted, I'm curious now!

 

[FeatherBee]

Well, today there is no change that I can see, but when we took our duck that got attacked by our geese to the vet we asked and they suggested Marek's but think it might be Botulism, from where the old people that lived at this place had a swampy dam sort of thing that has now dried up.

 

[boskelli1571]

Well, today there is no change that I can see, but when we took our duck that got attacked by our geese to the vet we asked and they suggested Marek's but think it might be Botulism, from where the old people that lived at this place had a swampy dam sort of thing that has now dried up.

Yes, that would be feasible....anyway you can keep the birds away from that, especially the ducks? Perhaps fill it in as time avails. If it is botulism your chicken should slowly improve, possibly some walking deficit since the botulism attacks the nerves. Is it walking at all? If not I would try to adjust a sling so it bears a little weight on it's legs, don't want to muscles to completely atrophy....