Help my chicken is poorly

[KaseySnow]

Great. You can always do a warm water soak with a little bit of dish soap in the meantime just to try and keep the area as clean as possible until the salts arrive.

Keep an eye out for any bleeding, discharge, limping, change in poop color/consistency, or any other strange behavior until you get it resolved.

Just to reiterate, advice from a vet would be very helpful if you have access to any that are familiar with avian illness or chickens.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would suspect that she has some type of cancer which is common in Mareks disease and lymphoid leukosis viruses, but it could also be some sort of infection. How old is she? Was she ever vaccinated for Mareks? Have other chickens pecked her feathers?

 

[Kiki]

I'd say put her to sleep and sent her body to your state lab for a necropsy.

 

[mcknli7]

After a couple of warm soaks I’ve managed to get a more clear picture, the dark scabby looking stuff I am unsure if it’s an actual scab or if it’s muck so don’t want to pick at it incase I make it bleed or sore

she seems happy enough in herself, still eating and drinking she just isn’t walking but will stand up from time to time

 

[Kiki]

After a couple of warm soaks I’ve managed to get a more clear picture, the dark scabby looking stuff I am unsure if it’s an actual scab or if it’s muck so don’t want to pick at it incase I make it bleed or sore

she seems happy enough in herself, still eating and drinking she just isn’t walking but will stand up from time to time

Poor thing. The isn't walking part sounds bad. Have you thought about ending her suffering?

 

[mcknli7]

Poor thing. The isn't walking part sounds bad. Have you thought about ending her suffering?

Kiki I would really appreciate it that if you have nothing helpful to add that you don’t comment as you keep saying to kill her is really upsetting me

like I have stated she seems happy enough in herself, she can stand up on her own, eat and drink but she can’t walk at the moment and I would like to try and find a solution than just phts

 

[Kiki]

Kiki I would really appreciate it that if you have nothing helpful to add that you don’t comment as you keep saying to kill her is really upsetting me

like I have stated she seems happy enough in herself, she can stand up on her own, eat and drink but she can’t walk at the moment and I would like to try and find a solution than just phts

I'm asking you if ending her suffering is an option. You didn't answer until just now so I won't ask you again.

 

[Kiki]

And for what it's worth it's very upsetting to watch animals suffer, like your animal is suffering, to me.

 

[KaseySnow]

When you say that she isn't walking, can you show a picture of how she is sitting? Do you mean she is just sitting more than walking around, or does she ever walk around at all? If she can't use her legs at all, that is a very serious new symptom.

Slowly becoming unable to walk over time is a classic sign of Mareks disease due to leg paralysis which comes on gradually over a period of days or weeks. Watch her movements closely for changes in balance and dexterity. If it continues to worsen or if she starts sitting with her legs splayed out, then it is most likely Mareks.

Mareks disease also causes tumors, though usually on the inside. Read through this article and see if any of these symptoms match what's going on with her:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

It may not be Mareks, but familiarizing yourself with signs of this highly contagious virus will help your whole flock.

The only way to know for sure whether or not she has Mareks is to send her to a lab for a necropsy. You may want to call the nearest veterinary lab and see what the process would be to test her in case she does pass away. Knowing what she has will help you care for the rest of your chickens.

If it is a wound, you could try getting some vetricyn spray and spraying the area with it daily to encourage healing and prevent infection. If it doesn't seem to be improving after a week or so of epsom salt soaks and spray, then you know it is not a wound or an infection.

If it was just muck, it would be coming off in the water with the epsom baths, so it's definitely not just mud or poop.

I hope she pulls through. But in case she does pass from this, it is best to be prepared mentally for what the next steps are to protect the rest of your flock from getting this if it is contagious.

 

[mcknli7]

She hasn’t been able to walk since the day we put her in isolation (that was the main reason for putting her in there) as we have bigger hens and didn’t want her to get trampled

as already advised she will stand on her own just won’t/can’t walk, she sits with her legs tucked under her like she normally does

I am going to find an avian vet tomorrow and give them a call and see what they say