HELP PLEASE Chick falling over, can't get balance!!!

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

1) What type of bird , age and weight. BLRW Bantam, 7 1/2 weeks old. Small.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Scooting a few steps then falling over, can't get her balance, will "fall over" even when she is just laying there. Sometimes falling backwards onto bum. Laying on side, can't get up. She has a little bit of labored breathing.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Yesterday, But it is much worse today, yesterday just limping- today can't even walk.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. I got her stabilized and gave her a quick half bath, there are no injuries that I can physically see at this time.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Only thing I can think of was maybe it got stepped on by one of the cornish?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. I just brought her in the house and she seems famished and dehydrated, she is eating and drinking everything I put in front of her.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Just saw the first one, it looks completely normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Brought her inside in a warm room in a covered cat carrier, gave her about 9cc sugar water, then put her food and water in front of her.
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? Self
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. She was outside in the baby coop, there is bermuda grass for bedding then they come out in their yard during the day.

She finally finished eating and drinking and is now sleeping.

Please help! Here is the picture, she has trouble keeping her balance and will "fall over" from this position... it's like she can't get her balance.

 

[Judy]

It could be several things. One that occurs to me is Mareks and I'm afraid there is no treatment for it.

Here is a pretty good resource: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

And this site has an awful lot of information: http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi

She is a member here. Don't hesitate to register.

 

[Katy]

You said something about maybe being stepped on by a cornish and that she's eating and drinking everything you put in front of her. She may have just not been able to hold her own with bigger birds and has been pushed away from the feeder and is weak.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

That's possible and I do think that happened after the fact, but she seemed like she was injured or something in some way first, not just weak.

ETA; that was weird, she was just lying there sleeping and looks like she "rolled down a hill" just randomly rolled over and got confused even though she was flat...

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Anyone? Do I need to get her meds?

 

[sgt_dane]

I have some that are acting that way, may be something totally different. But let me first say she looks like a he. But I have two Roos that are unable to walk, one is eating and drinking but still falling over and cannot walk at all. Just up on his hocks and unable to move any more than an inch before falling over on his side or face. I'm unable to find the reasoning behind it. What type of feed are you using?? I also have a little Japanese bantam (never been in the same cage or around the polish I mentioned earlier) that is unable to use his legs at all. He just scoots around on his wings. I have them on sulmet antibiotics and will start a different kind if this shows no improvement. I e got sulmet in the water, vitamin B by dropper directly to the beak three times daily and liquid calcium w vitamin D that is administered daily by beak. Also in my coop I have vitamin C and Bcomplex in their water, changed their food and completely cleaned out and disinfected their coop. Maybe try some vitamins, scrambled eggs and lotsa vitamin B. That's what my stare vet told me to try. It may be that he was down and out unable to fight for the food, then got stepped on or something getting injured. First things first, feed him good because if he is injured then he'll need all the nutrients he can get to heal right.

. Good luck!!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I have some that are acting that way, may be something totally different. But let me first say she looks like a he. But I have two Roos that are unable to walk, one is eating and drinking but still falling over and cannot walk at all. Just up on his hocks and unable to move any more than an inch before falling over on his side or face. I'm unable to find the reasoning behind it. What type of feed are you using?? I also have a little Japanese bantam (never been in the same cage or around the polish I mentioned earlier) that is unable to use his legs at all. He just scoots around on his wings. I have them on sulmet antibiotics and will start a different kind if this shows no improvement. I e got sulmet in the water, vitamin B by dropper directly to the beak three times daily and liquid calcium w vitamin D that is administered daily by beak. Also in my coop I have vitamin C and Bcomplex in their water, changed their food and completely cleaned out and disinfected their coop. Maybe try some vitamins, scrambled eggs and lotsa vitamin B. That's what my stare vet told me to try. It may be that he was down and out unable to fight for the food, then got stepped on or something getting injured. First things first, feed him good because if he is injured then he'll need all the nutrients he can get to heal right. . Good luck!!

I had a sneaky feeling this little one was a "he" but I always call them "she" until I know for sure.

I still have yet to find any reasoning behind this either. This is the only one I have doing it, out of 35 chickens.

(Thank God) I was using Kruse organic chick starter, ran out then switched to Naturewise chick grower because the feed-store was out. This happened about 2 days before I switched.

I am not using any antibiotics or meds, just some yogurt and Kruse organic chick starter and plain water. Today he is MUCH better. Still occasionally mouth breathing, but he isn't falling over very much anymore. He is standing up and eating and drinking like a pig, still a little wobbly, but not falling over nearly as much. I am going to go get some electrolytes/ vitamins tomorrow and see if that helps.

I'm curious to know if anyone has found out what this is?​

 

[rockmaster]

It might be mareks disease. The one type of Mareks hits the central nervous system causing the bird to lose its balance to the point that it cannot walk. My husband brought two pullets from an amish farm to our coop I was a beginner at that time but also very reluctant to add them to the small flock I had anyway they showed no problems for the first month. Then I noticed that the one pullet showed the same symptoms that your describing and I read about the 2 types of Mareks. I did'nt want to take any chances so I took the chicken back to the amish farmer. That was the only time I had that type of problem but I must say that the symptoms described was exactly what Gail Damerow's chicken disease book said. Please look it up for your own opinion. Rockmasters momma

 

[rockmaster]

gail damerows book chicken disease explains about 2 types of mareks. The one hits the central nervous systom and the result is what your describing. I had a pullet brought in from a amish farm, showed no signs very reluctant in the first place to add any chicken from a differant place and found out within a month the chicken showed the same symptoms.
Didn't want to take any chances so I took it back to the farmer. So sorry If this is the case , from my knowledge there is no cure if it hits the central nervous systom. It did not affect any other of my chickens. Rockmasters momma

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Wouldn't Mareks affect more than 1 bird though?


And what about now, he is almost all better... do they get better then worse then better again...