Help please!

[FatherRoo]

Hi everyone, i'm new, like, just joined a minute ago. And I am in need of help. I own a White crested black polish chicken, perhaps a hen because her afro of feathers looks puffy, not stringy. Anyways, it started a couple days ago, when I noticed my polish was acting weird. She's usually very noisy, but instead, her sister, a black/blue silkie, was squealing. They're both old enough to go outside with the other girls, so, I put my silkie outside and she settled down, but stayed away from the other girls. They don't beat on her or anything, thought I keep my polish inside. Today I noticed she couldn't walk well, or stand. Her head is always withdrawn and against her body were it should be, she's constantly falling over, along with not being alert at all. Her neck isn't crooked or anything, and she has no discoloration of the eyes so that takes out Mareks or Wry neck. Can anyone help?

Ps: all the hens beat on the polish, including her silkie sister, and they only leave her alone if she's on her back or off her feet and they make sure she stays down by sitting on her often. She's not egg bound thought, because nothings blocking her vent plus she's not old enough to lay.

 

[loveourbirds]

any diarrhea, odd smells or "sticky" feathers under the wings?

edited for spelling

 

[FatherRoo]

No, no bathroom problems, no smells, and her feathers are still all smoothe and clean under the wings. But I did notice she's oddly keeping her but to the floor and now refused to walk or stand. She lays perfectly between the food and water dish so all ahr has to do is reach over carefully and get food or water.

 

[loveourbirds]

mareks, newcastle disease, wry neck, botulism, vitamin deficiency, and extruded skull problems can all cause this.

mareks doesn't always cause eye discoloration, only ocular mareks will cause mutated pupils or gray irises. if you haven't introduced any new chickens to your flock in the last couple of months - you can probably rule out mareks.

botulism is more common in the summer - im not sure how the weather is where you are. it is usually spread by maggots feeding on dead animals that had botulism. when the maggots turn into flies, and chickens eat them it is spread.

wry neck is also associated with vitamin deficiency or neurological symptoms. extruded skulls will add to the problem. im not sure if polish has extruded skulls, but silkies crossed with polish normally do. (if that helps any)

here is a wiki link for newcastle disease: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle_disease

it could also be a neurological related tumor - chickens are known for tumors.

if you cant narrow it down, make sure the sick chicken is isolated and give "poly vi sol" without iron. it is available in most walmarts around where similac and other infant formulas are. here is a link for more information on the product. http://www.vitacost.com/enfamil-pol...300870402035&gclid=CKWYmIGZrrsCFSho7AodhTAAvQ

 

[FatherRoo]

Thanks for the great info everyone. But my polish and silkie are the first new chicks in 3 years. And after giving her some chick mesh milked with vitumin C, milk and egg yolk, she's gotten alot better. She's become alert again, cheeping loudly again and woddling about. Why I gave her such a strange mix is because I took her to a livestock vet and she was suffering from starvation because are polish was keeping her away from the food and water. So now she's doing alot better.

 

[loveourbirds]

im glad you got it figured out, the milk and egg yolk were probably what fixed the problem. egg yolks are a great source of protein and vitamins, the milk is another good source of protein. egg yolks are a "go to" for several people when a sign of illness rears its ugly head.

 

[FatherRoo]

Yeah. She's walking around alot better, and can stand longer, but she still is weak, so i'm keeping her inside for alittle while longer tell she's healthy again.

And I figured out why my older girls were constantly sitting on her. She's alot younger then them by 6 or so months. So are older girls are huddling up and sitting on her like she's a baby chick to protect her because we recantly had a skunk scare 4 of are chickens to death.