Hen has paralyzed leg, what could it be?

[EmmaRainboe]

@Eggcessive

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is your hen? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease. That can sometimes be a possibility with a paralyzed leg or wing, and her lying position in the picture kind of resmbles the one leg forward, one leg backward typical in Mareks. Injuries are much more common than Mareks, so hopefully, it is that.

Keep her in a crate with food and water very close within reach. It can help to give 1/2 tablet daily of human vitamin B complex(not B12.) Crush it into some food or a little water and give with a dropper.

 

[Danny188]

How old is your hen? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease. That can sometimes be a possibility with a paralyzed leg or wing, and her lying position in the picture kind of resmbles the one leg forward, one leg backward typical in Mareks. Injuries are much more common than Mareks, so hopefully, it is that.

Keep her in a crate with food and water very close within reach. It can help to give 1/2 tablet daily of human vitamin B complex(not B12.) Crush it into some food or a little water and give with a dropper.

She is a year and a half old, I don't think she is vaccinated for it. She will keep her leg under her unless she tries to move forward then it moves back. She keeps her working leg under her always(not creeping up in front of her). I will update tomorrow night. I will try to get the vitimens. I have her separated with a heat lamp on her so hopefully if her foot slips out it wont get too cold.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is some reading about Mareks disease:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

 

[Danny188]

She is still alive and aware this morning eating and drinking on her own. If it is mareks disease they contracted it recently, because I hatched chicks late summer and I dident have any losses. If it is mareks it would have come from a neighbor who lives 300 yards from us. They have rescued chickens from a "free range" farm.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully, it is an injury. Time will tell. Mareks can be tested for by a Texas lab and a few others nationally by getting material from the company, collecting a small amount of blood, and shipping it back to them for about $20. The most common way to diagnose Mareks is with a necropsy after death, usually through your state poultry lab. Here is the link for blood testing of a live bird:
http://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf

 

[Danny188]

Hopefully, it is an injury. Time will tell. Mareks can be tested for by a Texas lab and a few others nationally by getting material from the company, collecting a small amount of blood, and shipping it back to them for about $20. The most common way to diagnose Mareks is with a necropsy after death, usually through your state poultry lab. Here is the link for blood testing of a live bird:
http://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf

I'm not going to do that, I don't really care to confirm it or not. She is eating and drinking 100% normally her poops are 100% normal I'm thinking it's just an injury if anything she might have got a bit better.

 

[Danny188]

UPDATE: She stopped eating about 1-2 days after my last post, she would drink but not eat (except corn), about 5 days ago she was able to hold her leg up, with toes still curled, I didn't know if it was from muscle stiffness or if she had control of the upper leg muscle. I started vitmen B complex 50 a day after my last post. She wasn't showing signs of progress and I was going to cull her because she was getting so small, but today her foot was unfurled and she could walk allitle bit, I will start force feeding tonight because now I know she is worth saving. Hopefully she will start eating on her own soon because I hate force feeding.

 

[Danny188]

I'm not going to do that, I don't really care to confirm it or not. She is eating and drinking 100% normally her poops are 100% normal I'm thinking it's just an injury if anything she might have got a bit better.

Sorry eggsessive, I didn't mean to sound so rude, I was just doubting what you were saying and hoping it wasn't the case(when there was a good chance it was the case) i know you were just trying to help an give me information.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad that you started the B vitamins, and let us know how she gets along. Injuries to a nerve, as well as riboflavin deficiency and Mareks, can cause curled under toes. It is good that you have seen some improvement.