Hen wont walk on her feet. Walks on her hocks and feet may be paralyzed?

[Zrcalo]

It's been about 4 weeks now and the frizzle doesnt seem to be getting any worse.

I was reading this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/752961/help-mareks-disease/140

and I've noticed she's gotten a bit better since I've taken away the chick scratch.

 

[casportpony]

It's been about 4 weeks now and the frizzle doesnt seem to be getting any worse.

I was reading this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/752961/help-mareks-disease/140

and I've noticed she's gotten a bit better since I've taken away the chick scratch.

That's great!

 

[casportpony]

That is super awesome info because sometimes a chicken does just need to be tube fed. Like after an injury maybe? I would try for something like that, but if they just stop eating one day for no reason I can discern I am unlikely to try harder then offering super tasty foods because there has to be a reason the chicken stopped eating in the first place

I'll tube Merek's (done the most tubing with these - something like eight of them, some for weeks, some for just days), egg bound, molts, you name it, I've probably tubed it. It's amazing how fast some can bounce back (non-terminal). It's very easy and it also allows you to check their poop. Nothing in = nothing out, right? Tube some fluids first, make sure that it's going through and coming out clear, then tube baby bird food. If all is working, you should see normal poop very quickly. From there you might choose an antibiotic based on the poop you see.

 

[chickenmoma]

I have a 3 mos old chicken with similar symptoms. Did a lot of searching on the internet and this website. At first I thought it was Marek's or botulism, but its been two weeks and she's still alive and doing a little better. I think she has limberneck, or crookneck. ( See information below). She went from the neck and leg paralysis to just lying there hardly moving and now She's still wobbly but walking to her food and water and even grazing some in my backyard. I found this information from Velvet Sparrow that you guys might want to read and check out his website and the link to the two articles to better understand it. My chicken got better after a prednisone injection and some antibiotics . I ended up taking her to my dog vet who then called a bird vet while I was there. No bird vets around and I really can't afford to take my chickens to the vet. She only charged me for the injection, and meds, because she is not a bird vet and really couldn't give me a diagnosis. I'm not going to put her back with the others until she's a lot better. Please read Velvet Sparrows info below:

"What you guys are talking about sounds a lot like a condition called Limberneck, Crookneck, Stargazing or Twirling, depending on who you talk to. It can be caused by moldy feed or an injury to the head, which causes swelling in the brain. This interferes with the bird's ability to balance. This condition is marked by the 'drunken stagger' (kinda like people being dizzy), the bird suddenly starting to walk backwards but not forwards, falling over, dragging it's head on the ground, the bird twisting it's head backwards and looking up, etc. Often they can't eat or drink because they can't target well enough to peck. Silkies, Polish and other crested breeds are especially vulnerable since they have that hole in their skull through which their brains protrude, and when another chicken pecks them on the head their brain swells. If it is due to moldy feed of course, you have to toss the old feed and get new.

I've got more on it here on my chicken site, including a link on how to dose these birds with the Vitamin E/Selenium combination: http://jackshenhouse.com/VSChickHealth.htm

Scroll down to 'Crested Breeds' and click the link to Dr. Stanford's page--make sure you read both the article there called 'Crookneck Treatment' and 'Silkie Skull' to really understand it. I've used the Selenium/Vitamin E treatment (I had no access to Prednisone, a prescription drug, so I did without it) on adults and chicks alike that I thought were goners, and they completely recovered.

You have to be sure they are getting enough to eat & drink until they recover, if they are so bad that they cannot eat on their own, and I'd isolate them from other chickens so they don't get more pecks to the head & aggravate the problem."

To dose the bird I just crush the amount of Selenium I need to a fine powder. Then I take a vitamin E capsule and use a pin to poke a hole in one end, squeezing out the oil onto a small dish. I use a wooden matchstick end to mix the selenium powder into the oil (it will be gritty), then use the matchstick to feed the mixture to the bird--I open their beak and wipe it on their tongue, allowing them to swallow on their own".

Edited by Velvet Sparrow - 3/20/13 at 11:31pm

 

[casportpony]

Mine that died were Merek's. Had necropsies done on them.

 

[chart]

I guess my biggest question is; How much 'better' do they get before they go down again? She is now walking again, but still wobbly and has to sit often. It's been over a week now (she's 5 wks.) since the first episode when I saw her fly a long distance and crash. Then the second incident, a few days later, she was moving around like she is now and after another particularly active episode, went back to the same. I bought a group of three Sicilian Buttercup chicks. (Supposedly day old., Are they, really?) They're all nuts. Friendly enough, but insanely active. The hurt one, The Flyin' Wop, was flying around the first day. I mean high, hence, the name. How soon is this particular breed supposed to start feathering out? These guys must've been born with them! I have 10 with 4 different breeds among them, the Turkens being 5 days younger. The Bar Cochin and Turkens are the least feathered, but really far along. The Buff Cochins and Orpington are further along, but the Buttercups almost look like miniature adults. There's barely a "soft' spot on any of them. And they are almost as big as my Cochins.

I truly thought my chick had injured itself, since I saw the incident when she went down, until I read all this stuff about Marek's. Back in the day, you could barely find any info. Now TMI is giving me the heebie-jeebies! I have learned that my common sense in the past has served me well just by reading advice at BYC. I'm overwhelmed now by the possible problems! Thank You Everybody for being here!

 

[seminolewind]

Mine kept their toes balled up like they were trying to hold something...and they would limp on the balled up toes. No poop changes, nothing. Just bam! Limping. Followed with bam! Paralyzed! Followed by chop! With the axe

Yea, me too. Once they're paralyzed, or pretending to eat, or wasting, I don't let them go too long. Except my Marek's vaccinated pullet who was just too special. It took her 6 weeks but she fully recovered. I think it was because she was vaccinated which gave her a boost to fight it off.

Interesting things happen sometimes.

 

[chickenmoma]

I agree it is overwhelming and confusing. With the symptoms they are experiencing according to what I read on the internet and BYC, it could be a number of things (injury, Mareks, Botulsim, etc).

 

[Zrcalo]

It's only been a few days since the frizzle has been eating ONLY chick starter and she's even able to move her toes and stand on her feet!!!

So lets see how long this lasts.

:3 she really enjoyed walking around outside for a bit. she still mostly walks on her hocks but she can now move her toes and they're not constantly balled up. and she's not flipping over either. she's able to walk around a little bit.

 

[seminolewind]

It's only been a few days since the frizzle has been eating ONLY chick starter and she's even able to move her toes and stand on her feet!!!

So lets see how long this lasts.

:3 she really enjoyed walking around outside for a bit. she still mostly walks on her hocks but she can now move her toes and they're not constantly balled up. and she's not flipping over either. she's able to walk around a little bit.

She may improve. Keep the therapy up.