High stepping chicken

[Rockismith21]

I’ve attached a video of what’s going on. I’ve brought her in. Epsom salt soak. Feet are not hot, I don’t see signs of bumble foot. She’s eating and acting fine other than the step. Anyone have any advice???

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is she consistently doing that?
What are you feeding/including treats?
Does she have a source of poultry grit (crushed granite) available free choice?

Check her foot very well just to make sure she has nothing stuck in the nooks, crannies and folds of the foot, also look at the toenails just to make sure one isn't broken. If it's dirty, I would wash it up.

Secondly, I would smell her breath to see if there is a sour smell and check her crop to make sure its empty first thing in the morning (before she eats/drinks).

 

[rebrascora]

How old is she? It could be early signs of Marek;s disease. It looks neurological.

 

[Rockismith21]

She’s doing this more this morning than yesterday. They don’t get a lot of treats. None over the past few weeks. They are on medicated purina starter/grower which will be changed next week. They have access to grit. crop was nice and empty this morning no foul smell coming from face. I washed both feet last night no swelling or cuts, toenails look OK

 

[Rockismith21]

How old is she? It could be early signs of Marek;s disease. It looks neurological.

17 weeks

 

[rebrascora]

At 17 weeks she is at a prime age for Marek's. The best you can do is keep her as stress free as possible and ensure she eats well and provide a good poultry vitamin supplement. Do you know if she was vaccinated for Marek's?... it doesn't 100% protect them from getting the disease but it gives them a better chance of survival. Where in the world are you? Here in the UK the strains of Marek's are not generally as aggressive as some of the strains in the USA. I've had birds recover from a quite debilitating outbreak after just a few days. Others take weeks or months of supportive care and sadly some don't make it. If it is Marek's they will always have the disease and be prone to further outbreaks at times of stress in the future but can have a normal quality of life during the dormant phases of the disease in between those attacks.

Of course it may not be Marek's but a vitamin supplement will not do any harm. Marek's is an incredibly common and widespread disease and is particularly prevalent in adolescent chickens of this age.

 

[Rockismith21]

At 17 weeks she is at a prime age for Marek's. The best you can do is keep her as stress free as possible and ensure she eats well and provide a good poultry vitamin supplement. Do you know if she was vaccinated for Marek's?... it doesn't 100% protect them from getting the disease but it gives them a better chance of survival. Where in the world are you? Here in the UK the strains of Marek's are not generally as aggressive as some of the strains in the USA. I've had birds recover from a quite debilitating outbreak after just a few days. Others take weeks or months of supportive care and sadly some don't make it. If it is Marek's they will always have the disease and be prone to further outbreaks at times of stress in the future but can have a normal quality of life during the dormant phases of the disease in between those attacks.

Of course it may not be Marek's but a vitamin supplement will not do any harm. Marek's is an incredibly common and widespread disease and is particularly prevalent in adolescent chickens of this age.

I am not sure that she was vaccinated. They were purchased from our local farm supply store (tractor supply). We are located in North Carolina. I do believe that the rest of the flock bullies her so I am certain she is stressed

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She’s doing this more this morning than yesterday. They don’t get a lot of treats. None over the past few weeks. They are on medicated purina starter/grower which will be changed next week. They have access to grit. crop was nice and empty this morning no foul smell coming from face. I washed both feet last night no swelling or cuts, toenails look OK

Has she been on medicated feed for the whole 17weeks?

It very well could be a disease like Marek's - but there is no cure for that, so I would offer her supportive care/vitamin therapy. I would start by giving her 1/2tablet human B-Complex daily and 400IU of Vitamin E daily for a week. Give her a treat of hard boiled or scrambled egg, this will help with the uptake of E.

If she is bullied, I would watch to make sure that she is eating/drinking well (check to see if she goes to bed with a full crop). Provide her with some places she can get away from the others-a perch in the run works good. Add an extra feed/water station, etc.
Here's a great article on Marek's http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

Since you are in NC, if you happen to lose her, sending the body to the State Lab would give you more information. There are 4 labs in NC - Fletcher, Elkin, Raleigh and Monroe. http://www.ncagr.gov/vet/ncvdl/

 

[Rockismith21]

Has she been on medicated feed for the whole 17weeks?

It very well could be a disease like Marek's - but there is no cure for that, so I would offer her supportive care/vitamin therapy. I would start by giving her 1/2tablet human B-Complex daily and 400IU of Vitamin E daily for a week. Give her a treat of hard boiled or scrambled egg, this will help with the uptake of E.

If she is bullied, I would watch to make sure that she is eating/drinking well (check to see if she goes to bed with a full crop). Provide her with some places she can get away from the others-a perch in the run works good. Add an extra feed/water station, etc.
Here's a great article on Marek's http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

Since you are in NC, if you happen to lose her, sending the body to the State Lab would give you more information. There are 4 labs in NC - Fletcher, Elkin, Raleigh and Monroe. http://www.ncagr.gov/vet/ncvdl/

She has been on this feed for atleast 15 weeks. She was on dumor when we got them. I have fed her eggs and vitamins. She’s eating and drinking like normal. Even took her to the local vet and he gave her meloxicam just Incase it’s an injury. So now we wait. Thank you all for your help and advice

 

[coach723]

Since medicated feed contains amprolium, which mimics thiamine (B1), I think the suggestion to supplement with a B complex, etc. is a good one. Vitamin deficiencies can manifest in neuro muscular abnormalities, and can vary, there are 'common' symptoms and I've also read about some bizarre ones that resolved with supplementing, so it's hard to know. Just watching the video it looks like she thinks something is on her feet, maybe she's getting a sensation due to some nerve problems caused by a deficiency. There are other possibilities, like Mareks, that can't be treated, so I would work on the possibilities that can be treated and see if you get any improvement.