I have a 6mth old silkie cockerel down and not okay....

[Going Quackers]

This will get long so hold on....

The bird is a 6mth silkie cockerel he is vaulted head...



Now to start the events...

Prior to this he has been fine, above picture is not old, aprox week prior....

Monday evening i went to take him out his pen along with his of equal age pullet, all of sudden when i placed him in the coop he dropped and put his left leg out, i thought of gosh he's hurt it?

9 days later this is NOT improving this is him yesterday..



Now some backstory, i bought him and the little friend from a reputable breeder as few week olds, they were quarantined and slowly introduced to outside only penned not loose with my other chickens.. eventually moving back to my bantam barn and a "coop" of their own.

This barn houses 14 birds... oldest is 1.5 and then they drop to 4mths a clutch a silkie had in another coop this past summer. NO one is acting off including the pullet who resides with him.

I also have another 28 chickens up near my home again NO one is ill they range from just over a week of age(an oopsie hatch of a silkie ) and birds ranging into a few years old.

We have been giving him e-lites and vit water and some wet crumb starter... he's definitely weaker than he was but his mobility is not good, the right leg has movement and he uses his wings to like move across the coop.

I don't claim expertise but have read myself crazy and worry it's Mareks... my birds are not vax here but i have been cautious of sources.. i can literately touch base with every person i have gotten birds from that i own. A few are hatchery, others are private breeders, some i have bred(the silkies in particular)

I have contacted his breeder today to discuss this matter.... i know silkies can have other issues especially with that vaulted head i am unaware of any injury to his head and again he is kept only with his pullet no one else nor any of my larger fowl to reduce this.

-I forgot to mention, i am the first to have chickens on this property, i have been here decades too-

 

[Eggcessive]

Unfortunately, I think that Mareks is a good possibility. Some diseases can mimic the symptoms of Mareks (read about those in the first link.)Here are some good links to help you with people who have more knowledge about Mareks:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/#/disease/list/

 

[Going Quackers]

Thanks, yeah i have read myself dizzy on most of those in the past few days. I gather who will live will live then? not much i can do beyond trying to work within basic symptoms treatments, aids.

 

[speckledhen]

First thing to check with a leg issue is is there a break, was it sudden, like was he fine 6 hours ago and then, BOOM! He's down. I had a pullet with a vertical hairline fracture on her leg, swelling at hip (pooled blood) and she went down slowly and died. So, examine the leg carefully first before jumping to any conclusions.

And as far as Marek's goes, it can happen anywhere, not necessarily that he came to you as a carrier. So many variables.

 

[Going Quackers]

Yes, he was fine in the morning, i have to carry the two to the pen i have yet to get their pop door built lol and then by evening pick up to return to the coop boom the leg! Yes, quite true i realize even my own birds could be carriers but have never exhibited any symptoms.

We have gone over the leg but how do i know if it's broke? i know that sounds like a dumb question.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, he was fine in the morning, i have to carry the two to the pen i have yet to get their pop door built lol and then by evening pick up to return to the coop boom the leg! Yes, quite true i realize even my own birds could be carriers but have never exhibited any symptoms.

We have gone over the leg but how do i know if it's broke? i know that sounds like a dumb question.

It's really hard to tell sometimes, especially if it's not a classic break. At least you could tell if it's painful for him. If it was Marek's, I doubt he'd be feeling pain in it. Other possibilities are a back injury from being jumped on. Since we can't handle the bird to examine it, it's really difficult to say. I would say that if he passes(or if you euthanize him), have a necropsy done and wait for the final results. Here in Georgia, it's a free service, but you have to overnight the carcass with cold packs to a lab or drive it there. In truth there are lots of possibilities other than Marek's, though I'm not saying it can't be. We just can't tell you.

 

[HeatherLynn]

On the leg you may look for hot placed. I have had a few breaks with my birds due to neighbor dogs and thats usually how I find out about the break. Chickens are so hardy sometimes that they do not show pain like we would so they can trick you into think they are not injured. Feel along the leg for hot or swollen places. Unless its a severe break you just are not going to clearly see a break.

If it is broken keep it separate, splint if you can ( they will not like it at all and use lots of padding and do not wrap too tight), and you might consider antibiotics. I hate to use them myself and sometimes use natural alternatives.

I hate to say this but generally if I have one in this shape we cull. We have been through enough illness to know when its hopeless and how to cull without stress and quickly.

 

[speckledhen]

On the leg you may look for hot placed. I have had a few breaks with my birds due to neighbor dogs and thats usually how I find out about the break. Chickens are so hardy sometimes that they do not show pain like we would so they can trick you into think they are not injured. Feel along the leg for hot or swollen places. Unless its a severe break you just are not going to clearly see a break.

If it is broken keep it separate, splint if you can ( they will not like it at all and use lots of padding and do not wrap too tight), and you might consider antibiotics. I hate to use them myself and sometimes use natural alternatives.

I hate to say this but generally if I have one in this shape we cull. We have been through enough illness to know when its hopeless and how to cull without stress and quickly.

I agree with Heather. He needs to be humanely euthanized, I'm sorry to say. If he's been this way for all this time, he is not going to get better. If you suspect Marek's, best to have him necropsied so you know how to proceed forward from here.