If it is NOT Marek's...what else could it be?

[WildflowerVF]

I have several 3 week old chicks (various breeds). They were not vaccinated. This morning, I found one of them with 1 leg apparently paralyzed. It lays on its side with one leg under it, seemingly normal, but the other leg is straight out (down, not forward or backward). It can move it, and when I move the leg, it can push against my hand. I did not try pushing hard, so I don't know how much strength there is, I just know it can move both legs. If I try to sit it upright, it pushes out with that leg and lands on it's side. If I lay it on the same side as the straight leg, it flops around and eventually settles on its back. I did manage to prop it in the corner so that it isn't completely flat on its side. It was too upset with me messing with it, that it wouldn't try to eat or drink, so I don't know if it can. I did isolate it from the other chicks...they are in a brooder in my shed/barn and I moved this chick to a brooder by itself inside my house.

Any thoughts on whether this actually is Marek's or if there is something else it could be? If it is something treatable I definitely want to try.

 

[chickensioux]

I am dealing with the exact same thing. Mine started at 4-6 weeks. I only have the 2 chicks. 1 started with these symptoms. I have been hand feeding her for 2 weeks, she has continuously but very slowly gotten worse. I have pretty much decided it is Mareks. I am culling her. Good luck with yours.

 

[Noobchick]

Sounds like a classic Marek's case. A seach on this site will give you lots of information on where to go from here. It's not treatable or curable, and since she didn't get vaccinated, there's pretty much no hope of survival. She may seem to improve a bit, but the end stages of Marek's involve internal tumors.

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. It's always a good idea to get birds who have been vaccinated for Marek's, since it's easy for young birds to catch. I'd watch out for signs from your other birds as well.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Are the toes curled (curly toe paralysis)?

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou..._poultry/vitamin_deficiencies_in_poultry.html
scroll down to riboflavin

 

[WildflowerVF]

No, the toes are not curled. The best way I know to describe what she is doing, is imagine trying to put a cat into a bucket of water. The cat sticks its feet out and pushes off on the bucket. This chick is basically doing the same thing. When I try to set her upright, she pushes against the floor/wall/whatever her feet touch, like she is trying to push herself away, and the result is she lays on her back or her side unless I prop her up in a corner. She did drink some water today but I can't tell if she tried to eat. She can reach the food. She is very alert...looking around, making normal chirping chicky noises. So far none of the other chicks show any symptoms at all, but I'm keeping a close eye on them.

 

[Noobchick]

You can tell if she's eating by checking her crop. With her facing away from you, it'll be on the right side, just to the right of her breast bone. If she's eating, it'll feel like a little ball is under her chest. If she's not eating much, she'll have what feels like a partially filled water balloon. If you can't feel anything, she's not eating. Try checking her through out the day if you can, but if that's not possible, in the morning and evening should be enough to tell you if she's eating.

If you discover that she's not, you can mix her chick food with a little water.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[WildflowerVF]

The chick has been eating and drinking on her own. The more I observe her, the less and less it looks like any form of paralysis because she can move everything and seems to have feeling throughout. Her coordination and balance is off however, and that seems to be getting worse. I hate to have to put her down, but it's looking more and more like that is my only option.

Good news however, is that so far NONE of the other chicks show any signs or symptoms of illness. She seems to be the only one out of the whole brood that is affected.