If your chicken was acting like this, what would you think is wrong???

[gabby3535]

I have a small flock of chickens.......8 pullets and a roo.
They are all between 12-13 weeks old.
They are all being fed organic chick starter, (with DE added), and have ACV added to their water.
They have occasional treats of mealworms, crickets, watermelon, strawberries, and fresh veggies.
Mainly, they have chick starter, tho'.

One of my pullets (a BCM) is acting a little 'dull'.
She stands off by her self, (but will gladly join in a mealworm fest), and her face and little comb is
kind of pale. (The other 2 Marans pullets faces and combs are pink-ish.)
I have inspected her thoroughly for mites and lice, and there are none.
Also, the 'dull' one is very easy to catch and pick-up................(the others, not so much!)
No one is 'picking on' her either.
She has been acting like this for a couple days.

Any advice as to what I should do, or be looking at, at this point?
I recently had to have another young Marans pullet put to sleep, as she had progressive trouble walking
and eventually wouldn't eat. She would fall over and just lay there, and just seemed to get weaker and
weaker...........she just 'faded away' and eventually I had her put to sleep..............
Vet thought it might be a neurological problem.......but was pretty much baffled.

Today, I think I saw my current, 'dull' BCM pullet drop her wing (for balance?) when she got up
to walk........this is what my other sick BCM did in the beginning as well..........so I'm a bit paranoid here!
Both Marans are from the same breeder.............

Can someone advise me what to do for her now????

 

[hawtchick]

Has your grain gotten wet or moldy by any chance?
Fresh water available?
Are you giving them any grit with those treats?
How are the poops looking?

How are the temps/weather there? Do they free range at all?

Did these birds come to you all together or did those Marans come from a breeder different than the others?

 

[gabby3535]

Has your grain gotten wet or moldy by any chance?........No
Fresh water available?.......Yes, all the time......changed 2 x day.
Are you giving them any grit with those treats?........Yes
How are the poops looking?.......normal, as far as I can tell.

How are the temps/weather there?.........Today, around 80 degrees.....but has been
cool and rainy for a month!
Do they free range at all?.......Yes, but I have just started letting them do that, and the BCMs
'symptoms' began before that.

Now what?

 

[hawtchick]

What about your flock? Have they been together since day one or did you get some from one breeder and some from another?

I am just trying to narrow things down for everyone.

 

[gabby3535]

They have all been together since 4 weeks of age............

 

[hawtchick]

oh ok.... I was also just thinking that they could probably moved up to chick grower instead of starter...not that this would be a cause for them not acting right, but just an observation.

have you had any other friends who own chickens visit your chickens lately?

Have they been vaccinated?

So they came from different places at 4 weeks and they were placed together immediately then with no quarrantined time?

I am hoping keeping this bumped and asking lots of questions someone will ba able to help you out.

 

[KrisRose]

Based on your description of the the dead pullet my first thought is Mareks. These birds show depression and if it advances they can have a unusal posture associated with this virus. Did this pullet have one leg held forward while the other was held back? Almost like the pullet was paralysed? At this stage I don't believe that they recover.

 

[hawtchick]

Quote:
I too was wondering when she mentioned the difficulty walking and dropped wing.
That's why I was hoping to find out if they were vaxed.

 

[gabby3535]

Dead pullet did not have Mareks symptoms.........
Also, they all have been vaccinated...........

 

[gabby3535]

oh ok.... I was also just thinking that they could probably moved up to chick grower instead of starter...not that this would be a cause for them not acting right, but just an observation.

have you had any other friends who own chickens visit your chickens lately?............No.

Have they been vaccinated?............yes.

So they came from different places at 4 weeks and they were placed together immediately then with no quarrantined time?.......
Actually, they all came from one breeder, as day old chicks...........
Another breeder purchased them (as day-olds).......then sold them to me.......at 4 weeks of age.

So everyone here has been together since hatching, and they all 'have' been vaccinated for Mareks.

I am hoping keeping this bumped and asking lots of questions someone will ba able to help you out............Thank you.
I just don't know what to do for her.

Also, I have NOT wormed my little flock yet..............I forgot to mention that.

I am NOT having luck with my Marans!
Are they weaker, genetically, than other breeds?????
Can someone advise me, based on the 'symptoms' in my original post?