Langshan Bantam not able to walk, injured or diseased?

[kirsty]

Hi Everyone,

We have two bantams, a Langshan and a Wyandotte, they are approximately 6.5 months old. One has started laying every second day (in the middle of winter! We live in Melbourne, Australia) we're not sure which one it is though.

Yesterday evening, we noticed our Langshan was not moving, sitting in the dirt. She had white faeces stuck in her feathers around the bottom. There was also white liquidy droppings on the ground, and one with blood in it. I picked her up, had a look and put her down and she fell forwards onto her face, not able to stand, and appeared to be protecting her right foot. She also spread her wings out on falling. She then hobbled/limped away slowly. I picked her up and looked at her foot and nothing was noticeable. She now cannot walk, and this morning was dragging herself, pushing with her left foot. We have put her in a box with food and water accessible.

We think we may have lost another chook (Wyandotte) in April due to Marek's. She was fine one day, and the next morning was dead on the floor of the coop (the three of them usually huddled in the nesting box at night). Apparently it was one of the coldest nights, (between 2-4 degrees celcius) Does anyone think it could have died from being cold? My partner believes that could be the reason. But, the breeder had lost some of her chickens to Marek's, and a neighbour who brought from the same breeder lost one to it also.

Is it possible that it could be Marek's paralysis nearly three months later than the other chook died from it? The other chicken seems to be fine. Or is it possible that she has injured her right leg?

I guess I will find out who is the layer soon enough though!

Cheers, Kirsty

 

[kirsty]

Now she is inside the house, I was worried about her. I'm going to bed soon.

There is a strange and unpleasant smell (not a usual chicken smell) and I went over earlier and she was gasping and making a wheezing sound. I picked her up and held her, and I thought after a while that she was having her last breaths, her neck was fully stretched out, and beak opened wide. But then she seemed to calm down and breath normally again. I put her back into the box, and she started pecking at bits of grain that had fallen amongst the straw. I am still getting wafts of the strange odour, not sure what that means?

Cheers, Kirsty

I feel I may lose her over night...

 

[Judy]

Read up on coryza. It is said to have a distinctive odor. Sour crop can, too. Although neither really matches walking problems. Don't think I have read of an odor with Marek's.

 

[kirsty]

Quote:
Hmmm, I don't think either quite match all the symptoms either... Thankyou so much for replying though. I really feel that the main symptom was her inability to walk, and she just falls forwards and fans out her right wing, and it stays that way. It is her poo that smells bad.

I will see how she is going in the morning, and post a reply then.

 

[kirsty]

She's still alive, but not doing very well. She keeps having periods of laboured breathing, and wheezing. And gasping for air. Then she will calm down again. Her poo still smells awful. I looked up on a website, common poultry diseases, and, Necrotic enteritis and Staphylococcus are the only ones that mention the foul smell there. But she doesn't seem to fit in, unless she has punctured her foot, and can't walk and now has a staph infection??

Cheers, Kirsty

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

Could she be in labor...and egg bound? When parrots lay...their poop smells different...its hormonal. An egg bound hen can pant and they also can be lame or weak on one side.

 

[kirsty]

Thanks Jo-jo,

I've been reading other posts about being egg-bound, and I've felt her crop and she doesn't seem full at all....

She hasn't been panting so much this afternoon, it was just this morning. And now she is drinking some water from a dropper which is good.

Perhaps she will get better.

Cheers, Kirsty

 

[Judy]

Does she have any kind of lesion/scab/sore on the bottom of a foot? Or anywhere, for that matter?

 

[kezabel]

Hi Kirsty One of our langshan bantam hens kind of had the same problem yours is having. One morning I went to open the coop and she kept falling over trying to come out then she just sat in the one spot for the rest of the morning with her wings drooping down. I feed her some yogurt and made sure she was drinking water and the next day she seemed back to her normal self. I thought it was the cold as well (i'm an Aussie too) but we don't really know. I posted on here about her and most people said that maybe she is egg bound but I couldn't feel anything either.
I'd sday keep her warm and feed her some yogurt, its ment to be really good for them and see how she goes.

 

[kirsty]

Quote:
Hi ddawn, I shall look. Might need to bathe her again, feathery footed girl. I take it that may be a clue to whether it is a staph infection?

Hi Kirsty One of our langshan bantam hens kind of had the same problem yours is having. One morning I went to open the coop and she kept falling over trying to come out then she just sat in the one spot for the rest of the morning with her wings drooping down. I feed her some yogurt and made sure she was drinking water and the next day she seemed back to her normal self. I thought it was the cold as well (i'm an Aussie too) but we don't really know. I posted on here about her and most people said that maybe she is egg bound but I couldn't feel anything either.
I'd sday keep her warm and feed her some yogurt, its ment to be really good for them and see how she goes.

Hi kezabel,

Thanks for that advice, I've been reading about Ricket's, which says to use a yoghurt, egg yolk and some other ingredients mix. It's worth a try. My dad came over today too, (I thought he'd suggest putting her out of her misery) and he said she looked sprightly, and to keep her warm inside and feed her water regularly and she may come good. I'll go prepare it now.

Cheers people!

Kirsty