Limping Bantam (Teresa)

[psamatt]

Hi, we have had 5 bantams since they were 5 or so weeks old, they are now 22 or so weeks and one of them has developed a limp where she brings her leg to her body, stalls it there, and then brings it down again, I've tried to do some Googling but unsure as to the exact issue and was hoping someone could help with a diagnosis?

I have uploaded a video to Youtube to show the problem we are facing, its very quick (3 secs) but hopefully you can see at the start of the video her holding her foot up then oddly placing it down, she does the same with her other foot but not as bad

ive checked her foot for Bumblefoot and that doesnt appear to be the problem, she also is very strong, still eating well and moves around occasionally but sits down more than she used to

 

[Eggcessive]

I think that is called marching, and it might be a neurological symptom, but I am not an expert. Is she acting normally and does she seem to see treats on the ground in front of her? Do you know if she was vaccinated for Mareks disease, or was she raised by a breeder? I might try some human softgels of vitamin E400 IU once a day.

 

[psamatt]

she was raised by a breeder for the first 5 weeks on medicated chick crumb and then we continued her on that, im not sure if she was vaccinated, probably not if she was on medicated crumb?
She does see what's in front of her, she knows her surroundings and still eats, acting normally other than the issue with her leg and sitting down more than usual

 

[Eggcessive]

I would continue to observe her walking. It might be something neurological, possibly an injury, but Mareks disease seems a bit possible. Hopefully, it is something less serious, but time will tell. Let us know how she is doing in a day or two. Of course check her leg for any green bruising, redness, or swelling, just in case she has hurt it. Besides giving some vitamin E, I would consider giving B complex as well, 1/4 tablet daily crushed into food.

 

[psamatt]

She's been gradually getting worse it seems over the week since we noticed it, originally it was just on the one leg but now it seems to have spread in an early stage to the other foot so it makes me think its more serious than we first thought. Have also noticed that the Cockerel we have is picking on her too as she is late out the coop in the morning so he tells her off!

Have checked her leg for bruising, there is nothing obvious from what we can see but we're new to all of this so could be missing something obvious

 

[Eggcessive]

I edited my post above to also suggest vitamin B complex, in addition to the vitamin E, in case you missed it. Those are used to treat wry neck and other neurological symptoms. The rooster might be singling her out because of the weird gait or sensing that something is off. If that is a problem, I would put her in a covered wire dog crate with food and water, but leave her with the flock. Hopefully, this isn’t Mareks. It can show up at her age.

 

[LaFleche]

they are now 22 or so weeks and one of them has developed a limp where she brings her leg to her body, stalls it there, and then brings it down again,

she was raised by a breeder for the first 5 weeks on medicated chick crumb and then we continued her on that,

She might be in need of vitamin B complex supplementation, as the medicated chicken feed should not be given for a longer period of time, because it impedes the uptake of thiamine.

Additionally I would deworm her, as worms often lead to vitamin defieciencies with neurological symptoms that can mimick Mareks desease.


This is an abstract from Merck ( https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ement-poultry/vitamin-deficiencies-in-poultry ):

"Thiamine Deficiency​

Polyneuritis in birds represents the later stages of a thiamine deficiency, probably caused by buildup of the intermediates of carbohydrate metabolism. Because the brain’s immediate source of energy results from the degradation of glucose, it depends on biochemical reactions involving thiamine. In the initial stages of deficiency, lethargy and head tremors may be noted. A marked decrease in appetite is seen in birds fed a thiamine-deficient diet. Poultry are also susceptible to neuromuscular problems, resulting in impaired digestion, general weakness, star-gazing, and frequent convulsions.
Polyneuritis may be seen in mature birds ~3 wk after they are fed a thiamine-deficient diet. As the deficiency progresses, birds may sit on flexed legs and draw back their heads in a star-gazing position. Retraction of the head is due to paralysis of the anterior neck muscles. Soon after this stage, chickens lose the ability to stand or sit upright and topple to the floor, where they may lie with heads still retracted. Thiamine deficiency may also lead to a decrease in body temperature and respiratory rate. Testicular degeneration may be noted, and the heart may show slight atrophy. Birds consuming a thiamine-deficient diet soon show severe anorexia. They lose all interest in feed and will not resume eating unless given thiamine. If a severe deficiency has developed, thiamine must be force-fed or injected to induce the chickens to resume eating.
Thiamine deficiency is most common when poorly processed fish meals are used, because they contain thiaminase enzyme. In such situations, adding extra thiamine may be ineffective. There is no good evidence suggesting that, unlike in some mammalian species, certain Fusarium mycotoxins can increase the need for supplemental thiamine. In otherwise adequate diets, deficiency is prevented by supplements of thiamine up to 4 mg/kg. "

 

[psamatt]

than

I edited my post above to also suggest vitamin B complex, in addition to the vitamin E, in case you missed it. Those are used to treat wry neck and other neurological symptoms. The rooster might be singling her out because of the weird gait or sensing that something is off. If that is a problem, I would put her in a covered wire dog crate with food and water, but leave her with the flock. Hopefully, this isn’t Mareks. It can show up at her age.

thanks for your help, how is it best for us to make sure she has Vitamin B? We will make pop down to the local pet store tomorrow that specialize in animal feeds and see what they have

 

[psamatt]

She might be in need of vitamin B complex supplementation, as the medicated chicken feed should not be given for a longer period of time, because it impedes the uptake of thiamine.

Additionally I would deworm her, as worms often lead to vitamin defieciencies with neurological symptoms that mimick Mareks desease.

we gave her medicated chick crumb until she was around 14 weeks as that's what we were advised by the breeder then they went onto growers pellets and now on layers pellets which they have been on for around 4 weeks

 

[Eggcessive]

Human super B complex tablets are found in any human Walmart, Target, or pharmacy. 1/4 tablet daily is all that is needed. If you use a chick vitamin, make sure that it has riboflavin (vitamin B2) since some do not.