Limping Chick

[lablover]

This chick is 12 weeks old and has been limping like this for at least 2 days. I noticed it limping several weeks ago, for just a day or two, but not nearly this bad. It was still able to keep up with the flock. Today the chick seems better than yesterday, but it slept in the nest box last night instead of the roost. What could be wrong?

 

[ChickenPox]

Mareks? I"m sorry, I don't have any personal experience with that disease, but I know it presents itself in the legs.

 

[lablover]

That is what I am afraid of after reading on here a bit. The chick was hatched by one of my hen's, so I know it and the others aren't vaccinated.

 

[lablover]

Does anyone have a good guess? What can I do for now? I've read up on Marek's and found some "cures" on here that I'm willing to try if they won't hurt the chick. I also ready about vitamins for leg problems, but what kind do I give? What worries me is this started several weeks ago in a very mild case. The chick would just walk funny on that leg like it was asleep and it was trying to place it on the ground, Obviously the video above shows it much worse.

 

[sbhkma]

Have you checked thoroughly for bumblefoot or a strain/sprain? Is there any dark spots on the top or bottom of the foot-even a tiny one? Does it feel swollen or warmer than the other foot, or colder for that matter?

 

[Suzie]

It would be a good idea to start giving the chicken some Vitamin D3 and selenium...not all leg problems are due to Marek's! Try giving some scrambled eggs and tuna fish to start with...as the above poster says...check for any injuries, signs of bumblefoot...

 

[lablover]

No signs of bumblefoot that I can tell, and it's neither colder nor warmer than the other leg. :/ It doesn't seem to be getting worse though. I checked for bumblefoot when it first happened several weeks ago. I mashed the pad, and moved the leg around and nothing seemed to hurt.

 

[lablover]

The same problem seems to be forming in the other leg today.

 

[sbhkma]

Botulism, Marek's or vitamin deficiency all come to mind. Are you supplementing with a chicken vitamin? Rooster Booster with Lacto Baccilus is what is frequently recommended on here, and it what I use. Has this chick been anywhere where it could have gotten into something rotting?

 

[Eggcessive]

It seems like Mareks disease, but in this link about Mareks, there is a section about diseases that can look like Mareks, such as lead or chemical poisoning: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

In some Mareks cases there can be early symptoms of paralysis which may go away, and then return as lymphomas grow on the nerves in the legs and elsewhere. There is a blood test for Mareks that can be drawn by a local vet and sent off to Texas A&M, and it can also be diagnosed with a necropsy on a chicken that dies. You can contact your state vet to ask questions about that. Here are some more links to read:
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/#/disease/Marek's_Disease