Limping chicken isolated from flock

[MarissaGayle]

I’ve recently noticed one of my hens limping and laying down a lot. She struggles to get into the coop at night and she spends most of the day by herself; I don’t know if the flock has isolated her or if she just isn’t able to walk as far as they can. I suspect bumble foot, but I’m not sure because when I looked at her feet I didn’t notice any redness or strange bumps. Catching her was her was a lot easier than usual as she wasn’t able to run very fast and didn’t seem to be able to put much weight on her legs. I’m very worried about her and want to help, but I just don’t know what to do for her since I don’t know what’s wrong. She’s also developed white spots on her feathers which I first thought was poop from her sleeping under the roosts, but after looking at her I realized that her feathers are actually turning white.
Edit: about a year ago two of my chickens died within the same week of what we suspected was mareks. One died suddenly over night (she was laying on the coop floor) and the other was unable to walk. This was very sudden and there weren’t any noticeable symptoms beforehand. Could it be possible this chicken has the same disease but is just showing more symptoms than the others did?

 

[Boonie Stomper]

any vets nearby??

 

[MarissaGayle]

any vets nearby??

Sadly no. None of the vets in my area see chickens at all.

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

Oh nooo...I lost two girls not long ago and I suspect it was Marek's. They were puffed up and laying down a lot, isolated from the other girls, sleeping on the floor instead of roosting...even after bringing them in and trying to nurse them back to health...they both died. So sorry. I hope this is not the case with your girl.

 

[orrpeople]

Are there any other symptoms you might have noticed? How are her eating habits? What does her poop look like? Can you post some pictures? A video of her walking?

As you are in the process of diagnosing, do you have a fast acting vitamin like Nutri drench that you can give her?

 

[MarissaGayle]

She’s still eating and drinking and her poop looks normal. However she seems to stand in this odd sloped position. Sorry no video of her walking, I tried to post it but it won’t load at all.

Are there any other symptoms you might have noticed? How are her eating habits? What does her poop look like? Can you post some pictures? A video of her walking?

As you are in the process of diagnosing, do you have a fast acting vitamin like Nutri drench that you can give her?

 

[rebrascora]

If you have Marek's in your flock you will suffer the odd outbreak from time to time. It doesn't go away, just lies dormant until a bird is a bit low or stressed and that will trigger it. Things that can prompt an attack are moulting, new additions to the flock, the surge of hormones during adolescence but also occasionally coming back into lay in spring after moult, being confined to the coop for extended periods due to bad weather, too much attention from a cockerel or rooster etc.

It is not really possible to tell much from your photos other than that she is a bit hunched and maybe her eye looks a bit odd. You need to download any video to the likes of You Tube or Vimeo and then post a link to that site here for us to view it. Often the nature of the lameness with Marek's is quite different from the normal type of limping associated with pain and deliberate favouring of the other leg to alleviate it. With Marek's it is more of a numbness or lack of coordination or weakness of the limb, so they often stumble or trip which is why seeing a video of her moving can be helpful in determining if it is more likely to be an injury of infection or neurological as with Marek's.
The best you can do at this stage is to provide her with good nutrition including vitamin supplement and perhaps probiotic to support her digestive and immune system and a safe environment where she is not harassed or pestered but can still see the flock. Extra protein treats like some egg or meat (liver is good) can help give them a boost.