Limping chicken. Polish chicken

[kristin06]

About 5 to 7 days ago i noticed my polish hen limping.. no sores no heat and she is molting so no egg bound. I dont have a vet close to me so ive just been keeping an eye on her. Still eating and drinking. I noticed yesterday she didnt come out of the coop. So i brought her in.. she layed around in the basked she ate a little and drinking water. I am worried about mareks but i really dont think thats it.. this morning she seemed to feel better. Ive been doing a lot of research where it could possibly be a vitamin b diffency.. so i scrambled an egg for her and she tore it up. She even stood up when i tried to take it away to offer water. . I saw where it could also be botulism (we have had a lot of rain the past few weeks and its hard to keep the coop/yard area clean from mold) but no other chicks are having any issues. Maybe shes more sensitive? Her stool/poop is normal. She just cant stand on her right leg. Im going to the feed store when they open to get some vitamin b for chicks.. is there any thing else i should be doing or watching for. Thank yall for the help.. and please dont suggest culling. I will if it gets bad but she dosnt seem to be in pain and i really dont want to think of that right now. Thank yall for the help.

 

[chicknmania]

So she is not eating well? It's confusing because you said she liked the eggs, but how does she eat her regular food? Be sure to thoroughly check her feet, lets, hips for any marks, heat, swelling, I know you've done that, but make sure. Rooster Booster makes a premium B & K vitamin for poultry that I like to use for sick or injured birds, and they sell it at feed stores. It could be many things, but it's important to keep her in a smaller cage or pen so she's forced to rest the bad leg and also she has protection and privacy. It would very well be Marek's, sometimes it starts out as just a limp. In any case, read up all you can on Marek's and things you can do to slow or stop it and other neurological problems. People have tried vitamin therapy, Hypericum Perforatum, St John's Wart, Colloidal Silver, all with varying degrees of success, which you will see, if you search those terms on here. They are all worth trying, IMO. If it turns out to be just a sprain, baby aspirin twice a day will help. Make sure she eats and drinks and I have found in the past that our sick or injured birds love applesauce, buttermilk soaked bread, scrambled eggs, and just crumbles moistened with water, cottage cheese, among other things.

 

[kristin06]

Thank you so much! She is eating ok. She is not a fan of the layer feed and I give some scratch because it's getting cold. And she may just be eating more scratch than she should. That's why I think lack of vitamins. And I just left the feed store and the roster booster is what I got lol. And I grabbed a bag of non medicated chick feed because it's hight in protein and I know they need that when they molt. Thank you so much. I'll keep this updated.

 

[kristin06]

So she is not eating well?  It's confusing because you said she liked the eggs, but how does she eat her regular food?  Be sure to thoroughly check her feet, lets, hips for any marks, heat, swelling, I know you've done that, but make sure.  Rooster Booster makes a premium B & K vitamin for poultry that I like to use for sick or injured birds, and they sell it at feed stores.  It could be many things, but it's important to keep her in a smaller cage or pen so she's forced to rest the bad leg and also she has protection and privacy.  It would very well be Marek's, sometimes it starts out as just a limp.  In any case, read up all you can on Marek's and things you can do to slow or stop it and other neurological problems.  People have tried vitamin therapy, Hypericum Perforatum, St John's Wart, Colloidal Silver, all with varying degrees of success, which you will see, if you search those terms on here. They are all worth trying, IMO.  If it turns out to be just a sprain, baby aspirin twice a day will help. Make sure she eats and drinks and I have found in the past that our sick or injured birds love applesauce, buttermilk soaked bread, scrambled eggs, and just crumbles moistened with water, cottage cheese, among other things. 

I put the starter feed in there with her and she stood up and started eating it then sat back down but is still eating. Does mareks make them loose their appetite? I've seen where is does but then it says something different with different cases.

 

[chicknmania]

Marek's can make them hungrier, also.

 

[kristin06]

Well she still turns her nose up to the layer feed and she dosnt seem to be over eating .. she seems to have a lot more strength since i started giving her the vitamins and chick feed. Would she loose total control of her legs? She started moving the messed up leg yesterday after she got the vitamins.

 

[chicknmania]

It's just hard to say. Just keep on with the vitamins, and make sure she's eating. and drinking, and keep looking for new symptoms or ones that go away. Look on here at some of the things others have tried..there's a ton of stuff you can try, if you want to. Flax seed is another one that some say helps. 1 tsp per day, per bird. AT least while they are sick. And check out Hypericum perforatum...it can help. She doesn't really need layer right now, you can give her moistened Flock Raiser or Poultry Developer crumbles, and they are fine. Is she laying by the way?

 

[kristin06]

No. She is molting.. im thinking the stress from that may have brought this on. She is looking better health wise and more energetic but still wont use her leg..

 

[chicknmania]

She probably won't lay anyway as long as she is not feeling well. When she starts laying again, things will start looking up.

 

[kristin06]

I just noticed a wierd bone kinda between both legs. Starting at her chest.. maybe breast bone? It's just very noticeable..