Limping hen

[AshFabian]

Berta is a 33 week old light Brahma. About 2 or so months ago, I noticed her laying around while I was cleaning the coop. Walked up to her and she just nonchalantly walked away- normally she takes off (not too people friendly). She would walked a bit, and then lay down. Oh, and she wasn’t holding her her tail up. Otherwise BAR, eating and drinking. Picked her up snd started looking over her. Mites and lice! YUCK! Treated her and the whole flock with Ivermectin. Treated the coop and nesting boxes.
She then developed a “cold” about a week later and treated her for 5 days with Tylan 50 IM. She seemed to be doing good so I put her box with the flock. A few days later, noticed her still laying back in the corner. I just chalked it up to maybe she was lowest on the pecking order snd they were bullying her, therefore she would stay in the corner unless the others were outside.

Fast forward to 12/4/2020- first video- chicken is dead lame on left leg. Lovely.

Flipped her over and noticed swelling on a toe (pictured) on right leg, swollen spot on left elbow (not picture).

Brought her to work with me (I work for a vet) and did X-rays. Nothing is broke. He advised to do 7 days of baytril and aspirin. Today is day 7- second video- and although not 100%, we are better, but not as much as I’d like her to be.https://youtu.be/5eAEeZUA4foShe is also being very picky on her food selection so I have been tube feeding her a slurry of meat bird crumbles, tuna, and vitamins. She weighed in only at 3lbs and is skinny feeling to the touch. Any help would be awesome as I don’t want to sink a ton of money into her, but also don’t want to cull her if it’s something I can fix.

 

[Eggcessive]

Unfortunately, I think that Mareks disease might be a possibility. Has she been laying any eggs? Her tail position says that she may be having a reproductive issue. Do you know if she had lice or mites? Mites require treatment at least twice at 7 day intervals, while lice are treated 10 days apart. Permethrin is a good choice, and permethrin 10 concentrate is an economical product that is mixed with water in a spray bottle or garden sprayer. Respiratory diseases in chickens are usually chronic, and stay with the flock with possible outbreaks until all are gone.

You can try giving some human bitamin B complex 1/2 tablet daily to help her leg in case of deficiency. Hopefully she has an injury and not Mareks. But Mareks can lower the immunity, and make them prone to common infections. Mareks can be diagnosed 2 ways. A pcr blood serum test for around $20 can be performed by labs, such as RAL after they mail you the material to collect a sample. The second way is to have a necropsy done by your state poultry lab if you lose her. I can give you info on either method if interested.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is some reading about the 4 types of Mareks disease symptoms:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

 

[AshFabian]

Unfortunately, I think that Mareks disease might be a possibility. Has she been laying any eggs? Her tail position says that she may be having a reproductive issue. Do you know if she had lice or mites? Mites require treatment at least twice at 7 day intervals, while lice are treated 10 days apart. Permethrin is a good choice, and permethrin 10 concentrate is an economical product that is mixed with water in a spray bottle or garden sprayer. Respiratory diseases in chickens are usually chronic, and stay with the flock with possible outbreaks until all are gone.

You can try giving some human bitamin B complex 1/2 tablet daily to help her leg in case of deficiency. Hopefully she has an injury and not Mareks. But Mareks can lower the immunity, and make them prone to common infections. Mareks can be diagnosed 2 ways. A pcr blood serum test for around $20 can be performed by labs, such as RAL after they mail you the material to collect a sample. The second way is to have a necropsy done by your state poultry lab if you lose her. I can give you info on either method if interested.

As stated above, I did find lice and mites. Treated once with ivermectin and then again with dust. Her slurry Ive been giving her has b complex added. She hasn’t laid yet. I’d be interested in the blood test if you could give me more info

 

[AshFabian]

@Eggcessive i sent out a blood sample for the Mareks test by RAL, came back negative.

 

[Eggcessive]

@Eggcessive i sent out a blood sample for the Mareks test by RAL, came back negative.

Oh, that is good news. That was a quick turnaround. Is her right foot still swollen? It would not hurt to soak her feet in warm Epsom salts water in case the spots are starting as bumblefoot.

 

[AshFabian]

Oh, that is good news. That was a quick turnaround. Is her right foot still swollen? It would not hurt to soak her feet in warm Epsom salts water in case the spots are starting as bumblefoot.

Her one toe on the right foot is still swollen, and still has a swollen spot on her left leg by the elbow.