Marek's but has energy?

[wleigh1021]

My neighbors chicken isn't using one leg. It pretty much lays limp but she has a little control of it and the toes. If she uses it she walks on the elbow. She is about 5 months old. Normally I would say this is Marek's but she has a lot of energy. She hops around on her one good leg like a flamingo bunny haha. Eats and drinks normal. Not hunched up or showing any other signs of weaknesses. It shouldn't be vitamin deficiency because they get vitamins in their water plus regular feed. It doesn't feel like a slipped tendon. So can she have Marek's but still act like a fun loving chicken?? There are little kids and a bully rooster that possibility could have damaged her some way.

 

[sylviethecochin]

With my local strain of Marek's, the victims are very active. They just can't walk. However, I would check for an injury or bruising before assuming Marek's. How long has this been going on? What vitamins do they get in their water, and are the vitamins water-soluble?

 

[rebrascora]

Simple answer is yes, it could still b Marek's. I had one a few years ago that went lame with Marek's. Her toes were curled and she would walk on the knuckles although I have had others that walked on the hock or elbow as you describe it. My little pullet was getting sores on her knuckles and I tried to make and strap a little boot to her foot to keep the toes flat but she would just stand on her bad foot and trip over. Eventually I gave up trying to fix her and she gave up walking on her knuckles and just hopped everywhere. She could even make it up onto a 6ft roost and back down. She had a great quality of life free ranging until her second Marek's attack about 6 months later, but she recovered from that one too until she sadly fell victim to a fox one day.
Of course it is also possible that it is not Marek's.

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be Mareks or an injury, but I would also look into it being a leg bone deformity where the hock tendon has ruptured. Varus or valgus deformity, or TD are common ones. I would also give some poultry vitamins that contain riboflavin, in case of a riboflavin deficiency. Here is some reading:
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1051/leg-health-in-large-broilers/

 

[wleigh1021]

Thanks everyone! She doesn't have curled toes and she puts her foot down and then picks it right back up like it hurts but I can't find any bruises, sores, or muscles out of place. The vitamins she uses is rooster booster vitamins and electrolytes with lacto bacillus. It has riboflavin and vitamin e in it.

 

[wleigh1021]

Oh forgot to say she's been like this for a week. When she was little I stepped on her foot and broke a toe and she was in a Tupperware for about a month until she was walking well again. There was at least 2 months between her healed and doing well until this started. She's always been a bit of a runt. She was originally my chicken and I gave her to the neighbor when they got their own coop bc the kids loved her so much. She's named tiny bc of her runtiness

 

[Eggcessive]

If you can get pictures of her standing if possible, it might help to see if it looks like a leg deformity. But an injury certainly sounds possible.

 

[wleigh1021]

Sorry for the delay. Here's some pics. She developed the sore on her elbow after this happened bc she's been putting so much weight on it. I wrapped it for padding.

 

[rebrascora]

I see she is a cream legbar. That probably increases the likelihood of it being Marek's since they are one of the more vulnerable breeds for it. The hock is obviously getting grazed because it is in contact with the ground more than it should be. It is good that she is learning to lift it up out of the way as one of mine did.
In my opinion it most likely is Marek's but without testing it is only an educated guess.

 

[wleigh1021]

I see she is a cream legbar. That probably increases the likelihood of it being Marek's since they are one of the more vulnerable breeds for it. The hock is obviously getting grazed because it is in contact with the ground more than it should be. It is good that she is learning to lift it up out of the way as one of mine did.
In my opinion it most likely is Marek's but without testing it is only an educated guess.

I didn't know they were more prone. Good to know, thank you!