Mareks, Riboflavin defiency, or something else?

[AdriLovesChicks]

We have 4 new pullets, and over the last several days one of them has progressively been losing the ability to stand/walk. She seemed normal when we got her a week ago, maybe about 3 days ago I noticed she was preferring to lay down instead of stand. I figured maybe she hurt her foot and decided to keep an eye on it. Yesterday was worse, but this morning she didn't even leave the coop - she was just sitting in the entrance in front of the ramp.

When I pick her up she will kick her legs downwards, she can still flap her wings, hold her head up, etc. She can grab my fingers with her toes on both feet. But she's progressively walking less and less, and this morning seems like she can't take even two steps. She feels quite skinny as well, but when I put her in front of food she has a healthy appetite.

This is how she wants to sit/lay down:

I haven't noticed her toes curling up.

It doesn't seem to be the typical presentation of Mareks or Riboflavin deficiency, so I'm not really sure what could be going on. But I have no experience in this area. Any ideas/suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[azygous]

It's very important you tell us her exact age. Is she the only one affected?

Marek's isn't the only avian virus that causes these symptoms.

 

[AdriLovesChicks]

It's very important you tell us her exact age. Is she the only one affected?

Marek's isn't the only avian virus that causes these symptoms.

Yes, she's the only one affected. So far the others all seem completely fine.
I wish I knew her exact age, but I don't. I was told she should start laying within a month or two, so maybe she's around 3 months old? We bought her as a pullet, not a chick, so unfortunately I don't know exactly how old she is.

 

[azygous]

Did you get her as a day-old chick or several weeks old? Was the source a private party or a feed store?

 

[AdriLovesChicks]

Did you get her as a day-old chick or several weeks old? Was the source a private party or a feed store?

Several weeks old from a private party, I believe she's probably around 3 months old and we got her about one week ago

 

[azygous]

Getting her as an older pullet from a private party elevates the odds of her having lymphoid leycosis. If the flock she came from carries this avian virus, and especially if she was hatched from eggs from hens in this flock, she's within the window to show first symptoms.

Go ahead though and start treating her with a daily tablet of vitamin B complex. If this is an avian virus, it will steadily get worse. If it's a vitamin B deficiency, she will get better gradually over the next four to six weeks.

If you have a conversational relationship with the people who sold her to you, you could ask them if she was hatched from an egg laid by a hen in their flock, and also ask them if they've seen these symptoms from pullets in their flock. Also ask if they noticed a high proportion of hatching eggs where the embryos died in the egg before hatching.

 

[AdriLovesChicks]

Getting her as an older pullet from a private party elevates the odds of her having lymphoid leycosis. If the flock she came from carries this avian virus, and especially if she was hatched from eggs from hens in this flock, she's within the window to show first symptoms.

Go ahead though and start treating her with a daily tablet of vitamin B complex. If this is an avian virus, it will steadily get worse. If it's a vitamin B deficiency, she will get better gradually over the next four to six weeks.

If you have a conversational relationship with the people who sold her to you, you could ask them if she was hatched from an egg laid by a hen in their flock, and also ask them if they've seen these symptoms from pullets in their flock. Also ask if they noticed a high proportion of hatching eggs where the embryos died in the egg before hatching.

Thank you, I'll do that! I did text her this morning and ask if she's seen these symptoms in any of her birds, but haven't heard back yet. We'll see if I do.
Should I separate her from the others for now? She is unable to run away if she gets pecked at all. I could put her in a large dog crate with food/water?

 

[AbL]

I had a young chick with similar symptoms, over the cours of a couple of days she lost her balance more and more and was not able to get up anymore. I treated her with vitamins orally and after a week with vitamin injections but in the end when she didn't recover I decided to put her down. She was 4 weeks old, hatched at my place and the only one affected (fingers crossed!) The vet couldn't say what cause, as she was able to bat the wings or grip with the toes. Healthy appetite all to the end, only persistant imbalance Hope your's will pull through!

 

[azygous]

Keep her with the others but a protective crate is a good idea so she won't be pestered. All of your chickens have been exposed is this is indeed a virus. If your chicken seller reports similar symptoms in others, it doubles the odds this is avian leucosis.

 

[AdriLovesChicks]

I just talked to the person I got the pullets from. Here's what she said:

She also said that these chicks were originally from Tractor Supply. She hasn't vaccinated for Mereks, but hasn't seen any symptoms or signs of disease (not for this or anything else) in her own birds. All the other birds I got from her (1 barnyard mix, maybe from her own flock? and 2 other red ones that were also from Tractor Supply) seem to be doing perfectly well. She seems genuine and offered a refund and everything, so I really don't think she's lying about anything.

I'm heading out of town, but my parents are going to get some Vitamin B and start the little girl on that today. I've set her up in a pen in the run, where she'll still see the rest of the flock but be safe from being picked on. Should she be kept there overnight too? Or put into the coop at night? I'm afraid she'll be distressed if she's separated from them at night.

Does anyone know if UC Davis still does free necropsy? I've been living out of the country for 7 years, just got back this year. Not sure if that has changed. (These are technically my parents chickens, but I live with them right now and I absolutely love the chickens)