? Marek's?? young hen off legs - help needed

[Norton1808]

Good morning everyone,
I need some help please. A week ago I found a hen, who was the last born in August, cold, shivering and trying to get under another young hen's wing. I brought her indoors, she was breathing funny almost like when a cat purrs, shaking of the body. I thought that she just needed warming up, so for a week she has been under the brooder getting warm. So the problems are - she won't use her legs, she won't grip my fingers when held, when handled she wakes and appears alert, but goes back to sleep quickly, she doesn't chirp, she eats and drinks and crawls around, her feathers are coming back and I can move her legs.

I don't know what to do with her, should I give her more time? Or is the future for her obvious?
Any help would be appreciated. TIA.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good morning everyone,
I need some help please. A week ago I found a hen, who was the last born in August, cold, shivering and trying to get under another young hen's wing. I brought her indoors, she was breathing funny almost like when a cat purrs, shaking of the body. I thought that she just needed warming up, so for a week she has been under the brooder getting warm. So the problems are - she won't use her legs, she won't grip my fingers when held, when handled she wakes and appears alert, but goes back to sleep quickly, she doesn't chirp, she eats and drinks and crawls around, her feathers are coming back and I can move her legs.

I don't know what to do with her, should I give her more time? Or is the future for her obvious?
Any help would be appreciated. TIA.

I'm sorry about your chick

Can you take a video of her? Upload to youtube or similar platform and provide a link.
Photos of her poop?

Any swelling of the feet, legs or joints?
You mention her feathers are coming back, had she lost all her feathers or do you mean she's feathering out like a normal chick?
What do you feed including treats?
Can you take a sample of poop to your vet for testing of Coccidiosis?

Sadly, it does sound like she may be suffering from Marek's. It can be hard to know unless testing is performed if you happen to lose her.

You can try vitamin therapy to see if that makes any difference. A good broad poultry vitamin that contains most B vitamins (including B2) would be good or you can give human B-Complex. For her age, I would give 1/4 tablet daily.

She may also benefit from being placed in a sling periodically throughout the day. This will get her upright and hopefully she can learn to move her legs and strengthen them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post pictures of the chicken? Was it born 2 months ago or a year ago? If it is ony 2 months or less, I would consider treating for coccidiosis with amprollium, but if she is a year old, Mareks or something else may well be a problem. There are just so many possibilites with an ill chicken.

 

[Norton1808]

She is 3 months old, born this August. Her feet and legs are normal, she has cold feet, and as off today I have been doing some physio with her legs, as they appeared to be, I wouldn't want to say stuck, but needed stretching. Her feathers are coming through, she had started to get her big girls feathers, then she seemed to lose them. Her poop seems normal, but will try to upload both a video and photo.

 

[Eggcessive]

Videos have to be uploaded to YouTube with a link posted here. What do you feed her? Is she eating or drinking at this time? I would try to get amprollium, just in case she has coccidiosis. You would need to check at a vet or at your farm store. Symptoms of coccidiosis are weakness, lethargy, poor appetite, diarrhea with mucus or sometimes blood, and standing around puffed or hunched. Has she been fairly normal up until now? Were the others pecking out her feathers?