Merrick's Disease - 4 week old hen

[Lianne]

Can you please tell me how long it would be before I know if this little hen is going to recover fully?

24 hrs ago, I took her out of the cage (3 x 4 week old hens without any symptoms remain in the cage).
This hen sleeps most of the time, cannot balance or walk and doesn't have 100% control of her head
movement.

I have kept her wrapped in a small towel and held her for a lot of the time, feeding her by eyedropper.
This morning she is squeaking and trying to get up but still cannot walk. Is this paralyses? Will it
go away or does she need to be put down?

I would appreciate your help. Many thanks

 

[leadwolf1]

Before you jump to conclusions, it could be a vitamin deficiency. Do not give her medicated crumbles...then, give her a couple drops of poly vi sol vitamins, without iron, twice per day. Plus, she will need vitamin E. The dosage will be small for her. A silkie receives 400 ius daily. Since poly vi sol has Vitamin E in it, that might be enough for one so young. Give it a try and I hope it helps!!

 

[centrarchid]

Can you please tell me how long it would be before I know if this little hen is going to recover fully?

24 hrs ago, I took her out of the cage (3 x 4 week old hens without any symptoms remain in the cage).
This hen sleeps most of the time, cannot balance or walk and doesn't have 100% control of her head
movement.

I have kept her wrapped in a small towel and held her for a lot of the time, feeding her by eyedropper.
This morning she is squeaking and trying to get up but still cannot walk. Is this paralyses? Will it
go away or does she need to be put down?

I would appreciate your help. Many thanks

Lianne,

Could be many possibilities including but not limited to Mareks disease and hypovitaminosis. If former, bird not likely to recover once head gets wobbly. If latter, change of feed is strongly recommended for three apparently healthy chicks as they may falter as well otherwise. The concentrated vitamin supplement or even a vitamin enriched electrolyte solution is suitable intervention for first chick. If feed quality is suspect, then also consider addtion of greens or even treats to diet as many will be rich in vitamins needed by rapidly growing chicks.


Term to use for 4-week old female chick is pullet. Hen is reserved for adult birds past point-of-lay and with some folks beyond first year. Distinction is important with some care related issues.


Get setup so you can post pictures of affected bird.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrient_deficiencies.html
Here's a handy page from my bookmarks.