My chicken couldn't stand up 2 weeks ago but now she can. Is she ok?

[Jaxmom]

Several weeks ago I had a chicken that looked drunk at times then one morning I found her in the coop laying on her side with her legs off to the side while the other chickens walked on her. I have 16 total all between 3-4 months old. I separated her from the rest of the flock and went to the local farm store to see what I could get her. The gal at the farm store was very knowledgable about chickens and told me to start her on vitamins and electrolytes so I did. She perked up within a couple of days but I still had to hold her up several times a day to make sure she was getting food and water because she couldnt balance well enough to get it on her own. After a week she seemed a little better but still couldn't balance so I thought I would try her on some antibiotics before I made the decision to put her down. Almost immediately I saw results from the antibiotics and she was walking around and able to get anywhere she wanted to go including feeding and watering herself. She still stumbles backwards but it seems like she is about 90% now. I have googled everything I could think of and read books. Everything I read points to Marek's disease but could that be the case if she got so much better on antibiotics or is it something else? Any input would be greatly appreciated, Im very new to this, thanks!
Kory

 

[gritsar]

I'm not real familiar with Mareks, so I'm giving you a *bump*

 

[cindylo]

I see that our birds have a similar problem. Thanks for letting me know about it. Tonight I gave my pullet a warm bath to clean her pooey rear and tail. Had to trim off some feathers too. She is alert, ate very well and drank lots of water today, but still can not stand all of the way up. I am going to give her some more time for strength to come back. Does anybody have a similar experience? I'm wishing you both all of the best.

 

[Jaxmom]

cindylo-
I really think our chickens do have the same thing, whatever it is. I had to wash her a couple of times too cause she soiled herself pretty badly. The farm store that I went to I initially got her a vitamin and electrolyte liquid that I gave her at a very high concentrate. This one came with an eyedropper style dispenser and I just basically put about 1 mg straight into her for a couple days and also diluted it in her water. The directions said you could feed it directly for a "quick boost". I had to feed her food and water several times a day by holding her and her food/water up to her because she couldn't balance long enough to eat or drink. I think this helped her out by giving her body the nutrition boost it needed but she wasn't really walking any better. I was just about ready to put her down because I was convinced that she would not recover but I thought I would give antibiotics a try even though I didn't think they would help. I went back to the farm store and bought Terramyacin in a powder form to mix in her water and gave her close to 800 mg a day for 10 days. I say "close to" because these large packets of antibiotics are used to treat several hundred chickens and so you really have to do the math so you give her the right dose. Within 2 days she was starting to walk on her own and was getting just a little bit better everyday. I'd say she started out at 2% and now is running at about 90% of normal. Today was day 10 of the antibiotics so she will be off them tomorrow. I plan to keep her separated from my other 15 birds for a couple weeks more just to be safe. I also called the other farm store where I bought the birds to see if they were vaccinated from Marek's and they were not but they do come from a certified farm. I talked with the farm store owner at length this afternoon (he too is very knowledgable about chickens) and says it wouldn't be Marek's because it is a virus and antibiotics wouldn't have worked but they would work if it was cause by bacteria. The good thing is all the treatments are very inexpensive. I want to say each item (vitamin/electrolyte and the antibiotics) was about $6 each. If you like I can give you the names of the products I bought, I don't have them handy right now but could send them in the morning if you like. If I were you I'd try putting her on both, I was just amazed and I am very optimistic for her now. Good luck, I hope this helps!

 

[cindylo]

I'd like some medicine information before going to the farm store. This morning I have an alert pullet that walks on her feet and knees - not standing up all the way but not falling over either.

 

[tammye]

a vitamin deficiency in an older hen can cause sudden leg paralysis, it takes about two weeks of administering these B vitamins and E vitamin for them to get better, in my experience with my 1 year old that this happen too.

 

[Grand-hen-ma]

My one hen lost the ability to walk several months ago. It came upon her suddenly. At first she looked a little listless so I put her in another pen, away from the other girls and Roo. She was eating and drinking well. I checked her over and the only thing I found was a hard crop. I took care of that problem twice and that was ok. But she still couldn't walk. After about 2 months, she was walking on her knees. Every day I would go out, check her bottom, wash her if necessary and massage her legs. I worked her legs and feet and helped her stand. Then one day she was walking on her feet again. But when I would feed her, ( hold feed in my hand) it was like she couldn't tell exactly where my hand was. She would peck the air. I moved my hand right under her nose and she would eat. It's been 3 months or so now and she is getting better. I never thought of a vitamin deficency. I buy the best food so I figured it had all they needed. She eats very well but is skinny.

Anyway good luck.

 

[Jaxmom]

The product I bought was called "Nutri Drench" for poultry. Mine came in s 4 oz bottle with an eyedropper dispenser. You can give it directly into her mouth without diluting it for "rapid results". I also put it in her water. I do think this helped but in my hen I believe it was the Terramyacin antibiotics that really brought her around. Those were just in a foil-like packet and mix it in her water. Good luck, I hope it works as well for you as it did for me!

 

[Jaxmom]

I almost forgot, I also bought another vitamin/electrolyte product to give to the rest of my flock. This was just a powder that you mix in the water that came in a foil-packet. It was inexpensive and made for more commercial use so it would last you a long time. If you are experiencing the same problem with other chickens in your flock I'd put them on vitamins ASAP too! I plan on putting it in their water once a week on a regular basis, it's full of all the vitamins chickens need. I'd love to know how she responds to the meds.

 

[cindylo]

Thanks to all of you my gal is a little better today. She's still not upright, just walking/hopping in her knees, but she can sit on a 2 by 4 roost and flap her wings like mad! we aren't giving up yet! Will keep you posted.