First I did a search on BYC to see what others have had this problem. My rooster all of a sudden can't walk. He is 3 years old. Three days ago I found him in his pen laying on his side. At first I thought he was dust bathing but something just didn't look right so I went over, picked him up and realized he couldn't stand up. He was fine and on their roost the night before when I went out for my eventing check. I checked him over and couldn't find anything apparently wrong. He is molting so he looks pretty pathetic right now. I took him out of him out of his pen and put him in a cage. He is eating and drinking ok. I gave him some vitamins in his water. He does try to stand up but can't. Right now I put him on the grass in the yard with his food and water. He is laying there eating, drinking and pecking at the ground and every once in awhile he will try to stand up. I checked his legs thinking he may have broken a leg but the legs seem fine. I just don't know why one night he is ok and the next morning not. Any suggestions out there in chicken-land?
I'm not exactly sure what could be wrong, though his symptoms are almost exactly the same as something that happened to one of my bantam cocks a few months ago--one night, he was fine, by the next morning, he couldn't stand. What I ended up doing was keeping him isolated for 7-10 days, spoon-feeding him (he lost interest in eating after a while), and giving him injections of Tylan (this was because he started developing respiratory disease signs). I don't know what was ever wrong with him, but after three days of Tylan200 injections, he was cured.
If your rooster was under a year of age, I would suspect Marek's disease but a three year old bird is not likely to get Marek's. Does it seem like his legs are paralyzed, or is he just too weak to stand? Try pressing your finger into the bottom of each foot; if the leg isn't paralyzed he should curl his toes and/or pull his leg away.
Some other disorders that cause paralysis of the legs are: algae poisoning, Exotic Newcastle Disease, and Fowl Tick bites. An inability to stand can be because of a vitamin deficiency, injury to nerves, or a general weakness (can be caused by worm infestation, etc.). I would keep him isolated from any other birds. Continue giving vitamins, and make sure he can eat and drink properly. You could also try an antibiotic, if you want. Watch out for any other symptoms, like wheezing, heavy breathing, etc., as those could be signs of a secondary infection caused by his immobility.
