non ambulatory hen

[reddingchicken]

I have a new jersey giant 3 years old been having on and off walking difficulties, but now has been completely unable to stand or walk for a week. I digitally inspected the vent and cannot find egg binding, comb and wattles look pale, she eats and drinks what I place in front of her and flaps her wings strongly when picked up. I noticed when she started walking strangely that her tail feathers
had feces collecting on them which I washed off, the vent has never been obstructed.
Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you

 

[HuskerHens18]

How do they feel? Is their keel sharp? (The keel is a straight bone underneath them) sharp and prominent means skinny.

I'm worried it could be Marek's, but let's rule out other things first. What does her poop look like? Is it runny? Bloody?
What do you feed her?

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Have you added any new birds to your flock recently? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease as a baby chick? Does she still normally lay eggs, or has she had any abnormal eggs?

While Mareks usually affects young chickens in the first 6 months of life, they can still get it if exposed by a carrier.
At her age, she could be suffering from internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis which can make walking more difficult. Internal infections can also put pressure on nerves to the legs sometimes.

I would make sure that she can reach food and water at all times, and you may want to make a homemade chicken sling to get her up sitting and able to reach food. Here in post 5 is a picture of several designs of slings and chairs:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[reddingchicken]

How do they feel? Is their keel sharp? (The keel is a straight bone underneath them) sharp and prominent means skinny.

I'm worried it could be Marek's, but let's rule out other things first. What does her poop look like? Is it runny? Bloody?
What do you feed her?

Hello-I know she's lost weight over the last week, but she's huge about 13 lbs-I can feel the keel-no bloody poop I forgot to mention she's gasping-I feed scratch, layer pellets and oyster shell all the birds are in a 70' run with a mulch pile to tear up.didn't know about marek's-over the last 2 months she's had some walking issues, but then would be fine. After a week though now I'm thinking its time to euthanize and that's a shame she's a fine bird and the boss of the flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

Gasping sometimes can be another sign of reproductive disorder or ascites (fluid collecting in the abdomen) which puts pressure on the organs. Some hens can suffer from being overweight from eating foods other than layer feed, such as scratch grains. That can lead to fatty liver disease. If you lose her or put her down, I would do a necropsy, and look for fluid in her belly, excess fat around organs, and any egg matter or odd material in the belly. If you do a necropsy, take pictures of her organs and post them here for any help. A professional necropsy and testing by your state vet could diagnose Mareks. Here is a good link that has contact numbers for state vets if you need it:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[reddingchicken]

Thank you for the help!

 

[HuskerHens18]

Definitely listen to what Eggcessive said.
I would stop the scratch grains for everyone. In my honest opinion scratch is mostly a treat every so often.
If you can afford it, a state lab necropsy would be awesome, then you will know if the rest of your flock is safe.