Paralysis, neck twisting, pale combs

[ak]

I now have 4 hens that have pale combs and are not walking. If I move them to water and food they will eat but otherwise have a hard time walking. They seem to have a foot that is paraylized and one has a wing. One is still walking but her comb is very pale. A couple have a swollen eye on one side of their head.

I have lost two hens in the last month thinking they were pestered badly by the RIR rooster (lost two americaunas). Now I have 2 black Austrolope, 1 RIR, and 1 Americauana all with the same issue. I was browsing the internet and found Newcastle disease, does this sound possible. Is there anything I can do? I am isolating them today. I have raised these chicks since the end of July. They all did so well through our cold winter here in MO. I have had a hen in the past have the paralysis and recover. I thought she had just hurt herself, but now am thinking she had the same thing. I am separating the hens today and cleaning out the coop really well again.

On a side note, I cleaned the coop two weeks ago after the winter, could I have disturbed some sleeping critter(bacteria) that is now affecting them all?

I have 27 hens and 2 roosters. They are in a 12x16 coop, heated, windows, and free range or range in an enclosed pen during the day.

I have never vaccinated. Not even sure what to use to vaccinate - any advise - can I vaccinate my flock now at 6 months of age (do have 2 hens that are older than 2 years that we got from a friend in our first fun with chickens). The farm store suggested antibiotics in their water. Using Duramycin-10. SHould I continue to use this?

I am so attached to these sweet girls. I want to save my flock. I have so much time, energy, money, and love put into them.

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

Hello, ak..... You might also consider Marek's, based on the symptoms you describe. The leg/wing paralysis and leg extended backwards match. Here is a link with some information, and if you search this site further you will find additional information. I have never dealt with this and so have no advice to offer, but I hope this helps you figure out what is happening. I know that it is frustrating dealing with illness in your flock when you don"t know what is happening or what to do for treatment. Best of luck to you and your hens.
http://www.avianweb.com/mareksdisease.html

 

[ak]

Thanks so much for the reply. It does sound like how my chickens are acting. I sure hope it doesn't hit them all, although it doesn't sound promising. I have isolated the three left (one has died since the last post). I am going out now to totally clean the big coop. I will be monitoring them closely. Two are eating and drinking well. One I have to move to the food and water, the other is still walking okay. I don't have another enclosed cage to separate them even further and it is still getting too cold at night to keep them in an open cage. All the other chickens (hens and roosters) so far look okay, but this happens suddenly.

I'll update :

 

[ak]

In an unrelated event...after I lost several chickens to the paralysis (did not find out specifically if it was Mareck's but suspect it was), the rest of the chickens came down with what seemed to be a 'cold'. There was sneezing, coughing, rattly voices, and the poor roosters just stood with their heads up and no sound coming out. When shaking their heads to clear their throats, some chickens had blood in it.

A dead and live chicken were brought to the MU Diagnostic Lab and negropcied. The MO Dept. of Agriculture was kind enough to pay for the testing as they wanted to be sure it wasn't the avian flu. They ran cultures and determined Largynotrachetitis. I had started my chickens on antibiotic which he said was fine as bacterial was secondary to the viral. I am happy to say I still have 20 hens and my two roosters. They all seem to be fine now, with only one still coughing a little. It is very frustrating though because I lost about 8 and 7 of those I don't know specifically what it was.

I did buy the vaccine for Mareck's, but am waiting for them to recovery completely from the trachetitis before I administer it.

Always learning!

Debbie