Paralysis?

[Mystiegl]

We came home after vacation to find our 5 year old silver laced Wyandotte not able to walk. We had noticed she was limping for a few days several weeks ago, after a few days she was back to normal. My father who was taking care of our chickens separated her when he found her unable to move a few days ago. She is eating but not much. Cleaned up her feathers in the back to find out she is missing a significant amount of feathers. Read a few posts here about paralized chickens but none mentioned missing feathers, any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

Mareks disease comes to mind with limping, then some improvement, then being totally lame later, but I am not an expert on Mareks. Has she been feather picked by other chickens, or being over-mated by a rooster? Are your roosts very high that she may be injuring herself? Has she been free ranging while you were gone? Botulism from eating buried dead animal, fish, or vegetative remains, can cause paralysis in legs, rapidly moving up to wings, and neck. It also causes feathers to easily come out. Of course, she may be starting to molt as well.

I would place her in a wire dog crate near food and water. Chicken slings also can help to get her up sitting.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Have you added any new chickens to your flock within the last 30days?
What does her poop look like?
When was the last time she laid an egg?

It's hard to tell in the photos, but is her abdomen bloated?
Do you notice any swelling of the joints, legs, feet?

You mention that she is unable to move --she cannot stand or use her legs at all?
She may benefit from sling to help keep her upright and cleaner. Google chicken sling and you will find images.

Do what you can to keep her hydrated add some poultry vitamins to her water and encourage her to eat. You may be able to entice her with some egg or tuna.
Chickens can succumb to a number of things from reproductive disorders to disease like Marek's later in life. If you happen to lose her, getting a necropsy will give you some answers.

 

[Mystiegl]

Mareks disease comes to mind with limping, then some improvement, then being totally lame later, but I am not an expert on Mareks. Has she been feather picked by other chickens, or being over-mated by a rooster?


Are your roosts very high that she may be injuring herself?

Has she been free ranging while you were gone? Botulism from eating buried dead animal, fish, or vegetative remains, can cause paralysis in legs, rapidly moving up to wings, and neck. It also causes feathers to easily come out. Of course, she may be starting to molt as well.


I would place her in a wire dog crate near food and water. Chicken slings also can help to get her up sitting.

We don’t have roosters and no picking by the other 4. She doesn’t like roosting. They have an area on the side of the house they roam around during the day, I suspect if she got into a dead animals others would have too.
Yes, she is in the Florida room, using the tray from a cage since she can’t move, with water and food. Thanks for responding!

 

[Mystiegl]

Have you added any new chickens to your flock within the last 30days?
What does her poop look like?
When was the last time she laid an egg?

It's hard to tell in the photos, but is her abdomen bloated?
Do you notice any swelling of the joints, legs, feet?

You mention that she is unable to move --she cannot stand or use her legs at all?
She may benefit from sling to help keep her upright and cleaner. Google chicken sling and you will find images.

Do what you can to keep her hydrated add some poultry vitamins to her water and encourage her to eat. You may be able to entice her with some egg or tuna.
Chickens can succumb to a number of things from reproductive disorders to disease like Marek's later in life. If you happen to lose her, getting a necropsy will give you some answers.

 

[Abriana]

Sounds like mareks unfortunately

 

[Mystiegl]

We added 2 chicks 14 weeks ago but they are separate from the older ones. Her poop is green, runny. I suspect she hasn’t laid in 4-5 days. I sat her on her belly and felt both sides, legs, they feel the same, but she leans to the left the second I try to put her on her feet, but both her wings are strong. Read somewhere where it said I should try plain yogurt a crushed up vitamin B12, she seemed to like that, she also is pecking at meal warms. I got a syringe and feefing the yogurt that way but she seems to like it better when I just squirt some on to her regular food. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Eggcessive]

If using vitamins, I would use a chicken multivitamin that contains riboflavin and other B’s. There are many brands a ailable at feed stores. A Human B complex tablet can instead be crushed onto some food daily.

Chickens slings are helpful to get them up and out of their waste, and where they can reach food and water. They can have rest periods every few hours, and can sleep out of them at night. Post 5 in this link has several others besides the one posted above:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Mystiegl]

Have you added any new chickens to your flock within the last 30days?
What does her poop look like?
When was the last time she laid an egg?

It's hard to tell in the photos, but is her abdomen bloated?
Do you notice any swelling of the joints, legs, feet?

You mention that she is unable to move --she cannot stand or use her legs at all?
She may benefit from sling to help keep her upright and cleaner. Google chicken sling and you will find images.

Do what you can to keep her hydrated add some poultry vitamins to her water and encourage her to eat. You may be able to entice her with some egg or tuna.
Chickens can succumb to a number of things from reproductive disorders to disease like Marek's later in life. If you happen to lose her, getting a necropsy will give you some answers.

Thanks for the pic, I made one for her and she seems to like it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Very good job on the sling. Is she moving her legs or feet at all? Or has she tried to get out of her sling?