Paralyzed Legs- any suggestions?

[Sepaar11]

Hi,
About a week and a half ago one of our 3 year old barred rock hen became paralyzed. Prior to this she had lost a lot of weight due to complications with a sour/impacted crop. She began limping around at first and then within a day or two completely lost the use of her legs. At first we suspected Mareks however since her condition has not worsened and none of the other chickens are showing symptoms we are thinking a possible vitamin deficiency? Has anyone else had to deal with this problem? It seems as though one of her legs is regaining strength although very slowly. As I mentioned she has been completely paralyzed for about a week and a half. I'm wondering if anyone can give me an idea on how long it could take her to recover or if shell recover at all? We are very close with her and would like to avoid euthanasia if at all possible. Chicken vets are not readily available in my area so we've been trying to deal with this on our own.
Thank you for any help or tips you can share with me!

 

[bobbi-j]

You might get a better, more thorough response in the Emergencies and Diseases section of the forum.

 

[azygous]

I've had a number of chickens inflicted with leg paralysis. Eventually, after losing a very young rooster and having a necropsy done, I discovered I have avian leukemia (Lymphotic leucosis) in my flock. It's similar to Marek's and many times it ends up crippling the chicken.

My last hen lasted for several years until it got so bad she could no longer get around at all. But usually, it manifests like your hen, a quick deterioration and no hope of improvement.

If this is what is wrong with your hen, it doesn't necessarily affect others in the flock since many develop resistance to the virus. But those who don't have a resistance usually die from it.

 

[Folly's place]

Your state vet lab, if you have one, or the nearest state vet lab, can necropsy your bird and give you a diagnosis. If she's really ill, that will be best for her, and for your flock. Mary