Please help- my hen has one foot with curled toes and is falling over

[hollishomestead]

My hen (Benedict) is 1 1/2 years old. I just went out to check on the coop and saw she was having trouble walking. Her left toes are curled up and she has her right wing out dragging on the ground. She fell over a few times. When I tried to give her a treat to watch her eat, she laid down on the ground to eat. I have no idea what is wrong with her, but I have 9 other girls, so I separated her. Can anyone shed any light on these strange symptoms? So sad for Benedict...

 

[duckking]

If you can, look at the bottom of the foot and check for abnormalities. If you can I would say go visit a vet, hopfully everything is ok.

 

[hollishomestead]

Thank you for your reply! I did check her leg & foot, there are no abnormalities. Unfortunately, it seems she is showing some of the symptons of Marek's disease. Is it possible for a 1 1/2 year old hen to have Marek's? What are the chances that my other 9 pullets/hens will now get it? Am I supposed to put her down? Her left leg/foot appears to be paralyzed, she is now having troubles swallowing food, it sounds like she is choking and her poop has the green 'thread' running through it that some other people have shown in their photos. Is it possible that this is anything else? I don't know what to do...

 

[Wyandottes7]

This does not really sound like Marek's to me. Marek's disease (from what I've read) doesn't usually cause curled toes. It usually paralyzes the legs and (sometimes) the wings.

Your description sounds more like Botulism, or poisoning. Botulism first paralyzes the legs and the wings, and then spreads throughout the body. By the time it reaches the head/neck, treatment is rarely successful. The organism that causes Botulism is found in rotting vegatation, fruits, or food, as well as in wet litter, etc. Treatment consists of a molasses or epsom salts flush. I'd give a molasses flush, as epsom salts will dehydrate a bird even more than a molasses flush. Make a solution of four tablespoons molasses and one quart of water. Give this mixture as the sole source of water for no more than 24 hours. Give her some from an eyedropper if she can't drink on her own.

Vitamin B deficiency is a possiblity, but the onset of it would not occur so suddenly. Still, you could try giving her some polyvisol infant vitamins (without iron).

I hope your bird gets better soon!