Polish chicken suddenly won’t stand or walk

[penny131]

I have a polish chicken about 4-5 months old who a little over a week ago started limping. Originally I thought she’d hurt her leg but it seems like both her legs are struggling and she’s having a really hard time walking or standing at all. She tries but sort of wobbles and falls. I’ve checked for mites, injury, bumble foot, and see nothing. Her legs look normal. All of our other chickens are acting completely fine. She really is acting ok and eating and drinking fine but whenever she tries to walk is stumbling and cannot hold herself up well. I don’t know what to do any ideas?

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

I have a polish chicken about 4-5 months old who a little over a week ago started limping. Originally I thought she’d hurt her leg but it seems like both her legs are struggling and she’s having a really hard time walking or standing at all. She tries but sort of wobbles and falls. I’ve checked for mites, injury, bumble foot, and see nothing. Her legs look normal. All of our other chickens are acting completely fine. She really is acting ok and eating and drinking fine but whenever she tries to walk is stumbling and cannot hold herself up well. I don’t know what to do any ideas?

Are her eyes sharp and reactive to light/ movement? Are her nostril clear from mucous? Could you upload pictures of her and maybe some videos? It’s kind of a stretch but she could have pulled her tendons from getting spooked by something.

 

[penny131]

Here are photos of her. Trying to figure out getting a video up.

 

[penny131]

Are her eyes sharp and reactive to light/ movement? Are her nostril clear from mucous? Could you upload pictures of her and maybe some videos? It’s kind of a stretch but she could have pulled her tendons from getting spooked by something.

They seem fine? And yes there are no respiratory issues I can see. She walks on large rocks a lot. I have a bunch bordering their run and she loves to go over them and hide back there. I don’t know if she could have hurt them there. Mareks keeps popping into my head but it’s been almost 2 weeks and no one else has been sick and she’s going strong. She just cannot walk around.

 

[Eggcessive]

Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? At her age, Mareks can show up, and it is a virus that can have 4 types of symptoms. Weakness of one leg or wing can be common. Injury is another possibility. Unless she can easily get to water and food, she may starve. Have other chickens tried to bully or peck her? Hopefully, it is not Mareks, but keep her near food and water. Consider making a chicken sling chair. Vitamin B complex tablets 1/4 tablet daily can be crushed into a little food daily, and may possibly help if it is a vitamin deficiency.

 

[penny131]

Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? At her age, Mareks can show up, and it is a virus that can have 4 types of symptoms. Weakness of one leg or wing can be common. Injury is another possibility. Unless she can easily get to water and food, she may starve. Have other chickens tried to bully or peck her? Hopefully, it is not Mareks, but keep her near food and water. Consider making a chicken sling chair. Vitamin B complex tablets 1/4 tablet daily can be crushed into a little food daily, and may possibly help if it is a vitamin deficiency.

She was not. No our flock strangely has not had much pecking or bullying going on. She has a little when she was younger and her fluff was growing in but nothing recently. Is there anything else with mareks to know that’s what it is? I mean she for sure is struggling to use her legs. She gets around to get food and water ok it seems but other then that mostly has just been finding spots to lay in. I’ll post a video below.

 

[penny131]

Here is a Video of her

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

She was not. No our flock strangely has not had much pecking or bullying going on. She has a little when she was younger and her fluff was growing in but nothing recently. Is there anything else with mareks to know that’s what it is? I mean she for sure is struggling to use her legs. She gets around to get food and water ok it seems but other then that mostly has just been finding spots to lay in. I’ll post a video below.

I can really tell if it’s Mareks if you can find find a vet that can blood test for Mareks you should take her in. Has she gotten any worse?

 

[penny131]

I can really tell if it’s Mareks if you can find find a vet that can blood test for Mareks you should take her in. Has she gotten any worse?

No she actually seems to be a tiny bit better. I’m sort of wondering if it’s vitamin related. She still is very wobbly and not walking around much but is eating and drinking well, and changes spots though the day. And she did stand for a minute this morning.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you tried giving any vitamins yet? The video does seem to look more like Mareks or possibly a riboflavin (B2) deficiency which also can cause the curled toe paralysis. Hopefuly it is not. Here is some information about Mareks disease:
http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/