Polish Rooster Can't walk after being shipped

[perfectly_polish]

Hi, everyone, I'm new here from Connecticut! I have had chickens for my whole life but this is the first time I ordered an adult chicken online. I won a Standard Silver Laced Polish Rooster(adult) on eggbid.com the women I bought him from has shipped out 1000's of birds and said she never had this problem. He was shipped from Kansas and got to me in CT the next day. I took him out of the shipping box and he couldn't walk or stand up:/, I thought maybe his legs just "fell asleep" from being a box that long and he would be better the next day, well it's been a week and he still is walking, he is eating and drinking though. His legs aren't broken i'm pretty sure of that and it's just like they aren't there. I was also wondering if there is any way I can tell his age. Thanks hope someone can help, Sophia !

 

[PDJTP2006]

I think hes just tired from going so far, but im not that sure I cant see how he could get injured during shipping they sleep in that same position.

The only way I know how to tell age of a Roo is the length of hes spur the sharp nail on the back of the leg. If its still kinda a dumb hes young but if its like 1/2 inch long he could be atleast 3 or 4

 

[mudhen]

If he hasn't walked for a week the problem sounds a bit more permanent than numbness from shipping.
Hope someone here has a suggestion/cure for your SLP roo.
Best of luck!

 

[Forest_Nymph]

I once had a bantam that stopped walking. With PE I was able to bring her back after a few months. I don't know what happened for sure but believe she pulled a hamstring or something.

Try cradling him gently and securely while you attempt to extend his leg and retract it. Does it seem loose and normal? Is he putting up any resistance when his leg is moving? Are his toes curled and not flexing? If the above are working/flexing normally, you may want to try massaging that joint and thigh... Continue doing so often throughout the day each day and you may see some improvement. ( I also made a splint to keep her toes extended until the feeling came back) One day while I was doing this procedure on my bantam, she all of a sudden pulled out of her weakness and gave a hullva squawk. From that point on her recovery went quickly, although she remained weak in the legs and not strong as normal. She eventually could walk again.

Also, remember seeing the chickens do that backward leg and wing stretch? After my bantam was able to extend like that she was on her way to recovery! She remained a house pet until she was able to return to the flock and free roam as the others.

This may not be a cure for your fellas problem, but since you're sure nothing is broken, swollen or bruised; this may help if all else fails.

Hope this may help,

Sylvia

 

[bigzio]

sophia, sorry to hear about your polish roo. I would not rule out Marek's disease. Paralysis of the wings and legs are a symptom. If your not familiar with this, go to the home page, click on learning center, then diseases, then Marek's, scroll down and click the link on the bottom for a expanation of the disease. Good Luck....

bigzio

 

[chicknmania]

A classic symptom for Marek's is if they lie on their side with their legs extended together to the side; or if they lie on their chest with both legs extended in front or behind them. This is usually in the advanced stages, though.

 

[Wes in Tx]

Test to see if he has any reflex in his legs and feet by pushing on the bottom of each foot. The toes should curl under. If they don't it is something I would see a vet about.

For treatment for now. I would start him on a regement of childerns liquid vitamis. Polyvisol is the best. Give 2 drops 2 times a day for 4 days then 1 drop 2 times a day for 4 days and then 1 drops once a day for 4 days.

It could be he suffered sometype of head trauma. Polish like silkes can have holes in the skull which allows access to the brain to get injured.

 

[dlhunicorn]

In addition to the polyvisol...you can also give VitE/Selenium combination (you must give both as they are interdependent on each other ) according to the schedule laid out in this article:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=casestudiesemergencies&action=display&num=1160927052

You do not mention crookneck so the prednisone as described in the article may not be necessary (needed to control the brain inflammation)... I know of many cases where this in addition to the polyvisol has worked and there are many university studies showing that vitE/selenium (vit. E 200-400 IU/ selenium 50 MICROgrams) is helpful in many situations including toxicity and shock. A friend recently told me she found at Walmart a combination of the two (it is VERY important that you do not exceed 50 MICROgrams selenium as it is toxic in excess)...follow the schedule given in the article in the link posted above...it cannot hurt and might very well make all the difference.

 

[kingsdaughter]

I read in a book called Hen and the art of chicken maintenance : reflections on keeping chickens
by Gurdon, Martin that when one of his chickens was ill and had this walking problem, he made a sling which the chicken was suspended in, with its legs dangeling. He worked at home and was with the chicken taking care of it. I cant remember all the details, but the bird came around and made it through.

I got this book from the library, so perhaps you could get a copy from yours and reread that section. Just a thought.

 

[perfectly_polish]

I e-mailed the lady I bought him from and she said none of her chickens have ever gotten marek's disease and that he was running seperatly in a pen for several months. Is there anyway he can still get it

? If he doesn't show any progress in the next few days I think I will have to bring him to the vet just to make sure everything is ok.