Pretty sure it's Marek's disease...

[Wonderling]

Aww, poor thing!
I'm not sure how much I can help since I haven't had to deal with Mareck's, but I'll try.

Are his legs paralyzed, or is he just having a hard time standing/getting around?

Also, have you tried checking for bumble foot? I've had a few birds with bumble-foot who refused to walk.

I'll take another look at his feet in the morning, I looked at them again today but they didn't seem to have any issues that I could see, I was looking more at his legs than his feet though. I'll try to get a good picture to post of what I'm looking at so everyone can get a better idea of what's going on as well.

 

[Wonderling]

Thanks for the input everyone, I'll get him some vitamins and keep an eye on him for a few days to keep an eye on him and see what could be going on in case it isn't Marek's. I kind of went to a worst case scenario I suppose, but still being new to this when I looked up the symptoms I was seeing Marek's as being most likely.

His legs look fine so I don't think it's mites. Honestly looks healthy besides the sudden legs not working thing, I checked both legs yesterday when we first noticed and other than him not walking on the one they looked and felt fine.

 

[Eggcessive]

Human vitamin B complex is very good to use, or a chicken vitamin with riboflavin listed on the label (Poultry NutriDrench does not have it.) Could he have hurt his back rough housing with another cockerel or in some other way? Are you feeding him a complete chicken feed? Vitamins and minerals are very important in bone growth.

 

[microchick]

Also, the only incident of classic Marek's paralysis happened in the 8 week old pullet. The cockerels that died between 8 months and one year of age just up and died within a few days or sudden death. No paralysis. My other birds mostly died at about 2 years. Sudden decline, weight loss, lethargy, dead.

Good job putting him where his hens can see him and he can interact with them a bit.

 

[Bird-Whisperer]

Aww, poor thing!
I'm not sure how much I can help since I haven't had to deal with Mareck's, but I'll try.

Are his legs paralyzed, or is he just having a hard time standing/getting around?

Also, have you tried checking for bumble foot? I've had a few birds with bumble-foot who refused to walk.

 

[microchick]

None of us do when we are faced with something like this, @Wonderling. It's very hard. If you are considering culling, you will know when it is time.

I urge you that if you go that route, to please send him in to a lab for necropsy so you get a definitive diagnosis on what has cause this. I had birds with Ocular Marek's and my dear husband is a retired eye doctor so he was able to diagnose the herpes infection in my birds. Knowing allows you to form a game plan.

If it is definite MD, then yes, your flock is exposed but it isn't the end of the world. I've been dealing with Marek's in my flock for the past almost 4 years now.

Just remember that we are here to help you.

 

[Kiki]

It seems more like he can't walk, since he's struggling to move his legs at all.



He struggles to try and pull his leg under him but can't seem to do more than pull it a bit closer to him before he gives up. Would this be the 'scissor' stance you mentioned?
View attachment 1972873

Your state lab.
Oregon
http://vetmed.oregonstate.edu/diagnostic

 

[microchick]

I agree 100% with @Eggcessive. It sounds as though it is progressing as I mentioned, but until you try the riboflavin.......

I'm sorry that I have to agree.. It does sound and act like Marek's disease. Unfortunately unless you have a vet that can diagnose it for you or you decide to cull(or he dies naturally) and you get a diagnosis via necropsy, we can only wager a guess based on knowledge and experience to try to help you.

I know the pain that you are going through right now. If it is Marek's you are constantly thinking, not my flock...not my flock and I know from my own experience that if it is Marek's it's not the end.....and I have 40 healthy, happy bantams, bantam crosses and Egyptian Fayoumis to prove it!

 

[Peepsi]

No need to quarantine him. If this roo has Marek's the entire flock has it, too. But, it's premature to conclude it's Marek's.

Bruises on chicken legs and feet appear as very faint greenish spots. Look at the webbing between the toes for these signs of bruising. A stubbed toe is every bit as painful to a chicken as it is to humans.

Also examine his toes for broken talons or hangnails which can be very painful. Look at the bottoms of his feet if you haven't already done so. Bumblefoot can cripple a chicken. Look for dark scabs. If any of his scales aren't perfectly smooth and flush with the leg, scaly leg mites could be getting a running start at him.

Try giving him one whole baby aspirin (81 grain) If he has an injury, that might clue you to it by relieving the pain enough so he feels like standing and walking.

But isn't it better to get him away from the others? It might be another disease that can be passed on slowly to other chickens in the flock, and quarantining might stop some of that. Also, what about pecking? The other birds might see him as weak and easy to bully. Quarantine is not just to make sure he doesn't give the other chickens a disease, it's for his own safety as well. I'd never leave a sick chicken in with other chickens, at the very least for fear of the sick chicken being bullied. Chickens aren't exactly compassionate (but they make up for it by being cute!)

 

[Peepsi]

You raise some very valid concerns. They need to be taken into consideration, absolutely. However, unless he's showing visible symptoms of a respiratory infection and if the others aren't picking on him, chickens recover so much quicker when left with the flock. Many of us never remove a sick or injured chicken from the flock unless it's absolutely necessary, and we return that chicken as soon as is practical.

Some of the concerns you've raised are the reasons a lot of chicken keepers have constructed a segregation pen inside their runs. This is one way of keeping a recovering chicken safe while still allowing it to be part of its flock.

Segregation pen does the trick!