Pullet is stumbling backwards! Help!

[Momsbusiness]

How's the chick today, Thursday??

 

[Creede]

I literally just gave her some meds. The two vitamins that were suggested last.

She’s getting around the yard good. She’s not capable of a full sprint and I see her do some funny things with balance and posture at times. However, she’s not laying around. Always with the flock and interested in eating, drinking, dust bathing and all chicken things. She’s a lot smaller and at the bottom of the pecking order.

I’ve seen her take some pecks or encounter something that would alert her to sound off, and noticed she’s a lot quieter than anyone else. She still has her high pitched soft cheeps, whereas the others are starting to sound like a chicken or can really squeal if they get trampled. She’s not even as loud as a baby chick though. Wondering if she’s just behind on maturity or something else.

 

[Creede]

It's also possible she may have gotten a mild case of AEV. https://poultrydvm.com/condition/avian-encephalomyelitis . It's fairly common and can cause lack of coordination and sitting back on the hocks like she seems to be doing in the pictures. Care is supportive, the b vitamins should help.

Thanks for sharing this. She didn’t show any symptoms until week 5-6 I believe. Never shook or trembled either. She’s seems to be progressing with the vitamins.

 

[DLA]

Thanks for sharing this. She didn’t show any symptoms until week 5-6 I believe. Never shook or trembled either. She’s seems to be progressing with the vitamins.

Any age chicken can get it, it's just most common in young ones. Even after they get better it can leave some neurological damage like not walking right. I only mention this as I had a mild case in 3 of my last batch starting around week 3, I think. I probably introduced it inadvertently from outside on my clothes or shoes thru a lapse in biosecurity for new chicks on my part. I never saw any shaking or trembling either, mostly just sitting back on the hocks was the biggest indicator. I started supportive care right away like you did. My rooster has a small cataract on one eye that developed at about 16 weeks but does have partial vision in that eye, otherwise he's perfectly fine. One I see no lasting effects at all. They both recovered very quickly. The 3rd who had it the worst walks kind of odd and is a bit uncoordinated, she also doesn't sound quite the same as the others. She took longer to develop, but now she's finally normal sized, laying, keeping up with the flock most of the time, eating, drinking ok but she does have some lasting effects that I don't think will ever go away. Your descriptions of your chickens symptoms reminded me quite a bit of what I've seen with mine.

 

[Momsbusiness]

Thanks for sharing this. She didn’t show any symptoms until week 5-6 I believe. Never shook or trembled either. She’s seems to be progressing with the vitamins.

I just read some of the article. Hmmmm. Did you hatch her yourself or get her from a feed store that would have done the vaccines?

 

[Creede]

Any age chicken can get it, it's just most common in young ones. Even after they get better it can leave some neurological damage like not walking right.

I just read some of the article. Hmmmm. Did you hatch her yourself or get her from a feed store that would have done the vaccines?

Her and others were mailed from Privett Hatchery in Portales, NM. Hoping she makes a recovery and live a good life.

 

[DLA]

I just read some of the article. Hmmmm. Did you hatch her yourself or get her from a feed store that would have done the vaccines?

I don't think that's something that hatcheries or feed stores typically vaccinate against. You may be able to request it special from some places though, where I mail order chicks from you can request marek's vax but that's the only one I've seen them offer. You can get the vaccine for AEV easily enough from a place like Valley Vet Supply or other similar mail orders - in the US at least. If I get chicks again, I'm going to make sure I order a vial and vaccinate them against it. If I hatch chicks from these ones I have, from what I've read they will pass on the immunity they've built up to their chicks.