Pullet won't put any weight on legs

[Pipers chicks]

Hi yall. I have an 8 week old pullet who suddenly refuses to put any weight on either leg. She won't stand, walk, nothing. Just lays around. I have looked over both legs. Can't see any swelling, wounds, sores, broken bones, ect. Her legs look perfectly normal. She is bright and alert and eats and drinks fine when I put food and water near her. All the other pullets are fine. She has been like this for maybe 4-5 days and nothing has changed. Any ideas?

 

[KaseySnow]

Are her legs splayed out? Can you show us a picture of the way she is sitting? Does she attempt to walk at all if you pick her up?

Sudden paralysis of the legs is not a good sign and could indicate some serious issues.

 

[Pipers chicks]

No, her legs are not splayed out. She doesn't attempt to walk or put any weight on them.

 

[Eggcessive]

It may be an injury, but I would be concerned about possible Mareks disease. Was she vaccinated? How many birds are in her flock, and are they all the same age? Are there any older roosters? Did she normally roost up high at night? Can you post any pictures of her? Have you looked for swelling or green bruising on her feet and legs?

 

[Pipers chicks]

Thank you for your suggestions. I decided to cull her as she was not getting any better. I don't think it was Mareks as all the others are fine and she seemed healthy except for that.

 

[KaseySnow]

If something like this happens again and you decide to cull, you should look into sending the body in for a necropsy. I'm not sure where you live, but if you are in the states, there are usually at least one or two state veterinary labs you can send them in to for this purpose. If you are outside of the US, most countries should have at least one vet lab that you can get in touch with. Call up whatever veterinary lab is closest to you and ask what their procedure is for sending in a chicken body for testing. Sometimes if you live close enough you can make an appointment to drive them over and they will cull it for you.

Labs will check for a variety of illnesses, including Mareks, and be able to tell you if you have something contagious going on in your flock so that you can protect against it.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Thank you for your suggestions. I decided to cull her as she was not getting any better. I don't think it was Mareks as all the others are fine and she seemed healthy except for that.

Marek’s, especially milder strains, will not always present in all the flock at the same time. From what I’ve read and experienced, it’s not uncommon for it to affect one bird at a time.

 

[Goosebaby]

Another possibility is kinky back.

Whatever the cause I’m sorry for your loss