rhode island red can't stand up 2 have already died help!!

[gordo]

I have already lost 2 rhode Island reds. They are about 6 months old just started laying 2 weeks ago. They appear healthly and suddenly can't stand up anymore. Less than 12 hours after first symptom appeared they were dead. Now a third hen is not able to stand she has made it about 24 hours so far a little longer than the others. I have 25 chickens and got them at 2 days old and they were vaccinated for bird flu and mareks disease. So far only the reds are getting this the other chickens seem ok. No blood in poop but they have had loose runny poop since the beginning. They don't have any other problems other than they can't stand up. I don't want to lose my whole flock. What about the eggs should we not eat them?? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am brand new to chicken raising.

 

[slightlyscrambled]

try to answer this list https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3569 it will help us to better help you.

 

[gordo]

She is a Rhode Island Red about 6 months old not sure of her weight but also fully grown. She does not appear sick except she can't stand. She will stand up for about 20sec and then immediately will sit down and stay down. The other hens will then start to peck her
so I removed from the rest of the flock. She first showed symptoms 48 hours ago. There is no sign of trauma. I do not know if anything that could have caused this. She has been eating organic lay pellets, alittle scratch and some lettuce and bread and some cabbage. She had been eating and drinking normally. Poop is alittle runny. All the chickens seem to have a little runny poop. No blood no funny color.
We have not administered any treatment. We would like to treat ourselves if possible. All the chickens have been together since 2 days old no new chickens they all live together in closed in pen with a very large chicken coop. The chicken coop is lined with pine shavings and they hay in their laying boxes and a little scattered on the floor over the pin shavings. The coop is cleaned every two weeks or so
and all the old pine shaving are removed and sweep clean and all new shavings are laid down. This is the third hen to show this paralysis and then die about 12 hours later. This is the first one to last longer than 12 hours after first showing the paralysis. They
were all vaccinated as chicks for bird flu and Mareks diease at the hatchery where we bought them. They have just started to lay eggs about 2 weeks ago. I also was wondering if it is safe to eat the eggs they are laying now. Thank you for any help!!

 

[henmomma]

Are they all laying regularly? Could she be egg bound?

 

[chickletranch]

which hatchery are they from? we lost half of our buff orpingtons last year, purchased from privett hatchery, to avian leukosis. they each died suddenly with virtually no symptoms. the leukosis manifested as large tumors near the ovaduct, and killed them at 5 months (upon sexual maturity, which is usually when it's most fatal). they died within 2 weeks of each other. i took one of them to the state lab for a necropsy, which is how i discovered this. would recommend a necropsy if you lose another hen. avian leukosis is a virus, usually passed from hen to egg. i sent all of the reports to privett but they never responded, and didn't really seem to care. i will never buy from them again!

lynn

 

[Babsadon]

I am having the same problem that you are having with my Rhode Island Red. She is 2 years old. For the past few days, she has been mainly sitting. She is able to stand, but she does not want to for more than a few seconds. She spreads her wings out to steady herself. She was able to hop a few feet onto a platform in my aviary, and now she is just sitting there. There is no sign of trauma, and she has a good appetite. (I bring her food to her) I have been feeding her scratch, lay mash, greens, a few worms. Normally she would be out in the yard free-ranging.

I have two RIR's who look exactly alike. I had this same problem before with one of them. I'm not sure if this unsteady chicken is the same one who couldn't stand, or the other one.

Anyway, the last time this happened, I isolated the chicken. Gave her lots of baths and massages in case she was egg-bound, and rubbed her cloaca with KY Jelly. It turned out she wasn't egg bound, and she recovered.

So what is this? Is it possible that these chickens are just genetically prone to leg problems? They are produced in these big hatcheries, maybe they are overbred with the main objective to be good egg layers, and as egg-laying machines in big egg operations, they don't even need to stand up. What do you all think?

 

[gordo]

She seems to be getting alittle better today. She can stand up for about 5 min at a time now. Her wing kinda droops a little still. She has been eating good and still doesn't seem to be sick. She just can't stand up. I don't know about it been genetic but who knows
maybe. She has not layed since this has started so I will check to see if she is egg bound. My other two hens died right away after
showing signs of not being able to stand.

 

[BellaLulaFarm]

Botulinum, from moldy feed? I've heard of it affecting birds this way, but not seen it....