Rhode Island red can't stand

[BMyers]

Hi, I left for vacation and my neighbor watched and feed my chickens. She called and said she found one o the floor below the roost and she could not move her left leg or foot. She is in the nest and will eat and drink but can't stand up. She is one of my older hens' Rhode Island Red" and is very vocal and my favorite. I raised her from a chick. I need help trying to see if maybe she broke her leg or joint or maybe had a stroke. She is not sickly and responds well she cannot stand . Thanks Bruce

 

[d.k]

* I would check out the foot and leg thoroughly, if it seems fine, my next supicion would be algae toxin/botulism. Very dangerous. Isolate, hydrate, electrolytes, poly-vi-sol w/o iron 3 drops a day, water by dropper if necessary, molasses and/or epsom salts if necessary. Find the algae or mold source and clean it up.

 

[mypicklebird]

Leg paralysis is a classic sign of Marek's. If she has no visible injury or outward sign of illness beyond the the leg, and is eating and drinking- you need to consider this. Look it up, lots of threads on it. If you have a specific question on Marek's after reading about it I can try to answer it (vaccines, supportive care, flock exposure ect). It is a hot topic, as it is in most people's backyard flocks- very sad and frustrating disease.

Trauma is another possibility- leg stuck in something or grabbed by a dog ect. If you feel nothing broken, and cannot take her to a vet for x-rays of the pelvis and the femur (which is not very 'feelable' in a chicken from the outside)- then all you can really do is supportive care.

Botulism's other name is 'limber neck' if she has her head up and is perky and eating/pooping- it is unlikely she has a systemic toxin causing paralysis.

Do you know for sure she is not broody? If you take her out of the nest box and put her on the ground outside- what does she do? Are both legs splayed out, or does she stand on one and hold one up? Drag one behind her? Can she hold her wings up, or are they down?

 

[BMyers]

Thanks, She can flap both wings and there is no visible sign of trauma. I can put her outside and she just lays there. Her leg is limp and there seems to be no feeling in it. She will eat or drink.

 

[BMyers]

I also should tell you that this Bird is over is almost tree years old.

 

[Twinkey30]

I have the same problem my Americana two weeks ago was fine other than the other chickens pecked alot of her feathers out, She can't walk, she eats and drinks fine. There was a snake in the pen around the same time this had happened, but my husband said that if it got bit by the snake she would have died right then. I have her caged up away from the other chickens so they won't peck her anymore. She holds her foot in a fist like position, do you have any suggestions on what is wrong with her, I don't want to put her down because she talks to me like crazy lol.

Debby:cd