Rooster with lame legs, gets stuck on its back, please help!!!

[countrygirl345]

I have a silver phoenix bantam rooster that's about 6-7 months old. I always thought his behavior was kind of strange, but now he has taken a turn for the worse. He seems to be stiff or slightly paralyzed, and he hobbles slowly and his wings droop unevenly. Today he got stuck on his back and couldn't get up. He still hangs around with the other chickens but lays around a lot more as well. I don't think his weight has changed much but he has always been pretty lightweight. I have isolated him from the other chickens. I am scared that this is Mareks but I thought that Mareks came on suddenly, while this has been going on for a long time. Please help!

 

[QueenMisha]

Sounds a lot like paralysis due to Marek's Disease. I've got a game pullet in my flock with near identical symptoms at the moment.

Marek's is an incredibly variable disease, some cases may be acute with sudden onset, others are very gradual and last a long time. Some birds may recover from paralysis, others may never come out of it. I've found that birds who are unsteady but remain able to walk tend to come out of it, whereas full immobility usually indicates the bird will not recover.

 

[countrygirl345]

So are all my chickens in danger of mortality? I have adults and some chicks with their mother. This is very concerning to me.

 

[chickens really]

Sadly if it is Mereks?? Some will die, some are carriers without outward signs of the disease...Some suffer along till it kills them...

A lady I know lost most of her Flock of Orpingtons last summer to Mereks....

How sad...Best of luck

 

[QueenMisha]

So are all my chickens in danger of mortality? I have adults and some chicks with their mother. This is very concerning to me.

Possibly. It depends on the strain. Some will have very low mortality, others high. Low mortality strains are more common. Birds over 6 months of age are not as often affected, and over a year they are almost always immune. Unvaccinated chicks and juveniles may show symptoms. Most birds will become sick between 8-16 weeks of age.