She's just not right!

[mandelyn]

So, in my new mixed flock, the Splash Maran pullet has some... issues. I can't place what they are. What kind of vet should I look for? Avian? I don't know if a farm vet would be able to help her or find the issue. I think I need a bird vet.

She seems slow. Not stupid... just slow. Her vision seems weird, misses stuff by a half inch. Eyes look bright and normal though. Has a gimp in her walk... she can get around fine enough, eats and drinks, but has the most luck eating from a bowl where she can't miss. Foraging is hard for her. It's like she takes 3 steps and sways to the right. She can stand, but roosting I think will be an issue.

She has been handled and babied, I can see that in how she greets me and wants to hide "in my feathers". She's fully feathered, not a tiny baby. But a baby none the less.

She's the instant favorite though, so I want to find out her issues. I think I'll call around to avian vets on lunch break today. And I'll check back here and see if you guys can think of anything that it could be.

 

[menageriemama]

I have no idea what it could be, but I am sure someone will. Best of luck to her!

 

[BWchicken]

Yeah, if you're going to take her to the vet you'd want an avian vet. Has she always been like this, or is it new? I really don't know what her issue might be, hopefully someone here will have a better idea. All I can think of is some neurological problem, maybe from a head injury? Or an ear problem, sometimes that can affect their balance and such. Keep us posted and let us know what the vet says.

 

[FlipFlopFarmer]

It reminds me of a jersey giant pullet I have, and have owned since chickhood. She came in a group of 12 from the feed store from a hatchery. I believe they said she was vaccinated, I imagine they meant for merks. All was great until they were about 3 weeks old, and I was sorting and separating them in a big brooder. They were running everywhere, climbing on one another, and screaching and screaming like subway rats. I saw this one lil chick upside down under all the others screaming like she was being stabbed. I picked her up, put her down, and upside down she went again, legs all catywampus, like she was having a seizure. Was it stung by a wasp? Did it get poked on some loose wire? Can chickens really have seizures? Well I was gonna cull, but gave it a second chance and put it in a box with paper towels and wrapped to bricks in some old rags and propped her up, put food and water in front of her, and vwalla!!!, next day a better chirpy lil chick. Since then, every time her "flock"( her and 3 other hens and a roo) in their chicken tractor get startled by what they percieve as danger, her reaction is to have a " seizure", or at least lay on her side and scream while all the others run back and forth over her. She eats, drinks, poops, roosts( the roost is very low), but when I watch her, sometimes she stumbles, sometimes she weaves, she just acts a little " special needs". My hypothesis, which is founded on NOTHING but opinion, is she had either a mild case of merks, or a reaction to the vaccine, and instead of dying, she was given to me, because i love her and her little retarded ways! Oh and one of her wattles is normal and the other is microscopic, adding a visual!