SICK CHICKEN HELP!!!!!!

[djsimms156]

Have a hen just under a year she is a golden lace. Was going out to shut the coop the other night (3 days ago) and noticed that she was laying on the ground level which is rare at night they usually sleep on top together (have 3 chickens total). Let her be that night and figured it was nothing. Since then she has stayed in basically the same spot on that first level and is unable to stand up. It appears she is laying down with her legs kicked out the side. One leg is fully extended out (she rarely moves this leg but can move it) and the other leg goes from being under her to kicked out next to the other leg. Also I have noticed that one of the claws is often shriveled up sometimes. Other then the fact she has not stood in 3 days, and the strange positioning of her legs (does not appear to be the common leg positioning of Mareks disease) she seems fine. Not eating as much but will drink water if left near her. We have been putting some electrolytes in her water. She will roll around on that bottom level but never stands. Wanted to see if anyone had any ideas on what could be going on. I have a medical background and to me it almost seems like the human version of a stroke as she has one leg in full extension and weakness in the shriveled up claw. Any and all help is appreciated to try and get this hen back to normal. Let me know if have any questions. Thanks in advance

 

[Eggcessive]

It does sound possibly like Mareks to me, but an injury could have been possible. A curled under foot and toes may be common on the weak leg. Was she vaccinated for Mareks? With a lame chicken you will need to keep her close to food and water. A chicken sling or chair may be something you may want to make for her to get her up, keep cleaner, and in front of food and water. Let her out often to rest and sleep at night. Can you post any pictures?

 

[azygous]

What's happening to your hen is her sciatic nerve is badly inflamed. This is causing paralysis, and it will continue to get worse if it's from Marek's or lymphoid leucosis, the two avian diseases this mostly likely is.

On the slim chance this is a vitamin deficiency, you can try B-complex and vitamin E. If you see improvement after a week, it should continue to improve, but if she gets worse in spite of the vitamins, then it's a safe guess it's an avian virus.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is some reading to help you figure out if this is Mareks:

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[djsimms156]

It does sound possibly like Mareks to me, but an injury could have been possible. A curled under foot and toes may be common on the weak leg. Was she vaccinated for Mareks? With a lame chicken you will need to keep her close to food and water. A chicken sling or chair may be something you may want to make for her to get her up, keep cleaner, and in front of food and water. Let her out often to rest and sleep at night. Can you post any pictures?

 

[djsimms156]

Thanks for quick replies guys greatly appreciated. Will post a picture I took this afternoon below. Couple questions if it is marecks. Is this a certain death? None of our hens are vaccinated against it. Also how long does it take to see symptoms in the other chickens? We have not been keeping them separated so seems like they are bound to get it? She seems unchanged today and continues to drink for sure, eating is limited. Other then a hammock and getting her out in the sun out of coop is there anything else we should be doing?

 

[Ebony Rose]

See if she'll eat tuna, mackerel or sardines (prefer packed in oil for the extra amino acids & high calorie count). Serve this with or without cooled, scrambled eggs or crumbled hard boiled eggs on the side (eggs have the perfect amino acid profile for chickens and are seemingly irresistible to them).

 

[azygous]

No. Marek's is not certain death for the rest of your flock, but this hen will likely get worse over the next few months and won't be able to move in order to eat and even poop.

You can find a state lab to do a necropsy on this hen so you can know for sure if it's Marek's, and often they will also euthanize the chicken for you.

 

[djsimms156]

I appreciate everyone’s responses. She continues to seem mostly the same today. Both of her legs were stretched out a few times (instead of one being shriveled). Her wings and neck are still very active. We gave her tuna and vitamin enhanced water and she took some of both.

We are considering getting/making a swing/sling especially if there’s hope to get her mobility back. Is that even possible? Could her ability to walk and function normally (maybe even lay eggs again!) ever return? We know there’s no cure, but just curious what to expect prognosis wise as we decide how long to continue to nurse her like this. We want to put forth the effort as long as we can if there’s hope, but if this as good as it will get for her, it feels like there are more humane options….

Thanks again for all the feedback!

 

[Myrshine]

Unfortunately, Marek’s Disease doesn’t have a specific way the legs will splay out, it’s usually random as their legs essentially go paralyzed from tumor growth on the nerves. However, you cannot diagnose Marek’s Disease based on symptoms alone as there are other causes that can present the same way. I suggest getting testing done, if you’re in the US, try to get ahold of your State of Agriculture (or university). A vitamin deficiency can also cause similar symptoms to Marek’s Disease and is treated by giving vitamins every day. Another disease that mimics Marek’s Disease as well is Avian Leukosis Virus (ALV), which causes cancerous growths/tumors to grow on their vital organs. Only a PCR test will tell you if you have either of these.