Sick chicken

[Kanekoded]

Update: I’m not sure I’m seeing much improvement after a week’s time. She really isn’t using her feet and lower legs to stand, move, or support herself. She is using her wings to upright herself and she always sits on her hocks. She moves around by going backwards on her hocks. Can chickens feel things in their feet? When I touch her feet or try to stimulate them, she doesn’t react at all. They don’t curl. She doesn’t pull back. Nothing. She is still eating and drinking and acting like a normal chicken, other than using her lower legs and feet. Any suggestions?

Sounds like Marek's which can still be a possibility despite vaccination. If she has a low virulence strain, she can recover. Have you tried giving her aspirin to help reduce inflammation in her legs?

 

[Janzen]

Update 11/16

My hen has had a big change for today at least. She was actually walking on her own using only her legs! She did not assist herself with her hocks or wings. She needed to rest after 6 or so steps, but she did it multiple times. I have hope she is making a turnaround.

 

[Janzen]

11/17 mid morning. Before releasing her to the flock, I want to make sure her neck doesn’t resemble something that of Marek’s. She has complete function and mobility of her neck, but it just looks more humped. When I touch it, she moves it down and it’s straight. Here are some pictures that might help. Does she look normal? I won’t release her back until she is completely well. I will need advice on that also. She is much more mobile with her legs today.

 

[Basia St Clair]

View attachment 3325408
11/17 mid morning. Before releasing her to the flock, I want to make sure her neck doesn’t resemble something that of Marek’s. She has complete function and mobility of her neck, but it just looks more humped. When I touch it, she moves it down and it’s straight. Here are some pictures that might help. Does she look normal? I won’t release her back until she is completely well. I will need advice on that also. She is much more mobile with her legs today.

Any updates on this? Mine is doing exactly the same thing. I took her to vet yesterday for a vitamin B shot. Today I am feeding her vitamins and keeping her separated. Last night I though we lost her but today she is sitting up on her back hocks just like this chicken.

 

[Janzen]

Any updates on this? Mine is doing exactly the same thing. I took her to vet yesterday for a vitamin B shot. Today I am feeding her vitamins and keeping her separated. Last night I though we lost her but today she is sitting up on her back hocks just like this chicken.

Ours is completely normal now. It took two solid weeks of vitamins before we really saw any improvement. At about three weeks, she was normal. I’m still giving vitamins for two more weeks.

 

[Basia St Clair]

Ours is completely normal now. It took two solid weeks of vitamins before we really saw any improvement. At about three weeks, she was normal. I’m still giving vitamins for two more weeks.

I am so glad to hear it!!! There may be hope..............................

 

[Janzen]

I am so glad to hear it!!! There may be hope..............................

Yes. There were a few days I about gave up, but she kept eating and drinking so I kept trying. I also “exercised” her. I was afraid since she wasn’t using her legs, they would be so weak if she did recover, that she would have a difficult time regaining strength. So every now and then I would assist her in standing on her legs. I also let her out of her dog crate. I allowed her to sit in the grass and be a chicken as much as she could, hoping it would lift her spirits a bit.