Sickly chick

[custard]

I have a six week old chick who seemed to be thriving then suddenly became unable to walk on either leg. On foot is curled up and very limp, the other seems to have slightly more tone but tremors when she lays down. We have isolated her and seemed alert and eats well but rarely attempts to move. We initially thought it was an injury but it seems to be more than that and there are no obvious signs of any injury. It chirps constantly when anyone is near which I took as a good sign but now I'm not so sure that it's not a distress signal. She has been like this for 10 days and not sure how long to persevere. I have tried putting vitamins from a pet shop into food but no improvement, if anything becoming slightly worse having to use her wings to steady herself if she tries to get up. Any help would be gratefully received.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

"one foot is curled up and very limp"

I would suspect riboflavin deficiency (curly toe paralysis). I know you have been trying vitamins but keep in mind that some vitamin sources are better than others. In other words, some artificial vitamins are ineffective, while other ones work (higher quality I suppose?).

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206930.htm

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/16/5/451.full.pdf
from 1938 but interesting

Some people on BYC give baby liquid vitamins to chickens in cases like this- Poly vi sol without iron...you could search BYC for the dose??? https://www.backyardchickens.com/search.php?search=poly+vi+sol

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/diseasefactsheet.html

Here is a website with a recommendation for treatment of curly toe paralysis with milk products.

(Also it might just be a generally helpful website for a reference if it doesn't help you with this problem.)

 

[custard]

Thank you for your suggestions. I am giving liquid vitamins and we thought there was an improvement in her overnight, but now I'm not so sure. She generally looks healthier but the attempts to stand that she was making yesterday don't seem to have continued and she is back to laying down. Am I expecting too much too soon? I'm worried she has been isolated in a box for two weeks now and I'm not sure if it's cruel to keep her in there. Have tried to take her out and put her on the lawn but she gets quite stressed and we have Red Kites who fly over daily and so can't be left unattended. Our other hens were trampling her when I put her in the enclosure.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you for your suggestions. I am giving liquid vitamins and we thought there was an improvement in her overnight, but now I'm not so sure. She generally looks healthier but the attempts to stand that she was making yesterday don't seem to have continued and she is back to laying down. Am I expecting too much too soon? I'm worried she has been isolated in a box for two weeks now and I'm not sure if it's cruel to keep her in there. Have tried to take her out and put her on the lawn but she gets quite stressed and we have Red Kites who fly over daily and so can't be left unattended. Our other hens were trampling her when I put her in the enclosure.

I would give it time- when I read threads about other vitamin deficiencies sometimes they are treating for several weeks.

Here's one happy ending:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/536804/advanced-curled-toe-paralysis
(looks like this one took just a few days to cure it)

 

[custard]

Thank you so much for all your advice. She's been back outside with the other chickens for a few days now and last night she took herself off to bed (we were taking her in to sleep in a box in the garage as she couldn't get up the ladder to the hen house) and although limping quite badly is getting about and getting stronger every day. You've saved us from having to 'deal' with her and made my 6 year old daughter very happy! So thanks again!

 

[WaterFowl209]

Do you think it could be Mereks Disease? Have you vaccinated her and any chicks she was with, b-12 is a good vitamin to give in general

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you so much for all your advice. She's been back outside with the other chickens for a few days now and last night she took herself off to bed (we were taking her in to sleep in a box in the garage as she couldn't get up the ladder to the hen house) and although limping quite badly is getting about and getting stronger every day. You've saved us from having to 'deal' with her and made my 6 year old daughter very happy! So thanks again!

Oh I am so glad she is getting better. These early interventions with vitamins can make a big difference.

 

[hen101]

well my little obama is sick we tried to give him medacaited water but he wont drink it we afraid he will be dead tomorrow if he trys to move he runs and circles and tumbles and falls over i dont know what to do

 

[hen101]

sombody plzzz answer he is now drinking but thts is only dipping his beak in the water
plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz make it