Silkie gradually has lost leg control

penny131

In the Brooder
Apr 26, 2021
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I have a silkie about 10 months old who has gradually lost the ability to walk. About two months ago she started to limp and would just hobble around the yard. I checked for injuries and bumble foot but found nothing. Within the last week she suddenly cannot walk at all. One leg she isn’t grabbing my finger anymore with her foot. The other foot she is but seems she cannot stand. Her wings and neck control are good. She’s very hungry and eating and drinking well. Poop seems normal and her eyes clear. I started a vitamin b complex two days ago after my daughter was like mom maybe it’s a vitamin deficiency, and I’m hoping to see some improvement but nothing yet. We are also adding a little nutritional yeast to her food. I don’t know what else to do :( she is one of our snuggliest and absolute favorite chickens and we’d be so sad to lose her. Mareks has crossed my mind but we have 6 others with no problems and this came on really gradually over a couple months. Any other suggestions? Things I’m missing that I should try?

Also should I keep her inside in a box for now? We are down to 5 degrees plus wind at night right now. Their coop is dry and draft free but it’s cold. I noticed she wasn’t tucking her foot under her tonight and brought her inside but I’m nervous taking her back out is going to be so rough if she acclimates to being someplace warmer so I was hesitant to bring her in.


Thank you in advance
 
I have a silkie about 10 months old who has gradually lost the ability to walk. About two months ago she started to limp and would just hobble around the yard. I checked for injuries and bumble foot but found nothing. Within the last week she suddenly cannot walk at all. One leg she isn’t grabbing my finger anymore with her foot. The other foot she is but seems she cannot stand. Her wings and neck control are good. She’s very hungry and eating and drinking well. Poop seems normal and her eyes clear. I started a vitamin b complex two days ago after my daughter was like mom maybe it’s a vitamin deficiency, and I’m hoping to see some improvement but nothing yet. We are also adding a little nutritional yeast to her food. I don’t know what else to do :( she is one of our snuggliest and absolute favorite chickens and we’d be so sad to lose her. Mareks has crossed my mind but we have 6 others with no problems and this came on really gradually over a couple months. Any other suggestions? Things I’m missing that I should try?

Also should I keep her inside in a box for now? We are down to 5 degrees plus wind at night right now. Their coop is dry and draft free but it’s cold. I noticed she wasn’t tucking her foot under her tonight and brought her inside but I’m nervous taking her back out is going to be so rough if she acclimates to being someplace warmer so I was hesitant to bring her in.


Thank you in advance
I would bring her in....have you checked for mites or lice sometimes they get weak and can no longer walk
 
What kind of food do you feed her? How old can she lay eggs. When is the last time she laid? I would give her vitiam d3. Make sure she is drinking and eating...​
I will take some photos tomorrow! We feed all flock raiser feed with a 20% protein. She gets veggies and some fruits occasionally through the week and some black sunflower seeds and mealworms a couple times. Usually they freerange all day but we have a foot and a half of snow right now. She’s about 10 months. Has been laying for a few months. I am not sure when her last egg was, we have two other silkies and ironically they have all kept laying through all the snow and cold we’ve had while my others are taking a break. She has been trying to sit on the eggs but not sure if they have been hers or not. I have not tried vitamin d3 yet. Can I give a human tablet and how much. She’s very hungry so I’m grateful she’s at least eating.
 
Here's this but let me tag some professionals to make sure I am on right track @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @Weeg
Screenshot_20220103-005107_Chrome.jpg
 
Here's this but let me tag some professionals to make sure I am on right track @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @Weeg View attachment 2948632
Thanks for the tag, its getting late here so I'll have to tap back in tomorrow. I don't have a ton of experiance with vitamin/leg issues, but I'm happy to put in my two cents tomorrow. The members that you tagged will be helpful. I'll see what I can learn from them as well. :D
Going to add @azygous, she'll have some good insight.
 
I am not a professional, and most of us are just amateur chicken owners with a little experience. You need vitamin. B 2 riboflavin for chicken leg issues. B3 is more for ducks. In human vitamin super B complex, you get all B vitamins, and give 1/4 tablet daily crushed into a bit of food or a spoonful of water every day.

I would suspect Mareks, since she is the right age, and silkies are more prone to Mareks. But leg injuries and vitamin deficiencies must be ruled out. Hopefully, she will get better. Pictures of how she sits or lies may be helpful.
 
Here is how she’s sitting :( she really lays against her one side mostly.
 

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