Someone please help me asap.

[lydiagirl99]

Hello everyone ! I have a rooster named Prince and he has truly been the best rooster but yesterday my sister called me saying she thought he broke his foot so I made my friends drive me back to my house to check on him. He was stuck up in the chicken coop because he couldn't walk very well. He is sitting down a lot, well most of the time, but he will get up to get away from me. He seems extra frightened right now. It seems like his left foot is okay but he will use both feet to stand on. When he walks, sometimes his right foot will get caught under him like he's less aware of that foot and he'll be walking almost normal and then he'll tilt to one side and start falling over and sit again. I checked his legs and there is nothing obvious and I don't know if this matters or not but it seems his tail feathers have started falling out as well. I currently have him in a big box trying to limit any movement. Can anyone help ?

 

[lydiagirl99]

Any advice would help

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

How old is he?

If he is just a juvenile, then it may be Marek's disease, which is caused by a virus. It often initially presents as lameness because it affects the nerves, usually one sciatic nerve is affected first but it can be a wing or a twisted neck. Juvenile chickens are particularly at risk from it and this is the time of year (in the northern hemisphere) when it starts to rear it's ugly head. Some chickens will spontaneously get better after a day or so but may suffer a second and or third more serious attack, weeks or months later. Others deteriorate and further paralysis makes quality of life untenable. The virus also causes tumours.

Feel his bad foot. Does it feel cold or hot compared to the other one? If it's cold, it may be Marek's. If it is hot then it is more likely to be an infection or injury. Have you checked the pad of his foot for a black scab indicating bumble foot, as that is another ailment that causes lameness.

Hope it's something simple and not Marek's as it is a horrible disease. I just had to euthanize a young pullet a few days ago with it. It was heart breaking watching her flounder.

Good luck with your boy.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[lydiagirl99]

He is a full grown rooster about 2 years old..I know he does not have bumble foot as I have had to treat one of my hens for it before so it was the first thing I checked. I've checked his bad leg up and down. Nothing obvious is wrong with it. Again, he seems more scared than usual, has started loosing his tail feathers, and is limping but a very odd limp. Like sometimes it seems fine and then it seems to just give out and he kind of walks on top of it and tips over.. Sound like Mareks disease ? He's my baby and I'd rather not put him down but if he stays like this he is not living a quality life whatsoever. It also has not gotten better from yesterday but not worse either I don't think. What are your thoughts?

 

[rebrascora]

Have you had him from a chick and if so, can you remember him ever being lame before, even if it was just for a day or two. Marek's usually (but not exclusively) affects juveniles, but it does sound like the sort of lameness I see with my Marek's sufferers. It's like they can't feel the leg. I've had some walk on their hock and some walk on the knuckle and some stand on their own toes and trip. They seem to get frustrated but don't appear in pain. Mine usually eat well and otherwise look healthy but they can't coordinate a part of their bodies... usually a leg. I've had some that went from being perfectly healthy one day to lying on their side floundering and unable to get up the next, to being almost completely recovered a couple of days later. Some that died quite quickly and some that I nursed for weeks/months and made significant but not total recovery and three over the past two years that sadly I had to cull.

Did you feel his foot and compare it, temperature wise, to the other one?

 

[lydiagirl99]

The feet seem to be the same temperature. The legs feel hot to me but I wouldn't judge to harshly on me saying that. Also, I have not had him since a chick. I've had him for about 6 months I'd say. Never seen anything like this. He was perfectly fine the day before last. He doesn't seem to be in pain but looks like he's in poor condition. No spot on his foot seems more sensitive then the others. He mostly seems off balance. Like he can't keep his balance for long and tilts to his right and he'll step on top on his right foot or accidentally curl his toes and walk atop them.

 

[lydiagirl99]

It's like some steps are completely normal and then all of a sudden he can't walk.

 

[lydiagirl99]

He also seems to be raising the feathers around his neck a lot, but he may just be doing that because he is off balance.

 

[rebrascora]

I would give him some Nutri drops (vitamin supplement) and some scrambled egg or tuna as well as his regular food for a few days and see how he gets on. It does sound like a neurological problem, but whether it's Marek's or something else, it's hard to say. Do you have other chickens or just him?

 

[lydiagirl99]

I have 15 other chickens and a flock of 8 pheasants in their own aviary but close by. If it's mereks then all my chickens have it.. I don't know whats going on but I'll keep him in his box and see how he does over the next month. I'll feed him scrambles eggs everyday and see how he does. I hope whatever he has is not that contagious because I love all my birds.