Very lethargic maybe paralysis

[Winston]

I just checked my chickens and found a hen that was laying on the floor. Her body was sideways but her head was up straight. My chickens usually do not let you touch them but I picked her up with no resistance. I placed her on a table and she did not seem to be able to stand. I could not find any injury. She appears physically fine. After a thorough investigation I put her back with the others and she clumsily went into a corner. In my books it seems like botulism poisoning, but it said they should die within 24 hrs. Yet I noticed a hen 2 days ago not on the roosts at night but on the floor by the nests. She was in a dark nook so I thought she might just be broody. Now I think it was this hen, which means this has been going on for atleast 3 days. What could it be? I am not particularly worried if I need to loose this one. I really just need to know if I should dispose of her immediately for the others saftey? Or can I let it play out and see what happens? Is this a disease? poison? Help! Thanks.

 

[dawg53]

I just checked my chickens and found a hen that was laying on the floor. Her body was sideways but her head was up straight. My chickens usually do not let you touch them but I picked her up with no resistance. I placed her on a table and she did not seem to be able to stand. I could not find any injury. She appears physically fine. After a thorough investigation I put her back with the others and she clumsily went into a corner. In my books it seems like botulism poisoning, but it said they should die within 24 hrs. Yet I noticed a hen 2 days ago not on the roosts at night but on the floor by the nests. She was in a dark nook so I thought she might just be broody. Now I think it was this hen, which means this has been going on for atleast 3 days. What could it be? I am not particularly worried if I need to loose this one. I really just need to know if I should dispose of her immediately for the others saftey? Or can I let it play out and see what happens? Is this a disease? poison? Help! Thanks.

Have you thought about internal or external parasites that could eventually infect the rest of your birds? Or some type of disease that has 3 days or longer incubation period to infect the rest of your birds? Something to think about.

 

[Winston]

The rest of the birds seem fine. When I checked this morning I could not tell which bird it was. Maybe she hit her head? I will keep a watch on them.

 

[hanselong]

I think one of my 3-year-old hens just developed the same symptoms - did you ever figure out what happened or what it was?

 

[Livi]

I would strongly suspect Marex disease

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek's_disease

 

[Winston]

I believe it was botulism. We lost her in a couple of days. We lost another one about a week later. I had changed their drinking water around and I think they were drinking out of my pond and some other suspect locations. I think she got the botulism from one of these sources. It was either that, or they were getting severely dehydrated because of the change in water location. I added more waterers and all was fine. Mine was not Mareks.