Was a normal baby chic, now can not walk long distance......

[country girl44]

My baby chick is going on 2 months. she is 1 out of 10, they all came together happy playing running around like babies do. the other day my Barred Plymouth Rock was limping so I thought she must have landed on her foot wrong with one of her flying jumps, but this is now day 4 since she was only limping, and now she walks a few steps and falls on her butt. she's eating, drinking and very alert, she wants to be running around with her sisters, when I had her outside with them yesterday, but because we also have bigger girls, I brought her inside, because I know in the bird life if your hurt, there going to peck you to death! she wants to run, but doe not make it far at all. when I pick her up, she kicks her feet so I know there not broken. what makes me sad is she was the first one to come running to us, and everyone else followed, so she had crazy energy!

any ideas what's going on???

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you try to post a video or at least a picture which may help in understanding what is going on? Poultry vitamins in the water are always a good start if there is a leg issue, just in case of a deficiency. Leg bone deformities and slipped tendons can be common in chicks, and can show up later as the chick grows. Injuries are the most common cause. For now make sure that she is near her food and water, and keeping her near the others in a crate might be a good way to protect her.

 

[country girl44]

I will go get that photo, or video for you right now

 

[country girl44]

I'm trying to load a video but its say error the upload file is too large,

 

[country girl44]

Can you try to post a video or at least a picture which may help in understanding what is going on? Poultry vitamins in the water are always a good start if there is a leg issue, just in case of a deficiency. Leg bone deformities and slipped tendons can be common in chicks, and can show up later as the chick grows. Injuries are the most common cause. For now make sure that she is near her food and water, and keeping her near the others in a crate might be a good way to protect her.

I will put vitamins in her water, first thing tomorrow morning. I wish I can post this video I've tried everything. She pick up her step a little while I was taken the video, it was weird.

 

[Eggcessive]

A video can be posted on YouTube, and then you may post a link to it here. Can you describe what she does when she walks--does she hold the affected leg up or does she walk on it? Are her toes on the injured foot curled under? When she stands, is one leg held out to the side or slightly back of the other?

 

[country girl44]

A video can be posted on YouTube, and then you may post a link to it here. Can you describe what she does when she walks--does she hold the affected leg up or does she walk on it? Are her toes on the injured foot curled under? When she stands, is one leg held out to the side or slightly back of the other?

she walks a little then falls, like she can't hold herself up too long on her feet. I have vitamins in her water this morning, and she looks a little better today, cause when I open the door to her crate she tempted to run out. it's not just one leg or foot is both. I'm going to try to post the video.

 

[country girl44]

ok I hope this works. i was trying to get her to walk a little but this time she did not want too, but this is what she does.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm afraid that is neurological rather than an injury and at that age, most likely Marek's disease. The best you can do is vitamin supplement to support the immune system, particularly vitamin B complex and good nutrition with supportive care. You may find a chicken sling/hammock helpful to support it in a more normal upright position rather than that sitting posture it appears to be adopting which may lead to it soiling itself. I've had some with Marek's recover almost as quickly as they became disabled, others took weeks/months to improve and some deteriorate. As long as they are still eating there is hope. I euthanize once they lose interest in food as they go downhill rapidly after that. It is a very infectious disease, but symptoms don't always appear at the same time. It can lay dormant for months and then something triggers it, like cold sores in humans, but unfortunately more deadly. Keeping the flock as stress free as possible is important.

Did you get these birds from a breeder? Hatchery chicks are extremely unlikely to have it, but will get it if exposed to other birds that are carriers, so an outbreak usually occurs a month or so after you have added new birds to the flock or birds from a breeder have already contracted it and suffer an outbreak due to the stress of being moved to a new home or integrated with a new flock. Unfortunately quarantine doesn't really help with Marek's as birds often show no symptoms. It's a horrible disease and I can only hope I am wrong about it or you have one of the milder strains like my flock.

 

[country girl44]

I got these set of birds from the same place I got my other 8 girls a year ago. I got them from agway, but I ordered them from a place called Mt. Healthy Hatcheries. she's eating well, and still drinking and gets all excited when I open the cage to feed her, so I let her come out but I don't let her sit out there long, and she gets mad! lol - I really hope it's not that, cause then I'm going to worry about the others getting it too, which means the little ones can pass it to my big girls??, and that's going to piss me off. I was feeding them medicated feed, and now vitamins in everyones water. but I will keep an eye on all my girls forever now! thanks.