Weak legs. Polish pullet.

[Rachm1]

I have a polish pullet whose legs seem to keep getting a little weaker. She walks funny and I've always attributed it to the fact that she can't see (and maybe that does have something to do with it), but she stumbles and falls a lot and has a hard time standing for long periods of time. She usually lays down. I've also noticed her tripping over her own feet. I posted a picture to show how she usually stands with one foot over the other. Anyone have any experience with something similar? Didn't notice this difficulty walking when she was younger. 8ish weeks now.

 

[PD-Riverman]

View attachment 1056215 I have a polish pullet whose legs seem to keep getting a little weaker. She walks funny and I've always attributed it to the fact that she can't see (and maybe that does have something to do with it), but she stumbles and falls a lot and has a hard time standing for long periods of time. She usually lays down. I've also noticed her tripping over her own feet. I posted a picture to show how she usually stands with one foot over the other. Anyone have any experience with something similar? Didn't notice this difficulty walking when she was younger. 8ish weeks now.

I had a pen of them that were doing that--------the rooster was worse---mine did not like to beheld so I had not handled them. I went in and caught the rooter--no problem because he was weak-----he was Just bones---no meat no where even though they eat all the time. I grab a couple of the hens---the same----I Immediately wormed them with fenbendazole and they started improving over the next few days and in a month they had gained a lot of weight. How does yours weight feel?

 

[Eggcessive]

You may want to look up varus valgus leg deformity in chickens. I am not sure that it is a leg bone deformity, but it might be a possibility. Also look at her footpads to make sure that she doesn't have any sores or scabs on her feet. Poultry vitamins or a 1/2 vitamin B complex ground into food daily might be a good idea.

 

[Rachm1]

Thanks for the replies! I will definitely start putting vitamins in their water again. Her weight seems okay and she doesn't seem too boney. Could potentially be a leg deformity, but if it is it's not very visible.

 

[chickens really]

I had a Polish Rooster that was the same....Could be neurological ?.....Try looking into that.....

 

[Rachm1]

Hello everyone. It has been a while but wanted to give an update on my polish. He* unfortunately died about a week ago. I did take him to the vet where we treated him with a dewormer and clavamox for 2 weeks. The bird progressively lost the ability to stand and lost use of his wings. I assumed mareks because of the apparent symptoms, but after submitting his body to the state for testing, it was determined it was systemic parasitism, specifically toxoplasma gondii causing the neurological symptoms. just wanted to post these results incase this can be helpful to someone in the future.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am so sorry that you lost him, and that you updated your thread with the necropsy results. This information from your state vet can be very helpful to others. Toxoplasmosis a protozoan infection is very common in cats, wild birds, people, and dogs.