whats wrong with my hen? *video* unbalanced...NEW VIDEO~post#385

[8hipchicks]

I was wondering how it is going for your chicken(s). We have an almost 4-month Bl. Australorp with the same symptoms. Trouble walking, unbalanced, but she's also bright as a button and keeps on moving around. Eating and drinking fine.

This has been going on for several weeks now. She's now getting a bit worse. No sign of parasites or other wee beasties.

She's now in her own separate cage on an enclosed porch and we are now starting to do what has been recommended in previous posts.

If it is Marek's wouldn't it be effecting the others by now?

 

[kyrose]

i have a serama hen thats been like that for about 1 1/2 weeks.i finally took her to the vets and altho shes been eating,drinking and pooing she was really ematiated.the vet wasnt sure what was wrong with her.he put her on antibiotics but thinks she wont recover.he reminded me that chickens can catch many bacterial and viral infections,and that they can catch them from the wild birds.so he said all we can do is wait and if she passes then take her for a necropsy.then we will know for sure.

 

[Lobzi]

Intensive multi B therapy. That is the solution for limb paralysis.

 

[Lobzi]

My Baby got so bad before I was told to try vitamin B therapy that he could not use his legs nor wings to even right himself. He ate well, pooed normally and was alert in all other ways except for his inability to get around on his won. It was two weeks of paralysis before I started giving him crushed high potency multi B vitamin in his food and water. It took 5 days for his recovery but I know of those who start sooner with the therapy, their birds have improved overnight and within a day. Get right on it and dont automatically suspect Merecks disease.

 

[Lobzi]

Here is a picture of Baby at his worst. He is unable to use his legs here so I made him a special chair to take the pressure off his little legs. He has the "characteristic" positioning of his legs (one leg forward, one leg back) as in Merecks disease. I just couldnt give up on him and was lucky enough that a woman on SVChickens told me to try vitamin B. I also gave him a little physical therapy every day. I'd work his little legs in order to keep them flexible. I just knew he would be using them someday and I didnt want them to be all stiffened up.
In this photo he is asleep.

Today he walks normally with the rest of the birds and is doing just fine. Im so glad I did not cull him as recommended by others. They feared he had Merecks based on the description of the leg positioning.

 

[8hipchicks]

Oh, wow! That is amazing how you cared for Baby! You used traditional human multi B vitamins from the health food store? How many did you crush up for one feeding?

I'm so glad he is better. Bless you for not giving up on him!

 

[Lobzi]

The first few days it was intensive. I crushed one tablet with each offering of food and put it in water that I fed him from a dropper bottle. I wanted to make sure he got as much down him as possible. It was a traditional high potency multi B from the health food store, yes. I have since learned that nutritional yeast is high in B vitamins to now I put it in the morning treats I feed all my chickens. Since vitamin B is water-soluble, it is not stored in the body. Unless they have a source of it about every two weeks they become deficient. Thiamine is the suspected culprit but I gave them multi to cover all the Bs.

 

[Lobzi]

My goal now is to catch all these posts and spread the word regarding vitamin B. I dont want any chicken to be culled unnecessarily just because someone suspects Merecks. My heart breaks for all those babies needlessly culled do the a Mereck's scare.

 

[Lobzi]

I just went out to the yard to snap a pic of Baby. He is so fast its hard to catch him standing still for a shot. This is the best I could do:

Proof of his successful recovery!

 

[Agnella]

You are such a good chicken mama! I'm so happy to see Baby fully recovered. You did a wonderful job

So sweet!