Whiting True Blue with big legs

[MY FYN 79]

Good evening,

We recently (last Thursday) added 5 more chickens to our flock. We bought them from a somewhat local CSA who was looking to reduce their flock size a bit before winter. All the chickens were around 10 months old.

2 of the chickens we got were Whiting True Blue. My understanding was that these came as day old chicks from Murray Mcmurray. Yesterday I noticed that the legs were very large on one of the True Blues. They are much larger than the other True Blue, and slightly larger than a Delaware we had from our original flock.

Being new to the chicken scene, I don't wanna be that guy and freak out about every little thing we run across... but at the same time, I read some pretty scary stuff about legs that look like this. She seems normal otherwise, she eats, drinks and laid an egg yesterday. She is definitely low chicken in the pecking order though. We gave her a bath in warm water with epsom salt in case there was any swelling, and I put Vetrx directly onto her legs afterwards. She is a very pretty bird, I'm hoping this isn't something terminal, but at the same time I understand how things work.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[azygous]

The first thing that comes to mind in regard to those swollen legs is Mycoplasma synoviae. It's treatable with Tylosin or Tylan 50. It's contagious, by the way, so keeping this bird separate during treatment might be a good idea.

 

[MY FYN 79]

The first thing that comes to mind in regard to those swollen legs is Mycoplasma synoviae. It's treatable with Tylosin or Tylan 50. It's contagious, by the way, so keeping this bird separate during treatment might be a good idea.

Thanks for the thoughts. Is blood or fecal tests the only way to confirm a diagnosis for something like this?

 

[azygous]

You can collect a feces sample along with some dander and feathers, and ask your vet if they can either do a PCR test or send it to a lab for the PCR test. Tell them you need to know if it's positive for Mycoplasma synoviae. It could be pricey, so ask first. If you have a state lab, you might be able to get a cost break. Call your university extension office for direction on this.

 

[azygous]

Many of us here go ahead and start treatment and skip the lab tests if we have a strong hunch what's going on. Tylan 50 should be easy to come by at most feed stores. Or order it here. https://www.revivalanimal.com/product/tylan?sku=22485-639 The chicken improving is a likely confirmation of the diagnosis. It can't hurt.

 

[CatWhisperer]

I would try a friendly contact with the birds former owner about any medical problems he’s dealt with in the past “so you can be prepared”. Be careful to ensure him you just want to do what’s best for your new birds and aren’t looking to assign blame.

 

[azygous]

I would try a friendly contact with the birds former owner about any medical problems he’s dealt with in the past “so you can be prepared”. Be careful to ensure him you just want to do what’s best for your new birds and aren’t looking to assign blame.

This is a good suggestion as this disease is contagious and it likely originated in the flock of origin.

 

[MY FYN 79]

All good suggestions thank you. Again, being new I need to ask. Would you treat more than one chicken or just the one presenting?

Also, Tylan looks to be backordered anywhere I search, including the above link. I'll call tractor supply to ask, but their website doesnt show anything.

I'm learning chickens can be tough to diagnose symptoms.

 

[Eggcessive]

Could you post another clear picture of the feet and legs? How do the legs feel—hard, soft, puffy? Are the ankles and hock joints swollen or just the straight part of the lower legs? From just seeing the one picture, it looks very similar to a condition called osteopetrosis or marble leg syndrome. That is a virus that causes arthritis and is seen in only one type of avian lymphoid leukosis. Here are some articles and pictures to look at:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-rooster-has-swollen-legs.898073/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-deformed-legs.1018149/

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...stem/infectious-skeletal-disorders-in-poultry

Osteopetrosis or marble leg syndrome

 

[MY FYN 79]

I'll grab more pictures tomorrow, I wasn't able tonight. The chickens legs are not soft, they feel hard and not abnormally warm.

Is this did happen to be the disease, are the other chickens I got with this one and the the rest of our flock at risk?