Wobbly/tippy young chicken/pullet.

[RevLIT]

So, one of our spring chicks turned out to be a cockerel and chicken math insisted we get three to replace him. At our local poultry faire, we found lovely Jubilee Orpingtons and got three fully feathered beautiful birds. They were shy and skitterish and so we pretty much just gave them their food and water and tried to leave them be. Monday (3 days after getting them.) I noticed one was having trouble walking and was mostly just laying around the run.
To the chicken hospital (a giant dog kennel with wood chips a heating pad, and all a chick would need.) Now 4 days after separating her (maybe him), the chicken is much the same. It wobbles when it walks, it falls, and at least once it tipped all the way on its back and seemed to get stuck there. I have checked all bones (that I can), under wings, beak, eyes, feathers, they all look healthy. It is eating, I think it must be drinking water with a little nutridrench. But it hasn't gotten any better. It doesn't do the neck thing that we would expect from mareks. The other two are pictures of health (though still skittish.) I am at a loss. Chicken Health Handbook didn't really offer anything we could use. In general, I don't like taking a chicken to a vet, especially when they might not be able to say anything more.
Your thoughts? Will it recover? What can I do to help it other than providing food, water, and warmth. When (if) it starts getting better, will it be safe to mix with the others?

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Do you see any swelling of the leg or joints, scabs on the foot pad, or if her legs look symmetrical when you hold her up? Are her toes curled under? The possibility of Mareks is always in the back of your mind with imbalance or leg weakness. Wry neck is not always a symptom.

How old is the hen? Do you have any pictures of her? Can she stand and walk? Do her eyes look the same with a normal color and round pupils.

She might have suffered an injury being corralled to sell or while she was being transported. I would put some B Complex in her food or water, 1/4 tablet crushed a day is good. Or continue the NutriDrench. Is she eating and drinking?

Getting chickens from a fair or sale can be a gamble. Most keep new chickens in quarantine for at least a month to look for signs of disease, parasites, or lice. Exposing other chickens suddenly can introduce a disease either way.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It doesn't do the neck thing that we would expect from mareks.

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Sorry you face this.

It very much could be Marek's... ALL birds are individuals and will present as such. That in addition to soo many illnesses having the same possible symptoms it can be really hard to discern.

Are you able to post any video or pic? We can also help with gender.

It may recover. Many people live with Marek's (and other things) in their flock. Do you know if they were vaccinated or not? Are you able to take a (combined flock) stool sample for testing at the vet to check parasite load or if any treatment is needed for such?

Also have you gotten a chance to check skin below vent and on abdomen with feathers parted... at night with a flash light can give you a better picture.

When you were checking bones... did you feel for any heat that indicates possible infection?

I personally will NEVER get any birds from a fair, swap, or auction.

Actually whatever (s)he has, the others have already been exposed. It *may* be ok to put them back together. I don't if I have any suspicion because to me shedding (more) virus (if that's what it is) is still giving MORE exposure to my birds... and immune systems seem to fight things better with small amounts of exposure verses constant bombardment.

The stress of moving and such *could* bring out things the original owner didn't know about.

Hope you see recovery quickly!

 

[RevLIT]

It is by itself in my garage, and the other two are still separate from my established flock and home raised peepers.
I have gone over the chicken pretty thoroughly and discovered nothing, and I mean nothing out of place. It just can't seem to walk. I have not seen it move willingly; however, I do find it by the food and water, and it has eaten, but not very much.
I will pick up some B vitamins today.
I can't seem to get the video to upload; however, here are a couple of stills. In the second one, it kind of fell that way. Normally both legs are underneath when settled. The chicken is about 10 weeks old, according to the one who sold it.