wobbly weak legs, falling over, why??

[zenstarling]

I would look into botulism. It's very possible the lowest in the pecking order might have to eat less desirable decayed food. I think if it were starvation, they'd pick up very quickly with what you are feeding them. Botulism with chickens the legs get wobbly and they kind of flap about. I had turkeys poults get a deficiency that caused a similar weak behavior but I was using way too much commercial feed. It sounds like your chickens are extremely well-fed so it's unlikely l they are suffering from starvation or deficiency unless you routinely run out of food in the coop. I have much lower ranking chickens living with bigger birds that just eat when the bigger birds get busy elsewhere. However, like the others said, feeding in different locations is always a good idea, especially in a small coop.

Thanks for this. What is the protocol for botulism?

 

[Project Blue]

Thanks for this. What is the protocol for botulism?

Since there are many neurological diseases besides botulism, some viral, I'd isolate the two sick ones and do a general coop/water/feeder clean up. After that supportive care is all you can do. Vitamin deficiencies can also cause neurological symptoms, but again, it sounds like you are providing a varied diet. The only time I had a deficiency was when I relied on a cheap commercial chick feed and had slacked off feeding greens and things like egg yolk with the fast growing turkey poults. Their problems quickly resolved when I dumped the feed, switched brands, and added mealworms and egg yolk. If you have any more chickens getting sick you might want to get them tested. I'm pretty sure some neurological diseases are contagious, not sure if any are zootonic so be careful.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks so much! I’ll think this through and see what I can do. Do you think they’ll be able to recover from the wobbly-ness with just the food and vitamins?

Hopefully, you noticed it in time. I would just keep on feeding them separately, and giving the vitamins.

 

[Eggcessive]

Botulism is a sudden illness brought on by after eating a toxin produced by animal or plant products decaying in an area of no oxygen or anaerobic conditions. It causes sudden flaccid paralysis of the feet and legs, then wings, breathing muscles and upper body, resulting in death. This doesn’t seem like botulism.

 

[zenstarling]

Botulism is a sudden illness brought on by after eating a toxin produced by animal or plant products decaying in an area of no oxygen or anaerobic conditions. It causes sudden flaccid paralysis of the feet and legs, then wings, breathing muscles and upper body, resulting in death. This doesn’t seem like botulism.

Thanks. The only issue is unsteady wobbliness but their feet and legs don’t seem paralyzed or they’d be laying on their sides unable to stand at all. I don’t see any respiratory stress either. Both are hungry and looking to eat. The buff is having a worse time just trying to stay steady while she pecks at the food. Hand feeding goes just fine.

 

[zenstarling]

Since there are many neurological diseases besides botulism, some viral, I'd isolate the two sick ones and do a general coop/water/feeder clean up. After that supportive care is all you can do. Vitamin deficiencies can also cause neurological symptoms, but again, it sounds like you are providing a varied diet. The only time I had a deficiency was when I relied on a cheap commercial chick feed and had slacked off feeding greens and things like egg yolk with the fast growing turkey poults. Their problems quickly resolved when I dumped the feed, switched brands, and added mealworms and egg yolk. If you have any more chickens getting sick you might want to get them tested. I'm pretty sure some neurological diseases are contagious, not sure if any are zootonic so be careful.

Good things to consider, thank you.