wont stand up!

[shocked277]

I am new to raising chickens. I have a astralorp that I found in the middle of the fenced yard 3 days ago with its legs streatched out and could not stand on one side. I took it back to the house where I have been triing to take care of it. The chicken is a pullet about 5 months old. It has been eating realy well and drinking well the first day. I then gave it some mellon and cantalope because it was so hot. Day 2 it seemed like it may be getting better it was laying with ist feet tucked under like one would normaly sit eating and drinking, but still not standing. Day 3 now it's not realy lifing it head much, eats a litte but looks weak, legs streatched back out......now I have her in the house in the basement where it is cool hoping this will help. Does any one have any idea what could make a chicken hurt its leg and might even have a wing problem too on the same side. I didn't notice any feathers about like something attacked it....Thanks for any ideas...

 

[koora the tigeress]

i have a simular problemwith my barnavelders one died from it and the other has just started limping we belive its some kind of desese but we havn't figured out what

 

[shocked277]

Last wk I had one of the other pullets I found her under the hen house and she was latargic and could not hold her head up good. She did not want to eat or drink and she passed with in 24 hours. I just baught them from a lady who breeds all kind of chickens and was tempted to call her and ask if she is having problems too. I have hesitated to do so because I didn't want her to because I didn't want her to think I was killing all her chickens.... This kind of sounds like 2 different things to me but im not a doctor. the one died with in 24 hours the other one is going on 4 days now eating and drinking just cant move. I notice when I move her to clean the cage she yells a bit. I origionaly thaught it was me the way I made the ramp to the hen house. It was 12 inches wide and 7' long and 3ft off the ground. I thaught she might have fallen and hurt herself, so I made the ramp 4' x 8' with out door carpet no sliping any more......any ideas or similar situations......

 

[Lorimary]

I seriously doubt your ramp was the problem. Chickens can fly, afterall, so a fall from 3 feet would only require a few flaps to keep from hitting the ground hard. Ours jump from higher than that all the time and just a flap a bit to get down softly. If they are not fenced into a fully enclosed area all the time (including overhead), something wild or not (like a hawk, racoon, dog... snake, anything) could have bitten her. If she's crying when you pick her up, maybe she has an injury that you could look for. If not, maybe she's just a complainer (some do squak when you pick them up for no good reason other than they don't like it).

 

[shocked277]

Well this morning she can't lift her head, she is kind of draging it with her beak in the straw. I guess I will have to put her down. What a reality check when all you can do to help is death. I did hear the bird breath deeply and I heard it yesterday a couple of times. Even though it sounded clear it was like when the doctor ask you to take a deep breath...... and now with the chiken still laying on her side and now draging her head could this be MEREK'S? If it could be Merk's what could I do for the rest of the flock to stop it from getting to them? Thank you for your advise.

 

[treetababy]

If you are willing to segregate in a cage or box - I am using a towel rolled up into a "U" shape to hold my paralyzed pullet upright (we are going through something similar) and giving her food soaked in water and trying to nurse her back to health. The other thing I used was a bowl shaped planter box with hay and pellets (to absorb and dry feces/urine) as a nest that she can be propped upright.

Hope that helps and good luck - I am wondering if it is Marek's or another virus???

Trisha