Young chicken limping and not eating or drinking.

[blakeee]

There is a chance that chickens can die at any age whether it be from illness, injury or predator, but if this was Marek's, then there is a concern that your new chicks will be at a higher than usual risk but nothing you can do about it. Just bear in mind that adolescent cockerels with raging hormones running amok in a flock causes stress and that has been one of the prime triggers of Marek's outbreaks in my flock, so have a plan for your surplus cockerels before they get to 14-15weeks old, because one day they are little sweethearts and the next they are raping and pillaging and causing mayhem. That is probably the best advice I can give you. Hatching is great fun. Dealing with the surplus cockerels that result is one of the most difficult and challenging parts of poultry keeping. Start planning now.

Edited to add that if this is Marek's then it is best not to pass on/sell chickens to anyone else who has chickens or at least not without disclosure. So selling/giving away your surplus cockerels is probably safest for meat only..... so don't get too attached.... or build them a bachelor pad separate of the girls.

I pretty much have three different flocks. Bailey and her chicks, the two 12 week old chickens and two elderly chickens. They all keep to themselves and I have a few homes they all go to at night. I have planned what to do with the males. They have a home in my yard already.

 

[blakeee]

I just had a thought.... Her leg didn't seem paralysed. She would use it. It was just sore. Is it a possibility that she just was too sore to eat anything? She was walking to the water bowl a few times a day. She used to always want to be first so she would sprint anywhere and sometimes she would fall. That's what I had first guessed had happened.

 

[blakeee]

Also, the poop in the photo appears to be green but in real life it's not green. It's quite white.

 

[rebrascora]

With Marek's the term lameness and paralysis are used but not always strictly true. It is more an inability to coordinate or control a muscle. At least in the early stages, if they do focus, often they can use it but if they are put under stress or flustered, they lose the coordination and stumble or flounder. I've done long term therapy with some of my Marek's girls that had the spirit to fight the disease, by giving them a goal to focus on..... either placing a treat close to them to encourage them to move towards it (ensuring there was no competition from other birds) or making their way back into the coop at night under close supervision I've had some that hock walked, some that would stand on their own foot and trip themselves up, some that just hobbled and wobbled. One that learned to hold her foot up out of the way and hop everywhere. There is a significant difference between the conscious favouring of one leg because the other is painful to put weight on and neurological lameness that Marek's tends to cause, but sometimes you need to see both types of lameness to realise how different they are. I had seen about 20 birds with Marek's lameness before I saw one with an injury and as soon as I saw the hen with an obviously sore leg, properly limping, it made me realise how different the two are.

 

[rebrascora]

Chickens are incredibly tough and will tolerate a lot of pain without letting on, so I would doubt that pain from an injury to her leg would cause her to die, especially if there was no sign of injury.

 

[blakeee]

I

Chickens are incredibly tough and will tolerate a lot of pain without letting on, so I would doubt that pain from an injury to her leg would cause her to die, especially if there was no sign of injury.

I didn't mean she died from a sore leg. I meant that she wasn't eating enough so she essentially starved to death.

 

[blakeee]

Also, she was holding the leg out from the hip so it did look like she had injured it. I'm not an expert so I didn't bother feeling for a break or any swelling because I didn't want to hurt her.

Chickens are incredibly tough and will tolerate a lot of pain without letting on, so I would doubt that pain from an injury to her leg would cause her to die, especially if there was no sign of injury.

 

[rebrascora]

It is not likely that she would die of starvation in 2 days and I am assuming you would have noticed her limping before yesterday if she had had the injury/lameness longer than that.
We really can only speculate though without a necropsy.... I was just saying what the likely cause might be. It doesn't hurt to learn about the likes of Marek's even if it turns out that you never see another symptom of the disease in your flock and it is not like I am suggesting you treat your flock with particular medicines for it that might not be appropriate and have possible side effects. A vitamin boost occasionally, good food and a happy, stress free life will only benefit your flock.

I wish you well with your remaining flock and particularly the new chicks and hope you end up with more pullets than cockerels.

 

[blakeee]

It is not likely that she would die of starvation in 2 days and I am assuming you would have noticed her limping before yesterday if she had had the injury/lameness longer than that.
We really can only speculate though without a necropsy.... I was just saying what the likely cause might be. It doesn't hurt to learn about the likes of Marek's even if it turns out that you never see another symptom of the disease in your flock and it is not like I am suggesting you treat your flock with particular medicines for it that might not be appropriate and have possible side effects. A vitamin boost occasionally, good food and a happy, stress free life will only benefit your flock.

I wish you well with your remaining flock and particularly the new chicks and hope you end up with more pullets than cockerels.

Yes, I understand. Thank you so much for your help.

 

[AmandaCP]

Unfortunately Lucky passed away. I am devastated. I don't know what happened.

I am so sorry!