Young Pullet Not Able To Keep Her Balance

[aart]

Yes, can see the vid now, thanks.

When you pick her up is she moving her legs at all?
They look paralyzed.
How old is she..I'm guessing about 8-10 weeks?

Is she eating and drinking and pooping 'normally'?

 

[Eggcessive]

She may have suffered a bad injury affecting her spine, but it would be hard to rule out Mareks disease without getting a necropsy. You could try her in a chicken sling with her feet touching the floor for periods throughout the day, and have food and water within reach. Give chick vitamins including riboflavin. If you decide to put her down, you can refrigerate the body in a plasic bag to send her to the state vet or poultry lab for the necropsy. Here is some info on contacts: http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[chelle02]

Yes, can see the vid now, thanks.

When you pick her up is she moving her legs at all?
They look paralyzed.
How old is she..I'm guessing about 8-10 weeks?

Is she eating and drinking and pooping 'normally'?

Sorry for the delay, yes she is eating and drinking and pooping normally. She is almost 12 weeks, she is a Cochin/Barred Rock Cross. She is able to move her legs, however the one leg that looks bruised she curls her toes under and seems to have a hard time straighten them out, but will do it when standing on her full weight.

 

[chelle02]

She may have suffered a bad injury affecting her spine, but it would be hard to rule out Mareks disease without getting a necropsy. You could try her in a chicken sling with her feet touching the floor for periods throughout the day, and have food and water within reach. Give chick vitamins including riboflavin. If you decide to put her down, you can refrigerate the body in a plasic bag to send her to the state vet or poultry lab for the necropsy. Here is some info on contacts: http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Thank you for the info. she is able to turn her head more today and shook her head and body and stayed up right for a bit before falling over this morning. I will try her in a chicken sling and see if that helps her. If she does have Mareks Disease is this contagious to my other chickens? We have had chickens for over three years now and have never had anything happen to our chickens besides coccidiosis and lice/mites. I am very concerned and if she does have it would she then be a carrier for life? I don't want to put her down if she will improve but if it something bad like Mareks than I would prefer she not suffer

 

[aart]

Where did this bird come from?

Mareks can only be positively diagnosed by a lab doing a necrospy,
might want to start researching one nearby just in case she doesn't make it.
It can be expensive or free, contact your extension office for some leads.
It's usually fatal and all your other birds are already exposed, if that's what it is.

Any chance she's suffered heat stroke?
Could just be a leg injury too.
Just keep her calm and mostly confined to rest...see how she goes.
Best of cLuck!