help, chicken with paralysed leg

[thechickenladyx]

we found one of our chickens with the right leg paralysed, it cant walk. we left it in the coop, and it is still alive, and drinking atleast, but cannot walk.

has anyone encountered this, and what do i do to get her back?

jesse

[longshadowfarms]

Probably mareks. Not much you can do except give her time and see if she comes around. You could worm her but it is hard to say if that will add stress or eliminate a stressor that will allow her to heal.

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page9.htm

[thechickenladyx]

thanx so much, i will google that

jesse

[longshadowfarms]

Or read the link I posted. Shagbark has an article on vaccinating too.

[thechickenladyx]

Originally Posted by longshadowfarms

Or read the link I posted. Shagbark has an article on vaccinating too.

yeah, saw that after i posted. read it, scary, but reallllly helpful, thanx

jesse

[wy_white_wolf]

First thing you should have done is seperate her from the rest of the flock. If she has some desease you don't need her spreading it to the rest of the flock. One bird isn't worth losing the rest of the flock over.

[tinknal]

This is a homesteading site that offers practical advise. Chicken and dumplings is a perfectly acceptable end for a homesteaders hen.

[Randy Rooster]

I had a rooster that that happened to a few years ago. He just came up paralyzed one day. He was perfectly healthy other than that , ate well and liked to be part of the flock. I carried him out of the coop daily and babyed him for about 6 months before he finally died.

Maybe not very practical, but I think that some where, someone or something is keeping score on how we deal with lifes less fortunates.

[paulaswolfpack]

I dont know if there is anything in this link that might help
http://archive.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/extsoln.htm
http://www.spah.com/usa/poultry/

[moopups]

I cannot remember the exact name of it but there is a mineral defeciency that can cause this, (with spelling in question) try to find info about 'parsis'. http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/sho...ghlight=parsis

[thechickenladyx]

it sounds like mareks. from all the links you guys have sent. but no other birds are sick, or show any sign, even though my husband left her in the coop for 3 days, that way. i found her last night, and thought she was dead.

separated her to the chicken hospital on our deck, and have been holding her up to drink water. she refuses food, but is taking water. her comb is half ripped off, and black, but i think the others just attacked her in those 3 days.

her eyes are alert, but she cannot move. uses her beak to keep her head up.

ill keep trying with the water, and watching my other girls. they are fully free range, so i may not find another, if shes too far away.

thanx'
jesse

[longshadowfarms]

As the Shagbark article says, if your birds breathe they have been exposed to Mareks. Exposure can come from wild birds, from you picking it up at the feed store on your shoes, whatever. Mareks is the most likely cause. Others are possible but no where near as likely. If they free range they likely do not have a vitamin and/or mineral deficiency. They get too much good stuff from greens and bugs. That info Nan posted in the link provided by Moopups is excellent. Your others have already been exposed if it is Mareks but this one was weaker for some reason (genetics, worms, whatever) so she succumbed. If she is not eating she will most likely not survive. Some of them will continue to eat and they sometimes recover.

[thechickenladyx]

i have a bad feeling she isnt gonna make it.,

i will keep a good eye on my other birds

thanx
jesse

[big rockpile]

I know its hard but for her I would put her out of her misery.

big rockpile

[Rose N'Gideon]

I had a rabbit that some how broke her leg so I took her to the vet she lived, and she later got second place in a ARBA rabbit show!
if it were me I would take it to the vet...

[longshadowfarms]

Realistically, depending on how many hens you have, a vet visit is not a bad idea even if it is for a necropsy. I can overnight them to Cornell U here in NY and for about $30 including shipping I can have a lab report on what they think it was. When I had huge #s of birds it was easier to justify the $ spent but if you consider the value of your whole flock, $30 isn't that bad to find out. Our local vets cost about the same without shipping but Cornell does this stuff a lot more than our local vets so I always ship out anything that I can't figure out. It might be worth calling around to find out your options at any rate.

[thechickenladyx]

problem is, then they come to my house and make me put down all my birds. govt. involvement is not the best way to go.

pretty much, sure now its that mareks. she also has the pasty green stool, they talk about. but all my others are doing good.

her eyes are still bright, but shes not eating. if this goes on til tommorow, ill have to finish it. so im praying things get better tonight. shes in the chicken hospital, far away from the others now.

thanx again
jesse

[Standupguy]

Im with big rockpile...Put her down....starving to death would not be pleasant...

[thechickenladyx]

found her dead yesterday morning.

thanx for all the help
jesse