Yesterday I went out to the coop and found one of my chickens down and paralyzed and breathing heavy. I only have one rooster with them and he has gotten on her berfore with no problems. This morning I went out to check on her and she seems to be doing a little better but is still paralyzed. She can not sit up at all. She lays on her side. I tried to give her food and water but she is not really interested. This happened to one of my other chickens before when she got spooked by she came out of it the next day. This is taking a little longer. What could this be??? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks
paralyzed chicken
Maybe hold her and manipulate -move her around a little. See if her muscles are reacting at all or if there's any pain. Pain -I'd guess disease, tensed muscles I'd guess stress or injury, flaccid muscles I'd guess paralysis. I'm no expert by any stretch, but check out the bird link thread. There are several good diagnostic links. I'll bump it.
And really wash your hands and isolate your bird in case of contamination -at least til you know!! Just to be on the safe side.
I have no idea either. I wish I could be more help. There are aome really smart people on here who know their chicken illnesses. Hopefully someone will come along with an answer.
Sheila
#1 Mereks a disease that causes chickens to become paralyzed and is contagious there is no treatment for Mereks if you can isolate her do that and try and prop her up so she is upright use a blanket or hay. Put food and water where she can reach it and just keep and eye on her sometimes chickens recover from Mereks don't try to force food or water as this only causes stress.
#2 poisoning can cause weakness and paralization do for her the same as above as for Mereks.
Chickens have amazeing Immune systems that help them when they become like this and sometimes it takes a few days just like us when we have a cold we just need a little time and comfort to let our body's heal themselves and a chicken is no different.
If you need more help ask we are all here for this reason Harmony
Here's a good link http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/diagext.htm
ya know i had the same prob with my cuckoo marans roo and couldn't find out what caused it. he ended up dieing the tylan didn't help at all. he was fine one day and paralysied the next. i gave him 2 days of tylan and next day he was dead. i had feed and water right there he was eating and everything and looked healthy.
the welsummers in the same pen r still fine. i see they have rat holes under their pen. we put traps out last night and got 2 dead rats today. i wonder if it was from a rat bite?? and yes i agree with harmony those r possabilities also. everyone is fine but their pen is about 6" off ground my others r all 3-4ft off ground. i think he got bit by one cuz it's all i can think of.
Silkie I just don't think there has ever been enough research going on for chickens in most the books and sites you go to they will give the same instructions for different things.
It's always give antibiotics i always see if they will get over it themselves before i intervene with any medication.
And is it just me or is just about the only meds for chickens different brands of antibiotics.
We are left as chicken folks to figure out how to treat them and we do just that and do a good job of it too.
I go in a feed store they waters,feeders,grit and feed and a huge isle of horse stuff and meds.
nope there really isn't alot of info out there. i had 2 others sneezeing with sinus probs is why i had the tylan out. he started with that and i had it there already so i used it as a procaution cause i knew something was majorly not right. he was like 6-8mths old and perfectly healthy that's why it didn't make sence.
the other 2 r cooped seperate on other side of the yard from him and they r fine now and noone is sick at all. it was just the oddest thing. i thought the first 2 things u said also but there is a disease that has to do with rats or rat poop that can kill or poison chickens, i for the life of me can't remember the name of it. since noone else is sick or had anything with paral. like he did only thing i can assume is it was due to a rat somehow. there is no rat poop in the cage or coop and only way to get in is in the run if something happened out there. it is hardware cloth bottom but chicken wired sides so they could get in throguh sides if small enough.
there really isn't much meds for them except vaccines. tylan is actually a swine/cattle antibiotic. i've tried the poultry ones and they usually don't work and with size of my flock those get expensive and take to long to give and get in system. tylan is quick it can be given over just days and usually 1-7 doses and done. it is stronger and hits them faster doing only birds who actually need it instead of whole flock. yep i agree i try not to use anything but he had been getting worse quick in just a few days i had to try something.
I am really glad I found this forum. You people have been a great help. I am new to owning chickens and only have the internet to turn to. All the info that is given has really helped. I looked up Merek's disease and it sounds alot like her symptoms however she is eight months old. I don't know if it still applies. I will watch her closely and keep her comfortable and see what happens. It seems she is regaining a small bit of movement in her legs but she is still unable to sit up. Will wait and see. Thanks everyone!!
ur most welcome. if u want to try ceyane pepper sprinkled in feed it helps for worms but also the reason i mention it for help in circulation. when i had a hen with sever frostbite it help her it did not dawn on me to try it on the marans to see if it would help him.
Cayenne supposedly heats up their systems too which would give credence to the circulation thing and frostbite.
The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerov is helpful, as is Merck's Veterinary Manual, which is online (google it).
There is actually a lot known about chicken health, but for backyard poultry people to access that information is sometimes difficult.
www.browneggblueegg.com has quite a few health articles, the housechickens yahoo group has tons of information in the Emergency Info file. And then there is http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi which contains more information that you will ever be able to digest. Diana is AMAZING at researching, finding and compiling articles and links. And strange as it may seem, the gamecock fighters seem to be vast stores of knowledge about chicken health and nutrition. (And no, I do not advocate the "sport"; I abhore it.)
Suze
For poison, an epsoms salt or molasses flush is recommended. The epsoms salts is better, but apparently tastes nasty. Either of these absorb the poisons and help remove it from the body.
Paralysis from Mareks is almost always accompanied by the bird being in a position similar to the splits: one leg straight out to the front and the other straight out towards the back.
Botulism poisoning causes a "limp" paralysis. The muscles are not stiff, but the bird cannot control them. There is no specific posture, but the legs are unlikely to be in such an unnatural position as with Mareks.
BTW, Mareks is cancer caused by a virus, and is HEAVILY researched.
Suze
A mine of info as always.. Thank you Suze!! Would you mind putting those in the bird link thread with a teeny explanation beside?
Would love an update...
I was speaking in terms of all chickens virus's/disease's wasn't just focusing on Mereks and NO as Silkie said theres just not that much out there.
I have Damerows book and it's the best i have read and very informative.
there is poultry info if u know where to look it's just not that readily available to everyday people usually it is more in vet terms and sites. merk vet is excellent source for info and so is brown egg blue egg and many other places as well. gamecock breeders r superior for info, u bet ur bum they sure know info, so r exhibition breeders if they truely care about their stock and flock.
yes i know of all those sites and i don't agree with most of the things i have seen her post in open forum from my profeshional and personal experience, JMHO....
As I said in my earlier message, "There is actually a lot known about chicken health, but for backyard poultry people to access that information is sometimes difficult." I do think finding accurate information should be easier.
My only complaints about Damerov's book is that it is somewhat out of date and dosages aren't always listed. For example, it recommends a drop of ivermectin in the eye to treat eyeworm, but doesn't give the strength and format of the ivermectin: pour-on, injectible, paste, drench? For coccidiosis she lists the concerns about the narrow therapeutic levels vs toxic levels of sulfa drugs, but doesn't list the dose needed or the amount to add per gallon of drinking water for the commonly available packages. I would love to see a new edition with expanded information.
Silkiechick, are you referring to me or to Diana when you say "i don't agree with most of the things i have seen her post in open forum"?
i agree it should be updated with more detailed info. sorry,lol no i didn't mean u i was talking other boards.
I enjoy hands on experience and believe we learn more from eachothers personal experience's than from some site's.
I trust someone's knowledge that has actually experienced the same thing i'm asking about. This forum is what helped me cure my chickens of pox and learn about vaccine and i'm glad it was here to help me.
i agree.
well ya know how i told ya i thought a rat had got my roo and we found a few holes under their pens. well turns out 3 holes was under his run about 6" off ground and the other pens r 3-4ft off the ground had a bunch under them as well. we have been baiting rat traps everyday and have now killed 11 rats EWWWWW!!! i'm so freaked out!!! we never had rats at my friend's before so i think it is due to the logging in the next few lots and winter comeing. i think they got chased out the woods and r low on food or something. so i definately think my roo had been attacked by a rat that caused his probs. everyone else is still fine no probs even the 2 that were in with him in the same pen. i think he got bit trying to protect the others.
i'd love to know how cr's hen is doing now too. i hope everything is alright and she is better.
Thanks for all the good info again. Just an update. My chicken miraculously seems do be doing OK. I have her apart from the others but she is now standing, walking and roosting like before. She never really lost her appetite and is eating and drinking just fine. Someone told me that the possibility of an egg getting stuck could have caused this but I don't know. The second day she was down she did pass an egg and that is when I noticed a tad bit of movement in her legs. She has since not layed an egg but at least she is doing much better. I still notice her a little weak but compared to how she was it is a complete 180. Thanks to all.
Rats i've learned to except they are here and will be here i kill at least 2 or 3 a month. They pee on everything and knock stuff off my shelves we have 3 size's mice,mouse,rat. Yes in my neck of the woods we have 3 size's and they all just get on my last nerve.
There seems to be and endless supply i kill one and in no time theres a replacement.
crcenteno,
Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that she's doing better!