[Kitchen Cottage]

On Sunday PrincessNym found one of the new ex bats on the floor of the shed, limp and unable to move.  I was at work and she rang me.... in truth I though Valhalla beckoned but told her to whack some sugar water down her. 

She has steadily improved but seems unable to stand properly unaided, although she managed a leeettttllleeee step yesterday.  Yesterday she laid an egg with no hard coat.

She is more alert and scoffing....

It seems more like an injury than an illness though and I'm wondering if she fell off the perch or something?

She seems alright in herself.  She's in a cage by herself. 

She was REALLY bad on Sunday.

Any thoughts?   I am not considering culling her as she seems to be improving

*Baffled of Essex*

[chrismahon]

Sounds like you are describing a general paralysis Kitchen Cottage. Did you notice if any of her feathers fell out when she was picked up? I say that because Botulism causes general paralysis and they either recover quickly or die quickly. Even the muscles that hold the feathers in relax apparently. Has she been fed maggots or been digging in a compost heap or in a rotting leaf pile? Maggots fed on rotting meat or creatures like beetles living in rotting vegetation can be carriers.

[princessnym]

Hi Chris,

She could have wandered up to the compost pile. Kitchen Cottage suggested she might be injured and dehydrated, which would explain why she improved drastically in the space of 2 hours on Sunday after being syringe fed sugar water. She is drastically improved since isolation and one on one TLC! She is eating and drinking on her own. She is still rather wobbly though which is concerning.

[Kitchen Cottage]

No feather loss, she is free ranging but I have dogs, including ex rescues and meat would be found by them long before the chooks!  That said, she could definitely have found some maggots, they are free range.  Its not a total paraysis, she could move her legs, they just wouldn't hold her.

She is seperated and will be so until she can stand and walk, she is better than she was, but not having some instant recovery.

I dont' think its Marek's.

Would she have some movement if it was caused by maggots? 

Is there anything else that can be done for her if this is the course.... she is having some human antibiotics...

[chrismahon]

Botulism causes total muscle paralysis I read KC. But obviously that isn't quite correct otherwise her heart would stop. So it is possible it is partial paralysis, in which case perhaps she could be able to move here legs. I bet it is often mis-diagnosed as Mareks. She will either recover on her own or die quickly and it looks like recovery is the way she is going. If it is Botulism I can't see antibiotics helping, but who knows? It will at least give her best chance, but you may have to restart her gut flora with probiotic natural yoghurt. You can tell from her poos -they will look very grainy, like pellets soaked in water if there is a problem.

[Kitchen Cottage]

Thank you so much... her poos are a little grainy!  I'll keep my fingers crossed.  Its been five days and she can't walk BUT she's comfortable, eating and happy so I'm not thinking of doing anything else to her yet.

That said,  I've had birds who I thought were getting better..... and then they suddenly die.

The botulism thing is concerning.  In a year we have had 3 sudden chicken deaths where in the morning they were found near death.  None of them were from the main flock, they were, unfortunately, my tenants and very precious to them.   I can't see me finding the source.... but I'll have a look at the weekend...

[chrismahon]

Any news Kitchen Cottage? I would expect her to be fully recovered by now.

[Kitchen Cottage]

She is walking and eating but seems a little weak.  I have a large rabbit hutch that I use as a hospital unit.  I'm planning to keep her in there for a few more days.  She is definitely better, she just seems a bit tired.

I let her out this morning for 20 minutes and she was pecking but slower so I put her back in.  I'll try her again tomorrow    I have picked up anything that might be rancid food (there is quite a lot of my cats mice and birds in the hedgerow as it turned out!)

She is off antibiotics.  Her poo seems normal now?  Will she get her stomach enzymes (or whatever they are) back by herself? 

Thank you for all your help especially chrismahon! 

[chrismahon]

She will get enzymes back if she is exposed to them Kitchen Cottage. Scattered feed in the run will pick up the poo of the others which contains them. We did this when we bought Beryl's Tonic -just treated one in each coop. But if she is isolated I would use the probiotic yoghurt. Only a tint amount is required which you can put on a little square of bread.


Dead mice could easily be the source of the infected maggots.