I think we might have Mereks in the coop...SHOOT!

[MorelCabin]

About 2 or 3 weeks ago my biggest and best rooster started to limp. I thought he had jumped off the roost and sprained his foot or something. I brought him in the house for a few mintues and washed his feet off and had a look and there was nothing like a cut oranything, but it was very slightly swollen. So I put him back in the coop.
Then the severe cold hit and he got worse, very quiet and just huddling in a corner. So last night I figured I'd bring him in along with the silkies because with him being hurt I didn't want to lose hom to the cold.
Last night I waited a few hours and then went in a pulled him out of the dog pen I have him in and stood him on the floor to have a look at him and his foot is curling and seems like he has lost feeling ( no control of it) Now his wing on that same side is slightly drooped as well but I am not sure if it was due to him perhaps trying to keep his balance because of the foot.

These birds are all birds I got from the hatchery back in May as day olds. There should be no way they could have been introduced to Mereks ever...I don't get it...AND they have been vaccinated
What do you all think? Do you think it's possible?? Do you think a simple sprain would have him down this hard? This morning he is still really quiet...the silkie is in there trying to crow up a war and he's gonna have one wth dh pretty soon if he doesn't stop it:>) The bg roo is still just laying in his pen...I don't get it but I hope and pray it can't be mereks. Anyone have any ideas? I have put a bowl of water/molasses/cinnamon in there to help with any infection he might have...

 

[Zenbirder]

The chicken health handbook says there is less than a 5% chance in vaccinated birds of Mereks. Look at the eyes for discolored iris and irregular pupil.

I would give a first guess at bumblefoot?? Then your cold could be really exaggerating his discomfort and circulation. Is the foot running a fever?

Please take all this knowing I am looking at a book for info and only have two years of chicken Mommy under my belt.

 

[MorelCabin]

I am going to check his foot for fever...his eyes are a lttle red in the whites but the pupil and iris look normal as far as I can tell. This just has me stumped. He is alert, and friendly when I need to look at him, which surprises me because he rally hasn't been physically handled very much...but he allows me to maul him and do what I have to do...and he talks to me while I am doing it:>) I really don't want to lose him. It's like he just knows I'm trying to help him...I just have to figure out what's wrong
His feet have a couple of small callouses, but bumblefoot is a bigger ball type callous is it not? I will look up bumble foot and see what I can find. Thanks for the help...you have giving me a couple of things to look for:>)

 

[patandchickens]

It may be the cold as much as anything, alone or in combination with a sprain or incipient bumblefoot (which btw doesn't have to be a large swelling). If there's anything wrong with an animal, getting real cold makes it worse; and if a joint is sore, ditto.

I would think Mareks is not *too* likely b/c they've been vaccinated but it is spread by dust, dander etc so if you were at a fall fair or a friend's farm or anything like that, or have anyone with chickens within a couple miles, it is certianly not *impossible* to have gotten it.

You might try feeding him some higher-quality food like scrambled eggs, and possibly putting some poly-vi-sol type vitamins in his water (stressed or ill birds can have different vitamin requirements, and/or poorer absorption, than healthy ones).

Good luck, hope he feels better soon,

Pat

 

[MorelCabin]

Thanks so much Pat i am going to make him some scrambled eggs...
I haven't been near anyones coops since the spring, and this started BEFORE I got the pigeons..so I can't understand it being Merks either. I am going to go get some childrens liquid vitamin when I do groceries this afternoon and try those as well.
Thanks again! You have so much wisdom in that head of yours!

 

[MorelCabin]

Well I made him scrambled eggs and he ate em all up in no time. Made some for the silkies too and they didn't touch thiers.
I have another sick hen...can't figure out what's wrong with her, not the same as whatever is wrong with the roo though, but she sure is quite, and she just looks strange...out of posture somehow, I can't explain it. She isn't hopping on one foot though. So I brought her in to and stuck her in with roo. That makes 6 chickens in the house
Good thing it is supposed to warm up again tomorrow

 

[Beekissed]

Why not put a little ACV in their water, Morel? Couldn't hurt! Nice immunity booster!

 

[MorelCabin]

I've actually been putting molasses and cinnamon in thier water the last few days. Blackstrap molasses is full of good stuff and cinnamon is said to help fight off flus and stuff oh and I bought liquid vitamns to put in their water today