Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[ISCA]

Margo (Buff Orp) did not take herself to bed last night. She is 16 weeks so young. I was at work so OH put her in the coop. She was very quiet and docile. This morning she would not leave the coop. She was sat at the pop hole 3 hours after it had opened. I gave her a gentle tap on the bottom and she flapped down to the run but then I noticed she has a limp. She will stagger a few steps and then sit down. She was well yeasterday.

 

I have checked her feet and there are no sores/ cuts. She has no leg deformities or obvious breaks. If she were a human I would put it down to a sprain/strain injury, but she isn't, she is a hen!

 

My inclination is to wait and see what happens before rushing to a vet, but wondered if any of you experienced Omleteers had any thoughts or advice?

 

Replies appreciated.

[alet_chicken]

Hi ISCA, I'm sure somebody with more experience will be along shortly, but my guess would also be a sprain. I don't have any orps (would love to though!), but know they are notoriously clumsy.

 

Maybe keep an eye on her for a couple of days, and take her to the vets if it doesn't get better? In the meantime I would make sure to put food and water within reach, and that she's not being bullied.

 

My legbar Madge had a sprain last summer; there was some swelling, not much, but the sore leg did feel warmer than the other ... sometimes. The vet gave her an anti-inflammatory injection (and prescribed antibiotics, they always seem to do that!), and she recovered pretty quickly.

[Redwing]

If it doesnt get better try confining her for a while (rabbit hutch/dog cage) to see if rest improves things

 

I dont mean to scare you but have a read up on Mareks, its probably not that but do just take a look and be aware of the symptoms, it often starts with a limp and your chooks is a prime age for this sort of thing to surface

[ISCA]

Thank you for the replies. I have brought her in to the conservatory area. She is eating and standing but not walking at all. I shall see how she goes and if no better on saturday morning will get some anti-inflammatory meds from the vet.

 

She was innoculated against Mareks after hatching so it will not be that (I assume the vaccine, which covers them for life, is highly efficacious).

[The Dogmother]

Glad to hear that you have given her a good once over. As Tasha has said, isolate her and limit her movements, give her Arnica pillules (30c); two per day and add some limestone flour, or other source of calcium to her feed. That usually works.

 

Marek's works very swiftly, s if she had that, she'd be an ex-parrot (to quote Monty Python!)

[Jools]

I'd be worried about Mareks too with those symptoms. There are different forms though and I did a post on it a few months ago which has slipped into the ether. However, I've just googled and found this if you want to have a read up.

 

The acute form is swift, starting with limping, then loss of mobility and increasing paralysis. While still able, an infected bird will continue to eat and drink as normal, but obviously they can't do this for long and will die from starvation of dehydration if not PTS.

 

However, I know of someone who has several that have recovered from the non-acute form with some intensive nursing and TLC, though it's not popular as most believe in control by culling infected birds.

 

The only other comment I'd make is that the ONLY diagnosis is by post-mortem.

 

Fingers crossed that yours doesn't have it.

[ISCA]

An update...

 

Sadly Margo went downhill the next day, not eating or drinking and not moving. By evening she was leaning over to one side and her wing was out-stretched. She looked pitiful, so this morning I took her to the vet and she was PTS.

 

The vet (who keeps chickens herself) said Marks was a possibility but it could have been something ekse and she would not like to hazard a guess.

 

All my chickens were vaccinated at 1 day old for Mareks, so should I be worried about the others? They are all well.

 

I would also like to get another Buff Orpington, as it was the one breed I really wanted. Would getting another one from the Rare Breeds centre where I got the others, while they are all still fairly young, be OK?

[alet_chicken]

So sorry to hear ISCA.

[The Dogmother]

All my chickens were vaccinated at 1 day old for Mareks, so should I be worried about the others? They are all well.

 

I'm sorry to hear of her demise.

 

If they are vaccinated, then they ought to be fine, but when they are spray vaccinated at 1 day old, it doesn't always get every chook, so just keep an eye on them. I learned a lot about Marek's when one of my hens died of it a few years back - she was moulting at the time. It is 'in the background' in most flocks, but will surface if a hen's immune system is compromised as you'd expect with a heavy moult, or a bad infestation of worms or lice.

[Jools]

I'm very sorry to hear that, but you did the right thing in having her PTS to prevent any further suffering.

 

No vaccine is 100% so you've just been unlucky. I wouldn't let it put you off getting another Buff Orp as lightening doesn't often strike twice.