Kirstie Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Well my chicks are now just under 6 weeks old (6 weeks this weekend) and they are lovely. I have a definite 2 boys (so far) with large combs and wattles and the remaining 4 don't have large combs but im still expecting one to jump up and go I'm a boy! Anyway the reason I'm posting .. One of my boys I noticed yesterday was limping and lying down a lot. I thought I'd give him a few days to see if it gets better before taking him to the money man (vet! ) as he's prob just hurt it and rest always works x but today he's limping badly on it and spent a lot of the day in his house (it didn't help we had friends visiting with dogs that kept scaring them - I ended up shutting the chicks in their house for a little while!) I'm going to take him to the vets tomorrow, but am worried it might be something awful. I'm not sure why I've posted as I don't think anyone can give me a magical answer as you haven't seen him, but I guess I wondered if anyone had anything like this happen? Also just wanted to vent my worry - sorry x My fingers are crossed for tomorrow - as I really want to give him a chance to get better - he's lovely and friendly x I'm now waffling so I will go but any ideas please xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Sorry to hear your little one has a bad leg. No idea what it could be, hopefully a strain or something? Good luck at the "money mans" today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Hi, what breed are the chicks? Is the chick using his wing as a crutch or any loss of movement in one or both wings? Chances are its just a sprain, confining him for some rest in a cat carrier or similar in a warmish place for a few days may work wonders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstie Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 Hi Thanks for responses. The vet gave him some metacam for the pain and I've given him another dose today - I've quarantined him in case it's a disease - which I really hope it's not! The vet said if he's no better by Saturday then I should take him back (I think with the plan to send him on a one way trip ) but I don't think a day and a half of medicine is long enough and he's not looking miserable so will prob wait until Monday and then maybe ask about antibiotics (or maybe I'm being silly and he is just a chicken and I shouldn't be so emotional but they are my first chicks and I've always felt if you have animals you have the responsibility to give them a chance! As long as their welfare isn't suffering) His wing is drooped down - I guess like a crutch? Is this a sign of something? I wish I just knew it was either a strain or an illness - then we could treat appropriately! Anyway fingers crossed he'll be up and walking around normally by tomorrow x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstie Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 I'm bouncing from one thing to another with this little man - and earlier tonight I was stressing he has Mareks disease. I don't know enough about it so am not sure where he would have caught it from? But I will be researching on the Internet - so I was thinking he has to be culled to then have a PM to make sure. But then I thought - metacam isn't registered in poultry so it may not work in the way it's expected - and I had a good look at him and he is only really struggling walking - his wings aren't drooping like I previously said - they flop out a bit when he looses balance. So I think I will take him back to the vets tomorrow and ask them what else we can try before early next week making that horrible decision x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstie Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 Well after his little fight Donald didn't improve - and got more droopy and struggled to get around his isolation cage. He was perky still and looked fine in himself but I felt enough for the poor man x I have no idea if it was Mareks - and won't know as we sent him off on his one way trip at home and burried him in the field xx It was so sad and I worry we made the right decision, but we felt his quality of life wasn't great and if it was Mareks I wasn't sure if he would be ok with the remainder chicks? And also it would mean we couldnt breed from him in the future and I really want to hatch more at some point x I'm now waiting with fingers crossed that no other chicks come down with something similar x Feeling very sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 So sorry you lost your little man. If he was suffering it was the kindest thing to do i am sure. I have no experience of mareks disease so cant help im afraid. Just wanted to say sorry. Hope your other chicks do ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Sorry to hear that you lost him. I had a similar experience a a couple of years ago. One of the boys I hatched was about 12 weeks old when I noticed him limping. Over the space of a around five days he went from limping to barely moving. He was happy to sit on the grass with food and water within reaching distance but couldn't walk. I took him to the vets and tried a couple of things but he didn't improve so I had to cull him. He was a crossbreed, all of his sisters were totally healthy, and I've still got a couple of them. I don't know if it was Mareks, I doubt it and my vet said Mareks usually starts when they're six months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
