Chicken staggering, sitting on haunches

[Wfpendragon]

Hey all, our 8 week old Ameraucana seems to be suddenly having trouble standing for long periods of time, and he/she has started sitting on its haunches a lot. (it has always done this occasionally, but today it's particularly bad.) He/she still eats and drinks and even walks some, but can't seem to stand for very long without sitting again. I've been reading up on Marek's disease and I'm a bit scared, as the chick has been around our older pullets who are 16 weeks old. None of them are showing symptoms but I am almost wondering if I should buy some vaccine and give it to them just to be safe. What do y'all think might be wrong with our chick?

 

[chickengr]

Hey all, our 8 week old Ameraucana seems to be suddenly having trouble standing for long periods of time, and he/she has started sitting on its haunches a lot. (it has always done this occasionally, but today it's particularly bad.) He/she still eats and drinks and even walks some, but can't seem to stand for very long without sitting again. I've been reading up on Marek's disease and I'm a bit scared, as the chick has been around our older pullets who are 16 weeks old. None of them are showing symptoms but I am almost wondering if I should buy some vaccine and give it to them just to be safe. What do y'all think might be wrong with our chick?

I would try electrolytes and vitamins first.

 

[Wfpendragon]

I mixed up a batch of electrolyte/vitamin solution and gave it to my chick and he/she seems to be slightly better. Not sitting on hocks quite as much.

 

[Chickensfan]

Try giving her wet food.

 

[Wfpendragon]

He's still hock sitting and today had some bloody cecal poop. Put him on Corid and have been feeding scrambled egg and wet crumble.

 

[Chickensfan]

good.

 

[Wfpendragon]

update: he recovered and was fine for 3 weeks, then just yesterday he plummeted and I was unable to nurse him back to health... after research I believe it was Marek's which worries me. He was eating a lot but not gaining weight and got really skinny. At the end he couldn't stand and died within an hour. Rip Xerxes

 

[mustang56]

IF it was coccidiosis... you might want to treat your 8 week old babies that were sharing a home with the one that past away...
The bloody stool sounds like cocci ....

 

[mustang56]

by the way so sorry for your loss... =(

 

[chickengr]

sorry for your loss.

with chickens it could be anything. many diseases have the same symptoms.