Guinea hens are showing weakness

[thatsavourycat]

I went to check my guinea fowl coop this morning and found that 4 of my hens barely responded to my presence. The are very disoriented and have trouble walking, the worst of them cranes her neck inward severely when stressed (when I was handling her).

The four hens are all last year's hatch and haven't laid eggs yet to my knowledge (if this helps).

I've separated them from the flock and added Germe-zone and electrolyte powder to everyone's water. I've added high protein chick feed to the food dish along with the wheat I would normally give them.

What is this? Is it a deficiency? Searching online suggests that it's pullorosis, and I pray it is not so. This onset was very sudden.

 

[Eggcessive]

Where are you located? Can you check your feed immediately for any mold? Is it hot where you are? In some countries viruses can cause sudden severe symptoms and illness.

 

[thatsavourycat]

I'm located in Sask, Canada. The heat hasn't quite hit yet, still cool in the evening/night.

There's no mold in the feed that I can find, it's kept in a cool and dry location.

I have two guinea flocks, in separate coops. They receive the exact same feed/water. The only obvious difference between them is age. The older guineas are all in top form, excluding the one that pulled a leg muscle a couple of weeks back. No signs of weakness in him.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds serious. All sorts of things can cause those symptoms, from viruses, dehydration, lead or other poisoning, or eating something bad. Make sure they are drinking enough water. Electrolytes with vitamins might help for a few days. If you lose any, I would contact the poultry lab in your province or a poultry university for a necropsy. There is another forum for guinea fowl here as well to post:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/guinea-fowl.45/

 

[thatsavourycat]

I will try getting water into them (by handing if need be) and observe them closely for the next while. I've not had anything like this happen, so I'm really hoping it's just a deficiency thing since they're the more passive ones of the group.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has there been any avian influenza in your area recently in wild birds? Here is a link for a necropsy if needed:
https://pdsinc.ca/Services/TestInformation/Necropsy.aspx

 

[thatsavourycat]

Thanks for the links!
There has not been any reports of it here since 2008, and my afflicted hens don't have breathing difficulty.

 

[Eggcessive]

I hope you are able to find the cause, and that the guineas start getting better.