Need advice for sick chicken

[arnoldfamily4]

We have a Sapphire Gem hen. She's just over a year old. A little over a month ago we noticed her right wing was droopy. 2 feathers were constantly between her feet. Other than that, she was doing fine. We did some reading and thought maybe she strained her wing. So we supported it with an elastic bandage (tight enough to keep the wing in place, loose enough for her to function). She seemed to do fine with it. The other girls didn't bother her to our knowledge. We tried to remove the bandage, but it was still hanging, and she seemed a little off balance. So we re-bandaged and put her in a separate coop so the girls wouldn't pick on her. Then she started loosing balance even more. So we removed the bandage, but that didn't make a difference. It's been about 3 weeks now. She either falls to her left side, or face forward. She eats, poops, drinks, coos. She actually laid an egg yesterday for the first time since she's been separated from the flock. But, she can't stand up or walk. She will often fall to her side, almost on her back, and will kick her feet in an effort to upright herself, so her legs and feet work! I have given her soaked cat food a few times. She has rooster booster in her water. This morning I did eggs with shells, yogurt, herbs and spices, and cat food. She gobbled it up! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. She obviously has a will to live and if there's anything we can do for her, let me know! If I've left out any details, please ask!! We would love to know if anyone else has seen this! We thought Marek's but because of her age, and how long she's been fighting, I'm not sure that's it. The only other thing we can think is vitamin deficiency. Maybe with the strained wing, she wasn't allowed to eat as much as she should have??? TIA for any advice you can offer. It's difficult to search all these symptoms and not be pointed to Marek's immediately. Like I said, she is acting normal.....other than not being able to stand or walk....

 

[Tookie]

How's your hen?

 

[arnoldfamily4]

This morning no change to her ability to stand or walk. She ate just fine. And still coos and clucks when she sees me. This morning she had a mix of cooked eggs, yogurt, cat food, and herbs.

 

[nuthatched]

This morning no change to her ability to stand or walk. She ate just fine. And still coos and clucks when she sees me. This morning she had a mix of cooked eggs, yogurt, cat food, and herbs.

Have you tried poultry vitamins for vitamin deficiency? Does she lay? A nerve could have gotten pinched resulting in paralysis.
Feed her her regular feed and water, she doesn't need any special diet for this.

 

[Eggcessive]

Unfortunately symptoms do sound like possible Mareks disease. It is hard to know without testing or having a necropsy done if you lose her. A chicken sling chair can be helpful to let her eat, and to get her upright, keep her clean, and help her rest if she doesn’t have Mareks. Here are some examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[arnoldfamily4]

She's still hanging in there. Seems ok other than not being able to stand. She does move her legs and feet. We're just hanging in there with her. We might try a sling to at least keep her clean and allow some mobility that she can't get lying down.

 

[arnoldfamily4]

In the past few days, she has started to stand, walk and go in and out of the coop with no assistance. She's still just a bit off balance so she's still in her own coop and not out with the girls. If it is Mareks, is this recovery normal? Can she eventually go back with the girls? Could it have been an injury that just needed time to heal? I'm glad she's recovering but obviously perplexed.