Vitamin Deficiency?? Help!!!

[Hen_House04]

Hey y’all, I’m going to keep the story short. Last night my girls were good, when I got them in the coop, this morning I went out to find my Olive girl laying down beside the gate. I tried to stand her up and she’d take a step and then just lay back down. I thought something was going on with her left foot because she kept favoring it and would pant a little. However, I’ve noticed before she plops back down she starts dropping her left wing to keep her balance. I am MORTIFIED of Marek's Disease and am praying it’s just a vitamin deficiency. She was literally perfect last night and even laid an egg yesterday. Her leg is not swollen, no blood, no heat, no mites. She has been isolated today in the house, eating scrambled eggs, grapes and Poultry booster and I added some RB Poultry cell to her water tonight. We have a vet appt tomorrow. What do y’all think? I’ll take all the prayers and tips! I love her so much and it breaks my heart to see her like this!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hi! Do you have calcium citrate? I would dose her right away. Is she eating?

 

[Hen_House04]

Hi! Do you have calcium citrate? I would dose her right away. Is she eating?

I do not! I can get some tomorrow though. She is eating great! Had a huge appetite and ate a scrambled egg topped with her food. She had some grapes along with poultry booster and I added egg shells thinking maybe that would do something.

 

[Tookie]

The first thing I would do is treat for a deficiency. Get some Vitamin B Complex and Vitmain E 400IU. Give about 1/2 of a Vitamin B tablet and one Vitamin E. Give that everyday, for however long is needed. Keep giving her egg as that will help her absorb the Vitamin E more.
She can move her leg(s), correct? If so that's a good sign. For Marek's she would likely lose mobility and be paralyzed (one side, or both), therefore she wouldn't be able to hardly move at all.

 

[Hen_House04]

The first thing I would do is treat for a deficiency. Get some Vitamin B Complex and Vitmain E 400IU. Give about 1/2 of a Vitamin B tablet and one Vitamin E. Give that everyday, for however long is needed. Keep giving her egg as that will help her absorb the Vitamin E more.
She can move her leg(s), correct? If so that's a good sign. For Marek's she would likely lose mobility and be paralyzed (one side, or both), therefore she wouldn't be able to hardly move at all.

Thank you so much for replying! Yes, she can move her legs. She can take a few steps and then just wants to lay down. Before she drops down she keeps extending her left wing out almost to brace herself. She will even roll to the left side a bit when laying down. Does vitamin deficiency or mareks happen like this overnight? First time chicken mom here!

 

[Tookie]

Thank you so much for replying! Yes, she can move her legs. She can take a few steps and then just wants to lay down. Before she drops down she keeps extending her left wing out almost to brace herself. She will even roll to the left side a bit when laying down. Does vitamin deficiency or mareks happen like this overnight? First time chicken mom here!

So glad she can move her legs! That's good she can at least walk a bit.
Marek's can happen overnight, and I believe a deficiency can be overnight as well.

I forgot to ask, what is her whole diet?

 

[Hen_House04]

So glad she can move her legs! That's good she can at least walk a bit.
Marek's can happen overnight, and I believe a deficiency can be overnight as well.

I forgot to ask, what is her whole diet?

That’s good to know.
Yes, she can move them she just starts panting and lays down every step or two. They are quite spoiled (guilty) and will be two years old in a couple of weeks and eat Purina Layena Crumbles. I’ve tried switching them to the pellets, but they refuse and would rather be spoiled divas and starve until I get them what they expect I work to support my chickens! Haha they get some fresh fruit weekly, grass, veggies, scratch, etc. Olive had surgery back in October for an impacted crop and come to find out she has a growth defect and it causes her food to digest different. This is another reason why I’m questioning if it’s vitamins. Maybe it all goes hand in hand with her digestive problems in the past.

 

[Tookie]

That’s good to know.
Yes, she can move them she just starts panting and lays down every step or two. They are quite spoiled (guilty) and will be two years old in a couple of weeks and eat Purina Layena Crumbles. I’ve tried switching them to the pellets, but they refuse and would rather be spoiled divas and starve until I get them what they expect I work to support my chickens! Haha they get some fresh fruit weekly, grass, veggies, scratch, etc. Olive had surgery back in October for an impacted crop and come to find out she has a growth defect and it causes her food to digest different. This is another reason why I’m questioning if it’s vitamins. Maybe it all goes hand in hand with her digestive problems in the past.

Sounds like she is very well taken care of, and of course, like you said, spoiled! With her diet I wouldn't expect a deficiency from it. Some do recommend that anything besides their feed should make up 10% or lower of their diet, because they may not get enough of their feed with all the things they need in it. Personally I don't think you have to be that strict.
You know, I think this probably does have something to do with her past digestive problems. Maybe she can't absorb vitamins as easily.

 

[Hen_House04]

Sounds like she is very well taken care of, and of course, like you said, spoiled! With her diet I wouldn't expect a deficiency from it. Some do recommend that anything besides their feed should make up 10% or lower of their diet, because they may not get enough of their feed with all the things they need in it. Personally I don't think you have to be that strict.
You know, I think this probably does have something to do with her past digestive problems. Maybe she can't absorb vitamins as easily.

She is just “extra” in the highest degree! I joke around daily and say I work to support my chickens! Haha! We went to the vet and he doesn’t think vitamin deficiency or Mareks (praise the Lord!), but maybe a sprain/strain injury. He didn’t feel anything broken, but since it happened in a matter of a morning and there’s no neuro things going on with her, that’s what we are hoping for. He gave us some Meloxicam for her to take for the next week and to isolate her to let her rest. She is improving so much and is now walking around and trying to take flight when she sees that syringe coming! Haha! Glad my girl is getting better. Thank you for all your help!!!

 

[LaFleche]

How big was the last egg she laid? Was the eggshell strong or rather brittle?
Do you provide extra calcium free choice?

In case her last egg was big or got stuck for quite some time, she might have suffered from ischiatic nerve compression which can lead to temporary lameness.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...using-obturator-paralysis-a-case-study.76120/

I am glad she is feeling better already.