My chickens can't walk

[ChewBokBok]

I have 2 chickens that can't walk.
The first is a 4-5 month old white leghorn hen that a a month or so ago i noticed looked very, uncoordinated it was almost like she couldn't control herself, she would have one wing flopped down in front of her feet and every time she took a step she wobbled a bit. It never got worse so i wasn't too concerned but a couple days ago i saw her laying down in the coop with a bloody wound behind her comb ( which i would assume is the roosters ) I put blu-kote on it and separated her in a pen on the grass. ever since then she hasn't really been able to walk on her own. I came out today and she was a lot worse, not even able to stand or turn over.
The second one is a 2-3 month old whiting true blue that i noticed a couple of days ago had i pretty bad limp, i left her with the others for one more day but when she was worse in the morning i put her with my leghorn. I came out today and the same thing, couldn't stand. But she was more coordinated and brighter then my leghorn which makes me wonder, is it the same thing? Whats going on with them? Please let me know if there is anything i can do to help them.
Thank you.

 

[Silkie Princess]

Looks like Marek’s to me
@Wyorp Rock

 

[ChewBokBok]

I thought that too, but isn't it fast acting and they aren't paralyzed.

 

[Shezadandy]

I thought that too, but isn't it fast acting and they aren't paralyzed.

Could be MITES. It doesn't take much with smaller birds. I've used kitten shampoo meant for treatment of fleas and ticks for immediate treatment/relief- as you're bathing her if the mites are there, you'll see lots of moving tiny little specks - and then on your hands.

Elector PSP is another good solution, my favorite as the powder treatments tend to be ineffective in my area. But it's very expensive because it's a concentrated solution- it's only .068mls per ounce of water. If you had the littlest 1.0ml syringe, .068ml wouldn't even be to the first tenth of that tiny syringe. (and 1.25 fl oz of the solution per adult bird).

Even if you don't think it's mites- give one of these birds a bath (in nice warm water, of course, be prepared with towels and then a blow dryer) and see what comes out. I'd love to be wrong but the weakness they're exhibiting could easily be mites.

Rubbing alcohol will kill mites - so if it is mites and you need something to kill the ones that crawl on your hands, the faucet, the sink and so on- rubbing alcohol will do it.

Don't put rubbing alcohol on the chicken, of course, and don't leave her in an area where she'll be subject to the fumes from the rubbing alcohol.

 

[ChewBokBok]

could i use diatomaceous earth?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

one wing flopped down in front of her feet and every time she took a step she wobbled a bit. It never got worse so i wasn't too concerned but a couple days ago i saw her laying down in the coop with a bloody wound behind her comb ( which i would assume is the roosters ) I put blu-kote on it and separated her in a pen on the grass. ever since then she hasn't really been able to walk on her own. I came out today and she was a lot worse, not even able to stand or turn over.
The second one is a 2-3 month old whiting true blue that i noticed a couple of days ago had i pretty bad limp, i left her with the others for one more day but when she was worse in the morning i put her with my leghorn. I came out today and the same thing, couldn't stand.

Is this the first time you've had a chicken with some mobility issues? Any history or this in your flock in the previous year(s)?

Show some photos of the leghorn too.

How old is this pullet? What do you feed including treats?

How old are the roosters and how much space do the hens, pullet and roosters have?

I'd be inclined to think you may be dealing with Marek's too. Hard to know unless you lose one and have a necropsy. https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Since she's not mobile, have you been ensuring that she's staying hydrated and fed (hand or tube feeding her)?
I'd get her hydrated. Give her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a little egg and of course her normal feed.
Do look her over for lice/mites, if there are any, then use a Permethrin based poultry dust or spray to treat her. DE is not an effective treatment.

Any chance that your pullets ate something moldy, toxic, dead, maggots, etc.?

 

[Silkie Princess]

could i use diatomaceous earth?

I don’t think that will help.

 

[ChewBokBok]

About 3 months. i have been feeding her a organic layer feed and i give them barley once a day, although lately it has been kind on moldy. My pullet can eat and drink as long as it is next to her, she can still move but not get up or stand. I used the diatomaceous earth on both of them yesterday and the leghorn perked up a bit after that, started eating. i came by this morning and she was opening and closing her mouth like she had a tough time breathing. i tried to get her some water but she wouldn't drink. I had a wyandotte rooster last fall that got paralyzed in one wing and leg, i thought for sure it was Marek's but no one else got sick, and this is different, she isn't paralyzed.

 

[Shezadandy]

About 3 months. i have been feeding her a organic layer feed and i give them barley once a day, although lately it has been kind on moldy. My pullet can eat and drink as long as it is next to her, she can still move but not get up or stand. I used the diatomaceous earth on both of them yesterday and the leghorn perked up a bit after that, started eating. i came by this morning and she was opening and closing her mouth like she had a tough time breathing. i tried to get her some water but she wouldn't drink. I had a wyandotte rooster last fall that got paralyzed in one wing and leg, i thought for sure it was Marek's but no one else got sick, and this is different, she isn't paralyzed.

DE is not a nice thing for chickens to breathe. It's basically shards of super thin glass.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/the-cut-dry-truth-about-diatomaceous/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

About 3 months. i have been feeding her a organic layer feed and i give them barley once a day, although lately it has been kind on moldy. My pullet can eat and drink as long as it is next to her, she can still move but not get up or stand. I used the diatomaceous earth on both of them yesterday and the leghorn perked up a bit after that, started eating. i came by this morning and she was opening and closing her mouth like she had a tough time breathing. i tried to get her some water but she wouldn't drink. I had a wyandotte rooster last fall that got paralyzed in one wing and leg, i thought for sure it was Marek's but no one else got sick, and this is different, she isn't paralyzed.

What's moldy?
How long have you been feeding the pullets layer feed?

I'd get rid of any moldy feed or treats. Get them on a chick starter or an all flock feed that is fresh and in date.
I'd also give them both 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a treat of eggs.
Keep them separated from the flock and make sure they are well hydrated and fed. Likely they both need to be tube fed at least once a day.

A chicken sling can be made to get them upright. This may help them with processing food better, they may also be able to work their legs a little.

You used DE on them yesterday? What's the reasoning behind that? Do they have lice or mites or not? If they do, the use a Permethrin based poultry dust or spray on them to get rid of the bugs.

Hard to know if this is from moldy feed, feeding layer feed early, Marek's or?? Who really knows. If you lose one of them, send the body for necropsy to find out more.

Not every bird with Marek's even shows signs of symptoms, so it's very possible the rooster did have Marek's. While your pullets aren't "paralyzed" neither one is able to stand, so something is going on. Marek's is still something to consider. Could be toxins, mold...no one knows, just guesses. Getting testing is the only way to know for sure.