# Chick suddenly unable to stand...



## northriverranch (Sep 21, 2012)

My 4 week old Serama chick suddenly is unable to stand. She sticks both legs out straight in front of her and falls back on her butt. She falls over on her side. This morning I found her on her back unable to get up. I have not seen her eating or drinking because she is unable to get to the feeders. I have tried to hand feed her and put her up to the waterer but she will not eat or drink. I have 3 other Serama chicks that all seem okay. But I am very worried this may happen to them since it has a sudden onset. Any idea what this is, why it happened, and any cure?


----------



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

My first thought is "star gazing", from what I recall I believe it may be due to vitamin deficiency or nerological. Hopefully some who knows more about it will pop in.


----------



## northriverranch (Sep 21, 2012)

I am feeding them name brand chick starter. I make sure they have fresh water at all times. They are inside the house in a brooder and still have a heat lamp. Should I give them a liquid multi-vitamin w/o iron?


----------



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

northriverranch said:


> I am feeding them name brand chick starter. I make sure they have fresh water at all times. They are inside the house in a brooder and still have a heat lamp. Should I give them a liquid multi-vitamin w/o iron?


 Sorry I dont know. I tried to google more info but nothing real concrete came up. I had a duckling doing this last year and I ended up having to cull. Sorry.


----------



## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Could be contaminated feed. Try brand new feed. Also try fluid support with electrolytes. I'm thinking aflotoxins perhaps and compromised liver. Essentially poisoned by moldy food. May be the other chicks didn't get as large a dose. Also milk thistle can support liver. Over the counter, can be given orally.


----------



## northriverranch (Sep 21, 2012)

The feed was just purchases a few days before and is inside the house also. There is no visible mold in it. I was am still feeding it to my other chicks which are all doing fine. I had to cull the chick, she seemed to be suffering. Culling is always so hard for me to do


----------



## Sweetened (Apr 18, 2013)

It could also be Marek's disease. It has no known cute and usually effects birds under a year. If the bird can feed and water itself, give it a week to see if it improves. If not, you don't have much of another option aside from culling.

I have it on my farm and it can be spread from wild birds; off its in your area it is unavoidable. In breeding for resistance and immunity. Those that survive an episode are resistant, not immune and will carry it and shed it for the rest of their lives. Some cull because of that, I don't for the same reason.

You can put a turkey or two in to help with resistance as well as turkeys carry a virus that it's similar but doesn't infect chickens, it does however encourage resistance and works like an inoculation.

If you bought your birds vaccinated for Marek's, then you are among the unfortunate group of ever growing folks who have found the vaccine useless.


----------



## northriverranch (Sep 21, 2012)

I hatched them from eggs purchased on Ebay. They were hatched in an incubator and have been inside the house. I have 4 outdoor coops and have been raising chicks & chickens for about 6 years and haven't seen this in my birds before. Can mareks be spread from hen to chick in the reproductive system or only after the chicks hatched?


----------



## Sweetened (Apr 18, 2013)

Marek's its spread by dander, so chicks can be exposed in utero. The only definitive way to find out if its Marek's is to cull and send for an autopsy. If you have it, and these birds are out in your general pop., then all birds have been exposed and you will deal with this for as long as you live there and have these birds. My birds have only had 2 fatalities from it, though a few birds have the tell tale, unexplained limp on occasion, while the other few that show symptoms tend to star gaze on around the same time as the limp. I find off they are dealing with bad weather or stress or just have a lower immune system at the time, they will show symptoms.

I 'treat' by enhancing their immune systems and flushing their intestinal track. I do this with a combination of yogurt, acv, oregano oil and aloe Vera juice.


----------



## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Your feed would be needed to be tested. Aflotoxins are not something you can see. I'd assume the worst and get new feed. It may be an inexpensive solution.


----------

