Could somebody please help? We have a week-old chick brought home from a school hatching project. I noticed immediately that there was something wrong with one leg - the toes are curled under and the chick cannot put weight on the leg, although he can stretch out the toes, but then they curl up again - it kind of looks like arthritis in a human hand. The chick seemed to be getting about OK on the other leg by hopping and using its poor little wings for balance. It was eating and drinking OK. Now it seems to be having problems with the other leg, I don't know if it's strain from doing all the work but its balance is not as good and the chick is falling over a lot. The toes are not curling under but are kind of stretching upwards. The chick seems to be struggling to get around at all and I'm worried that it's not getting enough water because it can't get to it (I scatter the chick crumbs around the floor of the box) because when I offer water it drinks voraciously. The chick is growing well and is sprouting little feathers on its wing stumps. I'd like to do anything I can to help this little creature as it's managed to get this far (most of the other chicks died after hatching apparently).We are feeding it chick crumbs and water, and keep it in a large polythene box on Bounty kitchen towel, with a light for extra heat. I'd really welcome any suggestions, Thanks.

I sent you an e-mail about it.

OH, and i don't think its spraddle leg.

I just lost a chick due to Mareks disease that had the same thing happen to it. She was only a week old too. If she can't get around try to hand feed her but the symptoms you described sounded like what happened to my chick.(See the message before you,it's mine about the chick)

It definately sounds like Marek's disease. Unusual thing is HOW this little chick could have contracted it. It is spread by the feather dust of affected chickens.

The incubator must have had this dust in it.
Regardless....your choices are bleak and I'm afraid he/she will eventually die(even with your best care). There is no cure for Merek's, once you've got it. Best thing to do is to spare the poor thing the pain and do away with it. Every chick/chicken that I own has to have had their Merek's vaccine, since we've had had cases of it here.

Many thanks to all who responded I really appreciate it. I'm dissappointed to see that some seem convinced it's Marek's as I thought the chick was too young, and the eggs were hatched at school with no older chickens around. Also it does seem to have responded quite well to a hobble that I put on it this morning - its' balance is better and it sometimes stands like a 'proper chick', it is also still very lively and eating well. Any chance that it could just be spraddle or splay leg and this chick might be spared Marek's? If it is Marek's what are the next signs that I should be watching for since at the moment it doesn't seem to have any other problems apart from the legs. One more thing - can anyone tell me how I determine its' sex? Thanks again.

Anonymous, Rather than Marek's, which has at least a 2 week incubation period, it was probably, either a nutritional deficiency in the hen, or a delay in development of the chick's bones during incubation. As it may take up to 2 weeks for immunity to develop with vaccinated chicks, that emphasizes the urgency of vaccination as soon as possible after hatch--as most chicks will be exposed when they leave the brooder! The "hip" joint with splay legs is not quite finished to support the leg. Human babies occasionally suffer from this problem, and support (plaster cast) and immobilization is the treatment, until the bone grows around the joint. (I also give a drop of codliveroil to such a chick for one or two days-for vit A&D for bone growth) There may be nothing you can do. But the figure 8 rubber band or soft ties to hold the hips in position sometimes is effective. Just 3 or 4 days is all it takes, if it is going to help. Always sorry to lose one. Marek's is not suspected in chicks, but rather in young cockerels at 3 or 4 months of age, and pullets, just about the time they begin to lay. But it can show symptoms at any age, as I lost 4 older birds during the last year, birds that were not vaccinated. Best to relieve the chick of its suffering, if treatment is not successful very soon! CJR

It's kind of difficult to tell the sex on really young chicks. I've heard that in Black Sex Links if it has a white spot on its head, it is a rooster, if there isn't one, its a hen.

This is interesting, I recieved some chicks that had been hatched out at my husbands school. the chicks are about 10 weeks old. I have them in a separate coop as they are new and I am glad I did. Yesterday one chick was "off blanace" is the best way I can describe it. I checked it and it started to walk fine so I didn't think too much about it until today when I checked on the chickens and that chick was dead in the coop. I don't know what the source of these eggs that are sent to the school system are. I am keeping these chicks in isolation for the meantime. I don't know anything about Mareks except its bad news. When can I vaccinate? My other chickens were vaccinated prior to shipping from McMurrays. Where on the chicken do I vaccinate?

Hbenado, Sorry about the chick. It may not have been Marek"s, but could easily have been. Unfortunately, chicks have to be vaccinated at hatch--too late now to develop immunity from the vaccination, which is done subcutaneously in the neck skin of large chicks, and I do my very tiny bantam chicks in the "drumstick", sliding the needle under the skin. Hope you do not lose any more--Marek's does not give you much warning--and no more birds may show symptoms, or you may lose more????? It is an awful virus! Your young bird may have had some other trauma. Good luck with the rest of them!! CJR

To anyone who cares about an alternate, I had a similar thing happen to mee and it is not mareks. Mareks kill right away and the chick cannot get up, it's legs are all spread. What you had was roboflavin defficiency and you needed to treat it by feeding beef liver and yeast in small chuncks. I have personally revived 2 out of 3 "marek-wanna-bes" by doing that. Read "Pastured Poultry" by Joes Salatin and it will be a lot clearer. Riboflavin is quickly deteriorates and it's defficiency causes the nervs on the hock joint to become inflamed. Chicks don't eat grass, so they can't get it from plant. They do like meat though, so liver is basically the cheapest way to get fiboflavin in them.

Aram, you have some really interesting information!thanks for your posts!

Aram, you are good, Pastured Poultry will be my next book, Johanne

"Pastured Poultry" is available in many libraries, and while you are at it, get the "Prizoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs". It might not tell you more than you already know, but it does give an insight on what birds do naturally, and that I think is invaluable. I myself found out that I am not that insane when I say that roosters are in many ways "perfect getlemen" :)))) and we (human guys) should all learn from them.

What about a hen who is a year old and has the same problem.. she had been strong and healthy. All of a sudden one day she lost the use of her legs.. ran her around to vets, finally found one that deals with poultry. They couldnt work out what was wrong with her and in the night she deteriorated so i had to put her down. I didnt think it could be Marek's though since the breeder i get my silkies from vaccinate them against it. There were no other signals. Just woke up one morning to find her unable to walk.