is this Newcastle, Mareks, or weak legs? Help!

I hope someone can help identify what our hens have, and what if anything we can do to help them. Also, what do we do for the others who are yet unaffected, but certainly have been exposed to whatever this is!?

I posted on a weak legs thread, and it was recommended to me that I post this as a new emergency issue, as it appears that is what it is!

We started with one hen, one of five young Buckeyes but now have two not yet laying hens with weak legs, and I am watching closely what can be done for them.

The first is a Buckeye, and now the second, only a day later was a Delaware. They have yet to lay, but expecting them to do so this fall. We figure they are around 4 months old, and I bought them from a farmer about 1 1/2 hours south west of where our hens live.

First, I was thinking(& hoping) that they are experiencing a vitamin deficiency, as the problem....but, as this came on SO quickly?!?...wondering if it isn't a more serious virus or disease?

Could it be Either Mareks or Newcastle diseases that are possible? Yikes!

See my profile, as I seemed to be able to load the pics of the two hens on here, but click the link to see the two affected!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/a/7060800/help-with-hens-weak-legs


I have the two weak ones in a separate coop for now.

Any suggestions?

So, as we have the two isolated, and need to evaluate the remainder of our flock this morning.

It sounds difficult to rid the coop of these viruses. Does anyone have experience with this?

Our hens free range all day, and have been outside in a large unenclosed area everyday. There have been only a handful of days that they have been in the coop in the last three months.

We have 4 older leghorns and one brahma bantam hen, which was a rescue over a year ago. We have 5 others the same ages as the two who are weak.
I did mix up a gallon of the save a chick powder into their water, in hopes of boosting their vitamin intake. We also picked up the liquid rooster booster, and gave each 3cc's orally of it.

Thanks for the suggestions, as I'm very concerned that the remainder have all been exposed as well, and don't want to lose any of the hens!

Thank you for reading this!



Love the hens!
Our animals outside are: 6 Laying white leghorns, 1 Cochin hen bantam, 3 young black feathered chickens, 5 turkeys, 1 Cat, 1 ornate Box Turtle, 2 water turtles.
ReplyQuote Multi

This is not exactly relevant to the emergency issue I have posted, but I was trying to update my profile and our current list of animals, but here they are:

Animals we have:
4 white leghorns, 1 bantam Brahma, 5 Buckeyes, 2 Delaware hens, 41 white Cornish meat birds, 1 cat, 3 dogs, 1 tortoise, 7 rabbits, and on the farm we have 18 white Cornish meat birds, 11 goats, and one llama.

We lost our white Delaware hen this morning! Unfortunately, she seemed to be really suffering and at her end. Our son was able to put her out of her suffering, but we all still feel so bad.

It is confusing to us in how quickly this all happened, much less why?

So far our other hens seem fine, but who knows?

How is the other girl that is sick.?

Thank you for asking! She is hanging on-but her legs seem as if they may stay useless! I just haven't figured out why this happened and what it is! We have given penicillin shots to other hens who had infections, and bumble foot -with success?!? I don't know what her issue is, for sure anyhow, just suspiciouns...

However, she is really eating! (Though, in previously ill and dying chickens, I swear they eat nearly until they take their last breath! Crazy in that respect!

Once I put food in a little pile next to her on the floor she ferociously began eating! Also, took a few bites of watermelon and I gave her some vita min B and also dunked her beak a few times to encourage drinking.

I feel she probably won't make it, but we have her away from all the others and keeping her safe from them and predators and such. I feel her prognosis is weak, and am most concerned that some or all of my others may also get or have this! As, of course they were exposed as they all lived together.

Here is the link for my photo of my weak Buckeye chicken/pullet with the bad legs

https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/a/7060800/help-with-hens-weak-legs/

Any ideas?
What it is that she is experiencing?

I hope the two recover. Her legs ????
Please continue to post
Thank you.
mg

So ourBuckye is still alive! Unable to use her legs though, so not sure her prognosis is very good.

I can't believe we lost our white Delaware so quickly! Like one day she showed signs and the next day-dead!

So, one Hen down, one still trying hard to Survive!

I am still concerned about the rest, as they were all exposed and the incubation time is so long depending on what the issue is!?!

Her poop isn't runny or unusual, tho I know poop varies too. But pretty normal and not excessively smelly either.

She is of course still isolated.

This girl has a great appetite however, drinks and poops just fine! So most of her seems to be working just fine!

But her poor legs...not functional!

Does anyone have any ideas?

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...ease_in_poultry.html?qt=mareks disease&alt=sh

This is very very informational at this page.

Thank you! Still quite complex info there, and I am yet uncertain as to what we are dealing with here for sure.

None of the options are encouraging, and unfortunately it is what it is-as we can't pick what we want it to be at this point!

Our little Buckeye is still holding on, but she hasn't really improved either.

I can get her to eat and drink, & she is very willing to do that! She has a large appetite, but can't support herself on her legs at all.

She does move them to spin around and I see she shakes some, but mostly when I hold her or assist her to move to the food. I know she is still afraid of me, as they are a bit cautious of us yet.

I basically have her positioned so she can reach the food and water with little movement on her part, but she seems to kick away most of the straw. I try to keep arranging it so she can be on dry straw.