Thank you for your response to my question. Although my birds that died have never been tested I had three who "recovered."
Their stories:
First incident was Baby....he was only about 3 months maybe less in age when I lost ability to use legs then wings. I cared for him for a month without improvement prior to learning of vitamin B treatments. I started getting better. Within a week he was showing significant improvement, up on his hawks I believe they are called. WIthin a few more weeks I considered him fully recovered.
I then had a little hen who actually was the mother of Baby, Honker. She raised a brood of four eggs as just the time she was kicking them out of the nest and getting back into normal hen routines she started dragging her butt. I knew something was wrong. I cared for her for months. I tried the vitamin B without much luck. Over time she began to walk again and even lay an egg every other day. The eggs were now double the size she had been laying prior to the paralysis. She always walked with a strange gate, probably due to her legs having stiffened up so much from months of not using them. She eventually went broody. I didnt let her sit on eggs though she sat in the nest box most of the time as if broody on eggs. One day I noticed she was all fluffed up in the box. I didnt pay too much attention until by afternoon when she had not moved from the box I brought her into the run with me. I sat an watched her as she refused to eat and just sat there all fluffed up. I knew she was not feeling well so I held her for about an hour. I finally had to do some chores so brought her in the house and put her in a box while I worked in the kitchen. After a while I could hear her scratching on the box side. I thought she was ready to get out. When I approached the box I could tell she was in some sort of distress so I picked her up. She died in my arms. I buried her and never tested for Mareks.
Most recently and about a year after losing Honker I lost two birds. Both were less than 5 months. The cockerel was a Faverolle from eggs I got from a friend. He survived for about a month but toward the end developed a severe issue in breathing. The little hen showed such signs of listlessness though no paralysis. I isolated and cared for her for four days. She appeared to have a swollen crop and severe issues with breathing. I treated her for crop issues but she eventually got so weak probably from not passing food that she died withing four days of my noticing a problem with her.
Currently I caring for a paralyzed hen who started having issues about 6 months ago, Id say she was 5 months and just ready to start laying when I noticed her laying on the concrete. She ran from me but I trapped her in the run. I brought her in for isolation in a pet carrier and she progressed to not able to use legs or wings. She has always been completely alert and eats well. She is slowly gaining use of legs and flapping wings. She has never laid an egg. I continue to care for her and we are working on her legs as they are so stiff from non-use. I hope she eventually recovers to the point where she can move around on her own again.
So these are my experiences with sick birds. I have never had any of the ones who died tested for Mareks or any disease so their deaths remain a mystery. A couple of years ago I lost a year and half old Faverolle to a respiratory issue. His crow changed and then eventually he had trouble breathing. He died in my arms as did the others. I never had him tested for anything and since he never exhibited what I considered Marek-like symptoms I never expected Mareks, rather I figured he caught a cold and couldnt fight it.
I hope these stories of mine can aid in others caring for sick birds. I will always continue to try to help my birds with extra care when sick. I isolate them but I cant cull them. As long as they fight I fight with them.
Do you have anymore info on the post-symptomatic birds? I have only seen those with symptoms, who get worse, and non-symptomatic birds, who never show a symptom, and live on. I've also had a 16 week old who was totally paralized one day, only to return to normal after a day or two. Then 3 weeks later, could not aim at food and eat it, (neck nerves?).
Let your life speak for you...it is said, "How you live your life speaks so loudly that others can't hear what you are saying anyway."
Let your life speak for you...it is said, "How you live your life speaks so loudly that others can't hear what you are saying anyway."
