- Jul 21, 2014
- 124
- 4
- 63
I have a RIR who is 30 weeks old. A while back she suddenly fell ill. Not going back over the symptoms - but I believe she had Mareks Disease. It was touch and go for a while, but we pulled her through. The only thing noticeable after this is she has permanent paralysis in her left wing. I don't notice any other defects. She is eating, her comb doesn't seem to be maturing so much, but it seems to be a healthy color. She is definitely smaller than the other girls, but I believe they are larger breeds anyway. The other three are all laying. Could she be delayed because of her illness. We nursed her for a good two weeks and then spent another two weeks reintroducing her back into the run. Has that maybe set her back or could it be that the illness itself may cause her never to lay. If she has paralysis that I can see externally is there a good chance she could have additional damage internally. First off let me clarify - whether she ever lays or not we're keeping her. She's definitely a pet, but if she isn't going to lay I would like to get one or two more girls for laying purposes. Does anyone have any insight as to chickens that have survived Mareks and what is the outlook for laying. At what age should I just give up and say she just isn't going to lay. Thanks.