- Mar 22, 2013
- 55
- 3
- 33
Hello All,
I have a strange disease effecting my birds.
It only effects one chicken at a time, or at least it seems that way.
The sick chicken is isolated from the flock by the other chickens, she stays on the outskirts of the flock.
Then her abdomen swells until she has trouble walking.
This continues until the chicken can no longer walk because the swelling abdomen is pushing their legs outward.
Between the time that her abdomen starts swelling and she cannot walk, she prefers to stay on the outskirts of the flock usually sitting down.
The chicken is also less responsive, while the others get spooked, the sick bird will stay put or walk slowly away.
The first chicken it effected also had a respiratory infection, the others don’t seem to be having any trouble breathing.
Their poo is fine, or at least it looks fine.
This can take weeks to happen, I am under the impression that Marek’s disease only takes a few days.
So far it has effected three of my birds.
My last three don’t seem effected but then again I thought this two weeks ago when the last one died.
So I am not sure if this is organ failure or Marek’s.
We have had issues with the feed lately, the mill has been sending out the worst feed, which draws every little bird in the neighborhood, so we suspect this is contributing to the issues. We have since gone to a homemade feed but this has only been about two weeks.
I have looked up Marek’s and the only symptoms my chickens are having that suggest Marek’s is the lethargy and inability to walk, although I have seen videos of Marek’s disease and my chickens don’t look like this with the one leg behind the other, their legs are sprawling outward to the sides.
I am not sure what to do.
I have called the vet and they want a small fortune to diagnose this and I don’t have the money.
So I am not sure if this has been caused by the horrible feed from the mill, the neighborhood little birds, or is this some type of Marek’s?
Any help is greatly appreciated, Mary
I have a strange disease effecting my birds.
It only effects one chicken at a time, or at least it seems that way.
The sick chicken is isolated from the flock by the other chickens, she stays on the outskirts of the flock.
Then her abdomen swells until she has trouble walking.
This continues until the chicken can no longer walk because the swelling abdomen is pushing their legs outward.
Between the time that her abdomen starts swelling and she cannot walk, she prefers to stay on the outskirts of the flock usually sitting down.
The chicken is also less responsive, while the others get spooked, the sick bird will stay put or walk slowly away.
The first chicken it effected also had a respiratory infection, the others don’t seem to be having any trouble breathing.
Their poo is fine, or at least it looks fine.
This can take weeks to happen, I am under the impression that Marek’s disease only takes a few days.
So far it has effected three of my birds.
My last three don’t seem effected but then again I thought this two weeks ago when the last one died.
So I am not sure if this is organ failure or Marek’s.
We have had issues with the feed lately, the mill has been sending out the worst feed, which draws every little bird in the neighborhood, so we suspect this is contributing to the issues. We have since gone to a homemade feed but this has only been about two weeks.
I have looked up Marek’s and the only symptoms my chickens are having that suggest Marek’s is the lethargy and inability to walk, although I have seen videos of Marek’s disease and my chickens don’t look like this with the one leg behind the other, their legs are sprawling outward to the sides.
I am not sure what to do.
I have called the vet and they want a small fortune to diagnose this and I don’t have the money.
So I am not sure if this has been caused by the horrible feed from the mill, the neighborhood little birds, or is this some type of Marek’s?
Any help is greatly appreciated, Mary
