Marek's?

[MotherHen999]

Frizzle hen, 18 months old. Only one in flock that has been ill recently but third to have the same thing... She's uncoordinated, not "ill" from it, still eating and drinking fine, just can't get up her bars anymore. Wobbliness only started 3-4 days ago, every day I let them out I think I'll find her dead in coop.

Without a necropsy, do you think it's Marek's?

 

[azygous]

No. Not Marek's. What's your location? How cold or hot has it been?

 

[MotherHen999]

I'm in the UK - Cumbria. Why?

 

[azygous]

Location tells us your climate and allows me to check what your weather pattern has been currently. Your hen has symptoms that could be from hyperthermia, but I see your weather has been consistently dreary. So that is one thing we can rule out. For example, a couple of years ago, in fall, my weather went from consistently dreary to a sudden heat spell, and I almost lost a hen who was stumbling about and collapsed at my feet. An infusion of electrolytes into her crop brought her back.

But your hen's symptoms have the appearance of neurological causes. Is she in molt, very poor appetite, significant weight loss? Has all your rain caused any mold in her environment? Exposure to some molds will produce these symptoms.

 

[MotherHen999]

That makes sense, thanks for taking the time to explain. No, but we did have a very cold snap about 2 weeks ago, she was in moult about 6 weeks ago (all re feathered now).
No mould, food is fresh every 3 days and they have really good ventilation in the coop. The last ones I lost were earlier this yer, about April and and then another in September. Both very similar.
But no she's eating and drinking the same, I've given them all a nutridrench since I saw the wobbles also, if that makes any difference?

 

[MotherHen999]

I did post a video, but it doesn't seem to have uploaded!

Location tells us your climate and allows me to check what your weather pattern has been currently. Your hen has symptoms that could be from hyperthermia, but I see your weather has been consistently dreary. So that is one thing we can rule out. For example, a couple of years ago, in fall, my weather went from consistently dreary to a sudden heat spell, and I almost lost a hen who was stumbling about and collapsed at my feet. An infusion of electrolytes into her crop brought her back.

But your hen's symptoms have the appearance of neurological causes. Is she in molt, very poor appetite, significant weight loss? Has all your rain caused any mold in her environment? Exposure to some molds will produce these symptoms.

 

[azygous]

How about her weight? Has she regained all she may have lost from molt?

What do you use for bedding in coop and run? Straw? Have you checked the bedding for dampness and the smell of mold?

Were the chickens you lost in the past having these same symptoms?

To post a video here, first post it to YouTube, then copy the URL and paste that here. Your video will embed when you hit Post Reply.

 

[MotherHen999]

She didn't loose much as she isn't a massive bird anyway, but she seemed absolutely fine through moult and weeks after.

No, no smell of mould, and use straw, the expensive one branded for chickens specifically rather than the cheap horse advertised one (though I'm sure there's not much difference, but it does smell amazing). I clean it out pretty regularly, I don't deep litter.

Try this? You get the jist in the first minute or two

https://youtu.be/_ZkxvubvTmc?feature=shared

 

[MotherHen999]

 

[MotherHen999]

The chickens in the past had the same symptoms, wobbly legs, but were really withdrawn, weak combs and didn't even try to move around with the flock.