- Aug 9, 2010
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I purchased a an Easter egger pullet approximately 6 months ago from a local farm. She has been feisty and vocal ever since I got her. She was picked on grossly by the chickens where she was and is the low man on the totem pole in my flock, however, she was able to recover well. When I brought her into the coup, I quarantined her for two weeks. I did not see any issues. I felt she was going to be a good addition.
Last week I discovered my chicken's had lice. Incredibly bad lice. I've never had an issue before, I think it's possible they may have come from her. Once when I was holding her I thought I felt something crawling on me, however, at the time I could not find anything on me, and as I mentioned, I did not see any evidence of them on her.
I treated with elector PSP last week. I emptied the coop and sprayed it all. Two days later I was forced to quarantine the chickens inside their coop due to extremely cold weather and the fact that two of my chickens already have frostbite on their Combs.
The day before yesterday I noticed she was not sitting on the roost with the other chickens as they went to bed. I picked her up out of the nesting box and placed her on the roost, only to realize she could not balance on the roost. I immediately brought her inside and realized that she was very, very thin and did not want to keep her eyes open. Thinking she was just being henpecked and dehydrated, I gave her water and fed her scrambled eggs which she ate readily. I think she may be blind or have very limited site availability. She can barely walk anymore, she turns to the left. Her head is jagged when moving. She just had watery diarrhea and is listing to one side as she lies down.
Add to this that I have lost four chickens in the past year. Three of them were 5+ years old (aging flock, just thought it was normal). The first was only two and seemed healthy, but her sister has ascites, so I just figured I missed something. Now I am rethinking everything. I have six chickens that seem healthy. I am hesitant to bring more chicks in this spring in case it is Marek's.
I am so sad. I just don't know what to do.
Last week I discovered my chicken's had lice. Incredibly bad lice. I've never had an issue before, I think it's possible they may have come from her. Once when I was holding her I thought I felt something crawling on me, however, at the time I could not find anything on me, and as I mentioned, I did not see any evidence of them on her.
I treated with elector PSP last week. I emptied the coop and sprayed it all. Two days later I was forced to quarantine the chickens inside their coop due to extremely cold weather and the fact that two of my chickens already have frostbite on their Combs.
The day before yesterday I noticed she was not sitting on the roost with the other chickens as they went to bed. I picked her up out of the nesting box and placed her on the roost, only to realize she could not balance on the roost. I immediately brought her inside and realized that she was very, very thin and did not want to keep her eyes open. Thinking she was just being henpecked and dehydrated, I gave her water and fed her scrambled eggs which she ate readily. I think she may be blind or have very limited site availability. She can barely walk anymore, she turns to the left. Her head is jagged when moving. She just had watery diarrhea and is listing to one side as she lies down.
Add to this that I have lost four chickens in the past year. Three of them were 5+ years old (aging flock, just thought it was normal). The first was only two and seemed healthy, but her sister has ascites, so I just figured I missed something. Now I am rethinking everything. I have six chickens that seem healthy. I am hesitant to bring more chicks in this spring in case it is Marek's.
I am so sad. I just don't know what to do.
