UPDATE: I PUT HER DOWN THIS AFTERNOON: Sick Silver Laced Wyandotte.

[SpeckledPullet]

From what I have read about Marek's, I'd guess the OP's bird has it.

To the OP, I am very sorry about your bird. For the record, I do not believe you'll catch anything from eating her eggs. As someone else already mentioned, it is very, very rare for animals and humans to transfer diseases to each other.

 

[looptloop]

I'm sorry. I was just popping in to see how she was doing.....

 

[KKatknap]

I'm sorry you are going through this. My SLW is my favorite, and she is only a little older than yours. This thread just breaks my heart.

Hoping for a small miracle for you.

 

[babsbag]

Quote:
I agree that it is usually younger birds that this is seen in. It seems that there are quite a few people who post with similar symptoms and I keep thinking to myself that there can't be this many birds with Marek's. That is why I was glad when I was able to get a necropsy done. Even though they suspected Marek's and that wasn't what I wanted to hear, at least it let me know what to watch for in the rest of my birds. I have no idea where it came from. And the lab said "suspected" Marek's so maybe it wasn't. Soooo frustrating.

Do you think it possible that the chickens are getting it when they are very young and don't show symptoms and then have a relapse when they are older? I know that some do recover.

 

[chickbird]

Quote:
our state poultry vet says you can get avian flu(not in us yet), also avian tb if immune system depressed, new castles' can cause conjunctivitis, salmonella and campylobacteria from improperly cooked or handled meat, salmonella from partially or undercooked eggs. i believe your chick probably has marek's..but you have tried your best and sometimes you just have to euthanize to stop the chick's suffering...maybe your husband can help with this... i know from experience how much it hurts if you love one.. i have been told that marek's is very prevalent and that chicks should be vaccinated when they are a day old. i was raised on a farm and never knew chickens can have so many diseases..

 

[vnploveschickens]

I'm so sorry about your beautiful chicken. I had a couple pass about a year ago with similar symptoms. It is heartbreaking.
Keep an eye on your other chicks. Its a really hard learning experience.

Take care of yourself.

 

[ranchhand]

Internal laying and/or peritonitis. But I doubt any treatment will help, once they go down on their side, with a leg sticking out sideways, it's usually too late. The only thing I might try would be big dosage injections of Penicillin-G.

I'm so sorry this has happened,

 

[festivefeet]

I just wanted to give an update....

I decided to put her down this afternoon. It was hard, but it was harder to see her laying there in a laboring pain. I hate this part of backyard chicken farming. I am starting to realize that it is part of the job of chicken raising, but certainly not one of the joys. She was a beautiful hen. It was so so hard and sad to see her go.

Thank you for all the support and info.
J.

 

[festivefeet]

It's interesting though, to hear all of the suggestions and the sicknesses that can arise....however, red bumps covering her body did not fit any of the illnesses except for Marek's.

Her eyes never changed though, she just closed them.

Such a hard thing to do.

So far everyone else looks healthy, I hope they stay that way.

 

[festivefeet]

By the way, how do you bury a chicken in the winter?

My four year old daughter is going to want a burial and I am not sure how to do that? Ugh.