3yo Hen Stopped Eating/Drinking or Moving before Passing

[lmsuk]

Hi all,

Yesterday morning I let my chooks out as normal in the morning, and didn't notice any immediate issues with any. One (RI Rock) was slowest to come out but cursorily I didn't notice anything with her.

I went out again at lunchtime to toss in some Apple and grapes, and some round lettuce for them to peck at. The RI was just sitting sort of upright (not flat to the ground as usually would if bathing for example) and just allowing the others to bustle around her. She showed no interest in the food or treats. When I tried moving her she almost seemed lame, flopping to her left. I gave her a quick once over but aside from clenching her foot up instead of splaying the toes it wasn't swollen, cut, and she had no other obvious bodily injuries.

I hand fed her as much food (mixed with some corn) and water as she'd take and resolved to keep an eye on her.

Every evening I go out at sundown-ish (7.45pm yesterday) and lock them all in for the night. Our two newest chooks always need encouraging inside, but last night the RI was also out, under the coop on the floor and damned cold.

I put her inside in a warm bit away from the pop-door, gave her another once over - still clenching her foot - and resolved to give her the night and if she didn't improve take her to the vet this morning.

Unfortunately when I went out at 7am this morning she had already passed, and clearly had for some time. The only new symptom was some yellowy pus around the eyes which looked as though they had been weeping, but I can't say if this was something that had occurred after death or before.

She wasn't sneezing, hacking, contorting, I didn't notice any weeping eyes yesterday, and aside from the lameness and lack of appetite she had no obvious signs of illness. The other three girls all look fine and I'm keeping a close eye on them so that I can call the vet ASAP if they take the same path (luckily I'm on paternity leave so I have a bit more time to observe them than usual).

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what it may be?

 

[Eggcessive]

It would be hard to diagnose her without a professional necropsy, but Mareks disease, or a stroke come to mind. So sorry for your loss.

 

[lmsuk]

Thanks Eggcessive. Just read a bit further on that, and she also had a blue tinge to the tip of her comb, so I'm increasingly thinking Marek's.

They're all kept pretty close together (especially at night) so I'm going to go ahead and assume the remaining three have it too and give the vet a call for some advice.

 

[Eggcessive]

There are several good threads on Mareks to read about it if you just Google "Mareks disease Backyard Chickens." Rebascora has posted quite a bit recently about her flock with Mareks. The disease can look very different in each chicken, because of the 4 different types. The best way to diagnose it is to refrigerate the body right after death, and send it on ice packs to the state vet or a regional poultry lab that tests tumor tissue or feather shafts. There are tests available to do on live birds, but there is controversy whether or not those are very accurate.