5 month old hen, can't walk

[kimchick621]

I noticed 3 days ago that one of my pullets was favoring a leg, she'd still get around and eat and all that, but as of yesterday she couldn't walk at all. She also stopped eating.

I took her to a vet today, and he gave her a quick examination, said that she didn't have any broken legs, and that both legs were weakened, and even her wings seemed weakened. She only weighed 2lbs at the visit, and I could tell when I picked her up yesterday she had lost quite a bit of weight.

The vet said that it seemed neurological, as in it could be a back break, or something like Merek's disease. Does anyone have a clue? He suggests that I put her down this evening and then send her off to the state for evaluation. I'm worried now that perhaps it's something my chickens could catch, or worse...

Any idea? She went from being perfectly healthy to death's door in 4 days.

 

[Noobchick]

It does sound like it might be Marek's to me, too. I have two seven week old pullets sick with it now, and one has the same symptoms as your girl. But I don't have a lot of experience with this. I'm bumping your thread- hopefully someone with more experience with Marek's will see it.

 

[kimchick621]

If it is Marek's how long until my flock is cleared? I think most of my gals have been vaccinated. I'd hate to lose any more girls.

 

[realsis]

hi. sadly even vaccinated chickens can get Marek's. the stats are over 60% of in vaccinated birds will get Marek's and over 5% of vaccinated birds will still develop it. IF it is Mark's disease all exposed will be carriers although they them self's might not be I'll the sad fact is they can still contaminate other chickens. marked is a HIGHLY contagious airborne disease that can live on the land for quite a long time. if it is Marek's the rest of the flock will not be clear of it. they can pass it to other chickens. although they might not display any symptoms. but it does not necessarily mean they will become ill. do you have a picture of your bird? this might help in confirming the suspicion of Marek's or help deny the suspicion. a picture would be very helpful. I know many here on this forum are dealing with Marek's themselves and can be of great help in moving forward if it is Marek's. they have learned how to care for the infected bird and deal with the flock. I've read they usually keep a closed flock and if a new bird is bought its vaccinated and given time for immunity to set in approx 2 weeks before bringing it on to the property. this does not 100% insure the new bird won't become ill but odds are better if vaccinated. some have even fashioned little slings to help care for the Marek's bird and keep it upright. they know tricks on vitamins ect to help the infected bird. although there is no cure they can help you learn to live with Marek's in the flock and move forward in a positive direction. some are even breeding Marek's birds for resistance in there off spring. if you find out is IS Marek's I suggest making a new thread and asking for help with a Marek's bird and you will get many great tips and suggestions from very knowledgeable folks that Arte experienced with this disease in their own flocks. in the mean time could you PLEASE post a picture of your bird. this will really help to confirm or deny Marek's. I also highly suggest you do some extensive reading and study on Marek's because education is your very BEST weapon! I know Marek's can present its self in several different forms. it can cause paralysis in one from it has a ocular form turning the eye blue and it has tum or form causing internal tumors like cancer. you might want to study about it.Marek's is spread by the dander of the feathers as I understand it and can even be carried in wind for miles. that's about the extent of my knowledge on Marek's. I'm sure others are far more knowledgeable and can be of more help. but please post a picture of your bird so we can help confirm or deny Marek's. hope this had been helpful to you. and please do some research because education on this disease is vital if this is what your dealing with. I wish you the very best of luck! best wishes.

 

[Haunted55]

If it is Marek's how long until my flock is cleared? I think most of my gals have been vaccinated. I'd hate to lose any more girls.

If it's Marek's, and from the description it could be, your flock is never clear. Unless you know for certain if the remaining birds were vaccinated for it or not, there really isn't any way of knowing what the mortality rate will be. If a bird is weakened, even vaccinated sometimes won't help. What I do with all of my birds, Marek's survivors or not, is give them poultry vitamins in their water as well as a probiotic. Marek's birds can't process their feed properly and always are thinner than they should be no matter how much they eat.

As for the rest of the flock catching it...they've already been exposed. You can't turn back the clock now, all you can do is go forward. Whether you choose to cull her or wait for the disease to progress is your choice. I've had to do both and neither is a lot of fun. I do agree with having a necropsy done on the bird when she passes. It's going to be the best line of defence you'll have for the rest. The necropsy will usually tell you everything going on not only with this bird but with the rest as well. Like a snapshot in a manner of speaking. Now I said usually for the Marek's testing during the necropsy. If a bird has been vaccinated for Marek's, it can mess up the results giving false negatives. Especially if they have been given the vaccine which contains all three types of Marek's vaccine.

I am sorry this has entered your flock. It's an awful thing to have happen but there are a lot of threads on BYC where you can get help and a shoulder if you need one. You're not alone and there is life after Marek's as weird as that may sound. It's just different.

 

[casportpony]

Ditto what Haunted55 said.

-Kathy

 

[kimchick621]

Thanks guys...I culled her last night and dropped her off at an Animal Testing Lab this morning. Luckily it's free in Maryland. It will be a few days before I know for sure if it was Marek's or not. Thanks for the support guys, I will keep you updated.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss... FWIW, UC Davis always has a preliminary report by the end of the day that they receive birds, so you might try calling the this afternoon.

-Kathy