Another silkie baby can't stand or walk

[Orcae]

He lived the night, but his legs are now paralyzed.

 

[seminolewind]

I was going to say treat for coccidiosis. However the paralyzed legs may lead me to believe a possible Marek's. The age fits. The symptoms fit. Some of mine developed loss of appetite and wasted away. Some had paralysis, some had mixed symptoms, without paralysis.

Have any of your chickens ever had contact with chickens outside of your flock? From 1 day old till now. Maybe the first 4 weeks of life? Were they added to a flock of chickens with exposure?

I would think botulism would kill them very close together. I would think that a vitamin deficiency would not take their appetite away.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
That's what I was thinking, Mareks disease. I've heard silkies are more prone to getting it than other breeds.

 

[Orcae]

His pupils look like they're getting smaller, but his eyes are still brown, not gray. His full paralyzed leg is sticking straight out in front of him, the not completely paralyzed one is kinds tucked under him in the normal way they'd sit.


They were all in contact with other chickens, we bought them from other people. 3 of the silkies came from the same person, and 2 came from another person. They were quarantined for 2 weeks before they were put together. One from each has gotten this illness. They've been kept inside cause of their age and the temperature outside, so they haven't come in contact with our outdoor chickens (who have never had this problem. We've never had any bird die like this except a gosling over the summer - he had the exact same symptoms...but he died and his sister grew up before we got these chicks and they haven't been housed in the same cages)

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disviral.htm :

Marek's Disease (Visceral Leukosis)

Marek's disease is characteristically a disease of young chickens but older birds can also be affected. In contrast to the lymphoid leukosis tumor response, Marek's disease may be observed in more diverse locations.

Marek's disease is caused by a virus belonging to the Herpes virus group. Much is known about the transmission of the virus; however, it appears that the virus is concentrated in the feather follicles and shed in the dander (sloughed skin and feather cells). The virus has a long survival time in dander since viable virus can be isolated from houses that have been depopulated for many months.

The usual mode of transmission is by aerosols containing infected dander and dust. Young birds are most susceptible to infection by Marek's disease; however, since the incubation period is short, clinical symptoms can appear much earlier than in the case with lymphoid leukosis.

Marek's disease may produce a variety of clinical responses, all lymphoid in character. These are acute visceral, neural, ocular, skin or combinations of the responses that can be seen.

Marek's of the visceral type is characterized by widespread involvement with lesions commonly seen in gonads, liver, spleen, kidney and occasionally heart, lungs and muscles. The disease is often acute, with apparently healthy birds dying very rapidly with massive internal tumors. The disease may appear in broiler-age birds but the most severe losses occur in replacement pullet flocks prior to onset of egg production.

The neural type of Marek's is typified by progressive paralysis of the wings, legs and neck. Loss of body weight, anemia, labored respiration and diarrhea are common symptom. If lesions are present, they are confined to the nerve trunks and plexes enervating the paralyzed extremities. Frequently no gross lesions can be observed.

Ocular (eye) leukosis or "gray-eye" is usually seen in early maturity. Morbidity and mortality are usually low but may approach twenty-five percent in some flocks. It is characterized by the spotty depigmentation or diffuse graying of the iris in the eye. The pupil develops an irregular shape and fails to react to light. Emaciation diarrhea and death follow.
Skin leukosis produces the most severe losses in broilers. The losses result from high condemnations at the processing plant. Enlargement of the feather follicles due to accumulations of lymphocytes is the typical lesion. This is the most infective virus since it is produced in the regions of the feather follicles and is shed with the skin dander.

Acute Marek's disease can be extremely rapid in its course, producing mortality in apparently healthy birds. However, in some cases the lesions may regress and clinically affected birds may make complete recoveries.

Diagnosis is based upon flock history and disease manifestations. Accurate diagnosis may depend on results of laboratory procedures. As is the case with lymphoid leukosis, there is no treatment for Marek's disease.

A vaccine is available that is extremely effective (90% +) in the prevention of Marek's disease. It is administered to day-old chickens as a subcutaneous injection while the birds are in the hatchery. Use of the vaccine requires strict accordance with manufacturer's recommendations in a sterile environment.​

 

[Orcae]

That's what I was afraid of...so..are mom and dad right? Would it be nicer to cull him instead of trying to treat it?

 

[Americana]

So sad

 

[seminolewind]

If the chick is suffering I would cull. How sad!

 

[Orcae]

He was put out of his suffering this morning.
I'm terrified that if it was Marek's, my other silkies would get it. I cleaned their cage after I separated him. Is there anything else I could do early on that might help if they do contract it?

I don't want to lose all of them...

 

[Orcae]

My favorite silkie, a pullet, has started stumbling/tripping a lot. I have a sick feeling in my stomach that she has it too...if she has it, I'm not going to have the heart to get any more silkies.