Attempt to Get Long-Term Survival in Mareks Infected Hen

[CottonGinWaste]

So.
Now I'm familiar wiyth tube feeding a chicken. Found a sterile foley catheter in a box (!), gave her about 12 cc water, 5 cc organic maple syrup. Tomorrow before work I'll try to get some water and an egg yolk in her. "Nutrient dense" foods = ? I really need to implement a weighing system.

Again, thanks for the suggestions; of course I don't know that she has Mareks but we strongly believe that a self-sustaining flock needs naturally acquired immunity to diseases to prosper. We've only had chickens for 2 years and this is the 1st sick one. I don't mind trying to treat her because, 1- she's a broody mom and an excellent one which is of value to me, and 2- I want to know what's wrong if possible, and should learn to ID illness if I can so I can treat vs cull when appropriate.

We had a Bad Night last July and I learned some about treating trauma injuries, incl a spinal cord injury requiring splinting of a foot and manual poop evacuation. Until culled.

 

[casportpony]

For weighing I bought a cheap digital kitchen scale from Target. When I have a sick one It gets weighed everyday.

FWIW, I was just at the vet yesterday with a couple of sick peahens that weigh 2.3kg and 2.8kg. She recommended that I give each one 100cc's of fluids subcutaneously per day and 80-100cc's of of high protein turkey starter/water twice a day via the tube. I told her that I was going to give to fluids orally and she cautioned me about the risk of aspiration, so I assured her that I would be careful.

Here are a couple of good threads about tube feeding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid#post_9910754
http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?t=7933

 

[centrarchid]

Nutrient dense in my usage is dry food high in protein and energy. Feeds formulated to chicks meet that criteria.


I am not trying to restore birds that have lost interest in feeding. If loss in food occurs, that maybe becuase digestive tract is shut down and force feeding may simply introduce material that will ferment without proper processing.

Another point is that birds that are affected are culled, whether they survive or not. Only those not afftected even when exposed are likely to carry resistance.


My hen was attempting to stand this evening which is good.

 

[CottonGinWaste]

casportpony, appreciate the links, I'll head there next.

I killed my entire 1st batch of possum babies some 30 yrs ago when tube feeding, haven't missed the correct 'tube' since,but still not very comfortable with it.

100 cc is close to 1/2 cup (1 fl oz = 30 cc, 1 cup = 8 fl oz); I don't know how much my pullet's abdomen will hold after this extended period of anorexia so I'll start small. I'm off work Monday so I can monitor her better, assuming she survives tonight. I think our starter/grower ration is 22%, I'll check into protein contents of feed options during commercial breaks (wild card play offs

 

[CottonGinWaste]

Nutrient dense in my usage is dry food high in protein and energy. Feeds formulated to chicks meet that criteria.


I am not trying to restore birds that have lost interest in feeding. If loss in food occurs, that maybe becuase digestive tract is shut down and force feeding may simply introduce material that will ferment without proper processing.

Another point is that birds that are affected are culled, whether they survive or not. Only those not afftected even when exposed are likely to carry resistance.


My hen was attempting to stand this evening which is good.

I agree that if digestive ileus or obstruction has occurred tube feeding/forced feeding is contraindicated but this pullet was pooping (whoa! runny and nasty!!) as recently as this morning. She is still very alert, attentive to her 18 chicks, now 16 days old. Should this bird survive this episode, whatever the cause, she is only of value as an excellent broody mom for hatching/raising chicks.
The other 8 adults (one brooding), 17 juvies, 16 chicks, and 6 guinea fowl all seem normal, active and healthy.

 

[casportpony]

casportpony, appreciate the links, I'll head there next.

I killed my entire 1st batch of possum babies some 30 yrs ago when tube feeding, haven't missed the correct 'tube' since,but still not very comfortable with it.

100 cc is close to 1/2 cup (1 fl oz = 30 cc, 1 cup = 8 fl oz); I don't know how much my pullet's abdomen will hold after this extended period of anorexia so I'll start small. I'm off work Monday so I can monitor her better, assuming she survives tonight. I think our starter/grower ration is 22%, I'll check into protein contents of feed options during commercial breaks (wild card play offs

Starting off with small amounts and waiting for the crop to clear is how I figure out how much they can take. Just for grins, I weighed one of the watery piles of diarrhea and it weighed 15 grams. If they're doing that all day long, which mine are, I doesn't take long to get dehydrated.

Hope she makes it through the night... sounds like she's in capable hands.

 

[centrarchid]

Shortly after my last post hen declined further with a loss in weight. Mobility was greatly reduced for nearly two weeks. Right leg went limp and projected backwards. As of this evening hen regained partial mobility of right leg and appears to be efforting to stand. Left leg does not cooperate.

 

[CottonGinWaste]

Are you keeping her in a confined/controlled area? And what is your ultimate goal for her? Analyzing structured treatments to avoid secondary causes of mortality? Will she be part of your breeding stock should she fully recover?

I appreciate the info, thanks.

 

[centrarchid]

Are you keeping her in a confined/controlled area? And what is your ultimate goal for her? Analyzing structured treatments to avoid secondary causes of mortality? Will she be part of your breeding stock should she fully recover?

I appreciate the info, thanks.

She is in environmentally controlled quarantine area by herself (fish room). Sick birds such as he would be trampled on or attacked so no other birds present. This has resulted in my having two indoor quarantine areas with other simply being separated from healthy birds.

I am doing nothing to control for secondary infections. In past, birds that recovered and later died passed with minimal health issues. This round I may have an antibiotic regimen at ready to use at first sign of health problems. Long-term I will establish another cockyard (#3) to keep her and her line until this more well under stood. That will make for additional predator management concerns but OK.

I have offspring out of her already and none have been impacted by this even though they were exposed for an extended length of time. I am under impression it either does not spread easily between my chickens or only a few are susceptable.

If competitence for breeding can be restored, then she will be bred although the resultant offspring will be watched very closely for increased rates of this condition developing. Even if she is found to produce offspring more susceptable to this, I should be able to select against that and select for desirable traits. Male used to sire offspring will be moved to her cockyard permanently.

 

[centrarchid]

Major improvement. Hen now able to bring right leg that was locked backward back under her although control is not adequate to allow standing. She also appears to be regainning mobility by dragging herself with increasingly functional wings. Down side is she is now fowling waterer with bedding material. Weight is down lower than I like so recovery process will also require restoring weight before she can go back outside.