Chick losing control left side

[Jynuine]

Hi ! I wanted to update you on Pipi. She passed on her own after she had a day I assume was filled with seizures. She wasnt eating well and I was already really unsure of how to put her out of her misery. Unfortunately my husband found her dead and burried her before he told me.
Then we had one of our other teen chickens go lame on a leg which moved to both. She couldnt walk and we took care of her in the brooder for a week before my husband butchered her last night. I told him I couldnt imagine eating any of these sick chickens and I am going to send off the last chicken's feces to have it tested but I dont know what my time limit is on waiting.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. If you lose another, I would get a necropsy done on a refrigerated body, by the state vet. Here is a link for your state vet: http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

 

[rebrascora]

So sorry to hear you have lost Pipi and another young bird. This really does sound like Marek's disease, especially when you have had a second juvenile chicken go lame in a similar fashion. I don't think they can identify Marek's from a faecal sample and as you said, due to the age of Pipi and the fact she had never been out on the ground, it is extremely unlikely that worms were the problem in this case.

I'm pleased to report that my pullet is making very positive progress. She is now able to stand up and even walk a little although she is unsteady and sometimes her bad leg gets left behind and she has to put her wing down to steady herself. I put her and the other pullet out in the sunshine this afternoon and when I came back at dusk they had both managed to make their way back into the hen house with the other chickens.... a distance of about 80 feet, so I was delighted at that. They also seem to be more confident around the other flock members too and I'm getting an egg every other day from one of them, so these are all very hopeful signs. I don't kid myself that it won't come back again but for now their quality of life is very good and I'm really proud of the progress they are making. I think one of the things that is helping is that they have each other for company and they are really palled up. It's interesting that the worst affected one is actually trying to walk again, whereas the other one learned to hop months ago and has become so agile with it that she doesn't want to try to walk anymore.

Anyway, I hope you don't have anymore suffer with this, but if it is Marek's you most likely will, especially if you get more young birds. I think it would be wise to get any replacement chicks vaccinated and keep them isolated for the first few weeks. If you do see symptoms, do take heart from my experience that some recover from it, so don't give up on them too early.

Regards

Barbara