could this be Marek's? VIDEO

[lonnyandrinda]

Take a look at this video, Wednesday morning I went out to check the grower pen and found an Ameraucana pullet, about 5 weeks old, on it's side, unable to walk. It has been exceptionally hot the last few days so I brought it in thinking it may be heat related. No change since then. If I try to make her walk she pushes straight back with her legs and falls over backwards. I've given her some baby vitamins yesterday and today but it would be strange for vitamin deficiencies to show up at this age. They have access to ground, grass, chick feed, and water 24 hours a day. I thought this was an isolated incident and maybe neurological in nature. She is eating chick feed off the floor of the box around her and if I help her she can drink, too. She went to bed tonight with a full crop. Poo seems runny but otherwise normal.

Then yesterday after lunch I found a young BCM cockerel, about 3 months old, from a different pen about 100 yards away. He was fine about 10 AM when I was out feeding treats. These yards have no contact, and I do not enter the baby pen as it is only 2 feet tall, so no shoe transfer. Same behavior except he can stand a little. He, too, will eat and drink but does not need assistance to do so. He has very watery runny poo. I'm guessing that's more because of the heat today (well over 100 degrees). He has free access to chick feed and some days I open the gate and give them access to the big girls' yard and he can eat layer pellets there.

I'm stumped. Eyes are clear, they don't seem off balance just like they don't know how to use their legs. They are very quiet, no peeping or distress call. The male does seem very sleepy and neither one wants to move much. The male keeps his head cocked and turned to one side. No new birds have been brought in to my flock. The cockerel is eating some scrambled eggs this morning, the pullet is not eating yet this morning.

Any other ideas? Could this be Marek's Disease? What do I do besides vitamins, scrambled eggs, and isolation? Do they have a good chance of pulling through or should I put them down? How long do I need to watch for symptoms in my other birds?

I've had chickens for just over a year and haven't seen anything like this yet. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[FandangoRanch]

I have an 8 wk old SLW with the same symptoms as your first chick. I haven't figured out what's wrong yet but leaning away from Marek's and treating her with tetracycline. She seems to be getting a little stronger. I have been spoon feeding her wet food as she would otherwise not be eating/drinking. It is day 8 now since symptoms appears and she was isolated in my house. At about the same time, my 6 wk Buff Orpington came up with what is looking a lot like Swollen Head Syndrome but at first I thought it might be Ocular Marek's but there has been no change in the pupil shape nor clouding. I hope you get some answers soon.

 

[realsis]

The one with the head cocked to the left could possibly be wry neck or the beginning of it? Not positive but vitamin treatment would be worth a try.
I just got done treating my 6 month old for wry neck. thank God her treatment was successful. You can give it a try and see if it helps your bird out. I used Alan Stanford's treatment for wry neck.it consists of giving vitaminE capsules and small amounts of selenium so the bird can absorb the vitamin E and liquid polyvisol children's vitamins with out iron and vitamin B. most people stop here at this treatment you can do this and see how it goes. Mine had wry neck so badly I followed Allen Stanford's treatment which called for one more thing
Predinsone. You can look up his treatment online for exact doses
I'm not positive but I'd give those vitamins a try and see if they help your bird. My bird couldn't walk and her head was between her legs.now she's better thank God.I don't think it would hurt to try the vitamins on your birds.for your little one she looks different then the older bird but you can try giving her riboflavin for her legs.I hope this helps some and wish you the best.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I've never heard of an older bird getting wry neck, I've only seen it occasionally in chicks. Hm. Well vitamins certainly can't hurt and yes it's worth a try. For those who may visit this later and wonder, I found the "Alan Stanford treatment" of wry neck/crook neck here: http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=casestudiesemergencies&action=display&num=1160927052

 

[realsis]

Yes she just started to lay and is 6 months old. Day after she laid her first egg she developed wry neck. Her head and neck was between her legs she could only walk backward and would actually do flips backwards. Older birds can and do still get wry neck especially silkies which is what my bird is. The treatment with some patience worked wonderfully thank God now she is just like any other chicken. Remember there are different causes for wry neck. Its causes can range from vitamin defiency to injury to hereditary. Wry neck is a symptom of an under luring cause
In my birds case I believe she had both defiency and possible injure. Hope this helps and just so you know yes its possible for older birds to get wry neck. Best wishes