Difficulty walking now panting. Marek’s?

[MommA2K]

Our five year old Speckled Sussex, Peach, hasn’t been doing so well the last couple of weeks. We have a flock of eight and Peach is (and always has been) top hen. They have a coop that’s approximately 4’x16’ with a wood pellet floor. The attached run is about 222 sq.ft. with a dirt ground. They are fed Nutrena layer crumble 16% and are given kitchen scraps/scratch.

We noticed Peach not getting around as well as she used to, and chalked it up to her being the size she is and getting a little older. She was still out exploring with the rest of the flock when free ranged. Fast forward a couple weeks ago and she started not walking as much. The end of last week she started to not roost at night, she would try and lay in the corner of the coop (under the roosts) but I would pick her up and put her in a kennel. I should have removed her that night, but she was fine during the day with the rest of the flock so I wasn’t too concerned.

On Tuesday I noticed her legs were really splotched with red patches and her toes were also curled. I soaked her in an epsom salt bath and then put coconut oil on her legs. I also used DE on her to treat for mites (and the rest of the flock). She seemed to really perk up after her soak.

Wednesday I gave her another soak in the morning and coconut oil on legs. That’s the day things got worse. She would just lay on her side and was very unstable on her legs. Had pretty much given up on even trying to walk. I started giving her Poultry Cell (3ml) on Wednesday and I picked up some vitamin B complex to give her as well (1/2 tab).

She has been in our dining room in a tote. Has just been laying in the same spot since yesterday. She was eating and drinking great yesterday, but she’s not even interested in her favorite meal worms at the moment. Won’t eat or drink anything. She is sitting up and alert. I just got home from work and she is panting. It’s 69 in our house and she’s by a vent. I don’t think she’s hot, she doesn’t even pant at this temperature when outside. I’m afraid it’s related to whatever is going on with her inability to walk.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

five year old

We noticed Peach not getting around as well as she used to, and chalked it up to her being the size she is and getting a little older.

The end of last week she started to not roost at night, she would try and lay in the corner of the coop

On Tuesday I noticed her legs were really splotched with red patches and her toes were also curled. I soaked her in an epsom salt bath and then put coconut oil on her legs. I also used DE on her to treat for mites

When was her last egg?

Do you have photos of her, the splotchy legs and her poop?

You treated for Mites, does she have mites?

Feel her abdomen below the vent between her legs, is there any bloat or feeling of fluid?

I'd work on hydration, get some sugar water into her. See if you can entice her to eat anything. Check her crop. If she has Mites, then treat with a Permethrin based poultry dust.

Panting may be distress. If she normally lays eggs and hasn't, then I'd get 300mg Calcium Citrate+D3 into her now, then once daily to see if she can expel some lash material or an egg.

Slow decline from normal to droopy, then stopping roosting, I'd be more inclined to think she has some type of reproductive problem at her age. Cancer, Salpingitis, EYP, etc. and/or Fatty Liver Disease instead of Marek's. It can be hard to know what's ailing a hen unless you lose them and investigate further through necropsy either done by your State Lab or doing your own.

Do the best you can with offering supportive care.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...ZEj3-vvibn4Xw1zAZVyN-avBY9dRCeFV0bI9BJu2Vxq0X