- Sep 14, 2014
- 10
- 0
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We've been having some issues with one of our chickens, Red. I posted before about this and got a quick response but would really appreciate a couple more opinions. We've had a friend look at her who did not mention Marek's, and the flock she came from has no history of Marek's. We got her in June, and I'm going to just post everything we've experienced with her. I appreciate input from some more experienced chicken owners. We have one other chicken, Bertha, and we're getting ready to expand our flock but I don't want to make any rash moves until this is sown up.
Here is what Red and her eggs were displaying in the weeks leading up to this:
-June: Loss of scales on feet (we thought scaly mites and treated as such. She improved and our other chicken, Bertha, who was starting to have a couple raised scales now has completely healthy feet). Since the paralysis has begun, her scales have begun falling off.
-July: All seemed well, chickens are happy and healthy. We built them a new, improved coop.
-August: The next symptom I noticed were irregular egg shells. The pointed end of the shell seemed wavy, like a ripple in a pond, but obviously in the shell. She also laid a single egg without a shell.
-September 1 or 2: Limping on right foot begins. Both feet are covered white and crusty with raised scales. Assuming that she had mites again, I give her a foot bath and coat with canola oil. A couple of days later the whiteness and crustiness has receded. A friend stops by to help examine, says that she think she sees an injury on her limping foot so she is cleaned and treated with blu-kote. She reacts to being touched and has some resistance when handled. Foot is curled. She hobbles along fine. Still lays eggs. I notice briefly that she tends to close her right eye when resting but snaps open when being handled.
-September 5- Her right foot is stretched out and doesn't react to touch. Blu-kote has dried out the foot and it's cracked in parts and bleeding. I soak her and coat with Canola oil. An egg with a mottled yolk is laid. She continues laying about every other day. She can't get up to her roost though so she lays eggs on the ground. She is breathing through her mouth heavily but we attribute that to the heat.
-Sept 20: Right Foot and leg are paralyzed completely up to her hip, she is losing weight, occasionally closing her right eye, and seems to have no appetite, though her crop does not feel backed up. Heavy mouth breathing continues, days are in the 90s. We isolate her and begin feeding her lots of greens and tomatoes to up her vitamin intake. Limp comb.
-Today: Still no laying, she has either lost or plucked the belly feathers, still paralyzed in her right leg, which has also lost a significant amount of muscle mass. She has green feces (brooding?) She is breathing heavily through her mouth (days in the 90s) and occasionally closes her right eye, cannot tell why. No swelling or injuries or other signs of bumblefoot. We have been giving her aspirin. Her appetite seems back to normal. The right leg doesn't seem to have the strength it once did but still reacts to touch and has resistance when handled.
*Other information: Our other chicken, Bertha, is completely healthy, and the flock we got the chickens from in June has no history of Marek's disease, though I read it could have come over on the wind from a neighboring flock (the nearest flock is 3 houses away, about 100 yards through fencing and houses).
Here's a video of Red trying to stand up.
Here are some pics of her belly, eye, and poo. Any feedback or advice is MASSIVELY appreciated. THANK YOU!
Her vent.
No visible wounds or signs of bumblefoot, we Blue-Koted her foot just in case.
Her unparalyzed foot
Here is what Red and her eggs were displaying in the weeks leading up to this:
-June: Loss of scales on feet (we thought scaly mites and treated as such. She improved and our other chicken, Bertha, who was starting to have a couple raised scales now has completely healthy feet). Since the paralysis has begun, her scales have begun falling off.
-July: All seemed well, chickens are happy and healthy. We built them a new, improved coop.
-August: The next symptom I noticed were irregular egg shells. The pointed end of the shell seemed wavy, like a ripple in a pond, but obviously in the shell. She also laid a single egg without a shell.
-September 1 or 2: Limping on right foot begins. Both feet are covered white and crusty with raised scales. Assuming that she had mites again, I give her a foot bath and coat with canola oil. A couple of days later the whiteness and crustiness has receded. A friend stops by to help examine, says that she think she sees an injury on her limping foot so she is cleaned and treated with blu-kote. She reacts to being touched and has some resistance when handled. Foot is curled. She hobbles along fine. Still lays eggs. I notice briefly that she tends to close her right eye when resting but snaps open when being handled.
-September 5- Her right foot is stretched out and doesn't react to touch. Blu-kote has dried out the foot and it's cracked in parts and bleeding. I soak her and coat with Canola oil. An egg with a mottled yolk is laid. She continues laying about every other day. She can't get up to her roost though so she lays eggs on the ground. She is breathing through her mouth heavily but we attribute that to the heat.
-Sept 20: Right Foot and leg are paralyzed completely up to her hip, she is losing weight, occasionally closing her right eye, and seems to have no appetite, though her crop does not feel backed up. Heavy mouth breathing continues, days are in the 90s. We isolate her and begin feeding her lots of greens and tomatoes to up her vitamin intake. Limp comb.
-Today: Still no laying, she has either lost or plucked the belly feathers, still paralyzed in her right leg, which has also lost a significant amount of muscle mass. She has green feces (brooding?) She is breathing heavily through her mouth (days in the 90s) and occasionally closes her right eye, cannot tell why. No swelling or injuries or other signs of bumblefoot. We have been giving her aspirin. Her appetite seems back to normal. The right leg doesn't seem to have the strength it once did but still reacts to touch and has resistance when handled.
*Other information: Our other chicken, Bertha, is completely healthy, and the flock we got the chickens from in June has no history of Marek's disease, though I read it could have come over on the wind from a neighboring flock (the nearest flock is 3 houses away, about 100 yards through fencing and houses).
Here's a video of Red trying to stand up.
Here are some pics of her belly, eye, and poo. Any feedback or advice is MASSIVELY appreciated. THANK YOU!
Her vent.
No visible wounds or signs of bumblefoot, we Blue-Koted her foot just in case.
Her unparalyzed foot
