Does This Look Like Marek’s to You?

micstrachan

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7 Years
Apr 10, 2016
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Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Here’s a little background info. My Buckeye Minnie is having her first molt. I was out of town for a weekend, so may have missed an injury, but one morning after I returned, she would not come down from the poop board shelf. I brought her a serving of baby bird formula and left her there before I went to work. After work, she was in the run sitting. When I let them all out to free range, she remained sitting. I helped her get up, and she came out to join everyone.

Minnie loves to drink hose water off the ground, so it was no surprise she came over when I was cleaning a water bowl with the hose. I made a puddle and she drank and drank. But then she started doing this funny pitter patter thing and eventually sat down in the water. I found that odd since it was early evening and not a hot day, so I picked her up. She continued to decline, and started doing this strange shuffle with her feet with her wings out. It was like she wanted to get up, but could not. I was too stunned to get a video. I brought her inside for the evening and she wouldn’t eat anything except sardines. I’ve had chickens starve themselves during molt before, and figured she was starting to have neurological symptoms from malnourishment while I was gone, since she may not have been eating. Of course, I started to fear Marek’s might be rearing its ugly head during stress from molt.

In the morning, Minnie could stand and was very much favoring a leg. At this point, it looked more like an injury. I also discovered a small crop impaction. I figured that would explain the malnourishment and thought maybe she had two issues… an injury plus malnourishment. I helped her clear the crop impaction by tubing fluids and gently breaking up the blockage, followed by tubing very watery baby bird formula.

Minnie is completely off feed, and doesn’t seem to be eating anything at all except a little grass. She also seems to only drink off the ground. So I’ve been tubing her, and she has improved. She seems happy, suns, preens, etc. I thought I’d just tube until her appetite returned, as that has worked with other hens in the past.

Fast forward to today. I was digging holes for planting irises and Minnie was hovering around me. She’s super curious and loves shovel activity and puddles. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw her stumble. Then I saw it again. And again. I stopped gardening and turned my attention fully on Minnie. She was definitely wobbly, so I took her in and tubed a full meal of baby bird formula in poultry vitamin water. (She’s a great little tubing patient, by the way!)

When I let her go outside after tubing, she had trouble with the four stairs to get down to ground level. A little bit later, I got this video of her preening. Before I started shooting video, I saw her almost tumble forward while she was preening her belly. You’ll see some subtle wobbliness, but keep watching for some larger wobbles.

And here she is going to roost. Poor baby.

Does all this info plus the videos look like Marek’s to you? If you have experience with Marek’s, can you share what has helped your birds through flare-ups? I know we have articles on BYC and will study them, but I’d also like to hear from individual experience.

Thank you!
 
She is two years old. I know that seems old, but this is her first molt. Also, when an older flockmate died of an EYP infection gone septic, necropsy revealed a possible background presence if Marek’s based on the nerve caps. She never had any symptoms nor tumors. She did have one feather that was spiraled like a corkscrew and stayed firm like a quill, but I didn’t think it was related.
 
No, she is not eating and drinking properly and feels thin. I am tubing her before and after work. I did see her pick at feed a little bit this morning, so I hope her appetite is returning.
Well I mean she is a bit old to have it but it is a odd virus. Try to force feed her with a syringe. If you have a vet near by you can ask if you can bring you bird in. Can you send come pictures of her. I really hope she doesn’t have mareks.
 
Well I mean she is a bit old to have it but it is a odd virus. Try to force feed her with a syringe. If you have a vet near by you can ask if you can bring you bird in. Can you send come pictures of her. I really hope she doesn’t have mareks.
I am tube feeding her twice daily. Can you see her in the videos? She looks the same now. When I went home at lunch for a school zoom meeting for my daughter, Minnie was busy digging in the litter.

i do have an excellent avian vet, but I’m not bringing her in just yet. I have another hen, who has been to the avian vet several times and probably needs to go back soon.
 

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