Hello from Orange County, CA

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Winziggle said:
Wow! Thanks everyone for your good wishes. I IS so heartbreaking to lose a feathered friend. We only have two poultry drs in the area and I was lucky to find one that came to the house the next morning. That's the first time I heard of Merek's Disease. He smiled knowingly when I said I got Pecky Becky and another hen, Princess Leigha (they came with those names) through Craig's List. They probably weren't vaccinated for Merek's when they were chicks before being let outside for the first time. Who know their history. I found Alice and Vera from a breeder in Riverside. The Princess died suddenly and dramatically 2 weeks after she moved in. Maybe a sour crop and heart attack.
When Becky had been looking poorly for a week (I assumed she slowed down because she was older), the visiting vet examined all three and had me separate Becky from the other two. Gave me an antibiotic for her water and food and hydrated her through syringe. She perked up but then died the next morning. He performed a necropsy in the front of my property somewhere. Didn't want to bring the possibility of Merek's anywhere. Luckily it wasn't. He said ovarian cancer is the least painful way for her to die, next to having her neck broken the right way. Luckily, my girls are healthy. My neighbor has a few long-necked chickens that are uber healthy.
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Glad to here your remaining girls are healthy and that the cause was not Marek's.

If a bird did have Marek's, separating wouldn't do any good as a prevention. All the birds would already have it whether they were presenting symptoms or not.
 
Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies! I always check in the "What's New" section as well at the top of this page. This way I can read how I may have a similar question or help give some advice.
 
Winziggle said:
Wow! Thanks everyone for your good wishes. I IS so heartbreaking to lose a feathered friend. We only have two poultry drs in the area and I was lucky to find one that came to the house the next morning. That's the first time I heard of Merek's Disease. He smiled knowingly when I said I got Pecky Becky and another hen, Princess Leigha (they came with those names) through Craig's List. They probably weren't vaccinated for Merek's when they were chicks before being let outside for the first time. Who know their history. I found Alice and Vera from a breeder in Riverside. The Princess died suddenly and dramatically 2 weeks after she moved in. Maybe a sour crop and heart attack.
When Becky had been looking poorly for a week (I assumed she slowed down because she was older), the visiting vet examined all three and had me separate Becky from the other two. Gave me an antibiotic for her water and food and hydrated her through syringe. She perked up but then died the next morning. He performed a necropsy in the front of my property somewhere. Didn't want to bring the possibility of Merek's anywhere. Luckily it wasn't. He said ovarian cancer is the least painful way for her to die, next to having her neck broken the right way. Luckily, my girls are healthy. My neighbor has a few long-necked chickens that are uber healthy.
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Welcome. I am so sorry that you lost Becky. Your vet sounds really good.
 

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