Help/Emergency! Just left the vet. She thinks my 4 week old chick has Mereks

[WVduckchick]

Is the chick getting any better?

Redhead Rae did a great job with that article explaining the process.

I personally haven’t been able to use the shears. My SIL had recommended that way to me, but I just couldn’t do it. So I do basically the same thing, only I lay the chick down on a wood block, and use a strong old butcher knife and rubber mallet. I find the spot on the neck, position the knife, and hit the back of the knife with a mallet (or wood block or similar)

Such a sad subject, but unfortunately a necessary one to discuss sometimes.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Is the chick getting any better?

Redhead Rae did a great job with that article explaining the process.

I personally haven’t been able to use the shears. My SIL had recommended that way to me, but I just couldn’t do it. So I do basically the same thing, only I lay the chick down on a wood block, and use a strong old butcher knife and rubber mallet. I find the spot on the neck, position the knife, and hit the back of the knife with a mallet (or wood block or similar)

Such a sad subject, but unfortunately a necessary one to discuss sometimes.

Do you wrap the chick up before using the knife? It would be hard for me to look at the chick.

 

[WVduckchick]

Do you wrap the chick up before using the knife? It would be hard for me to look at the chick.

Yes!

 

[aart]

I kind of like the idea of wrapping the chick before using the shears/pruners,
does it actually sever the head or just break the neck?
Concerns about shears being sharp enough to cut thru layers of paper and the neck.
Any sewer or haircutter knows that cutting paper will dull a good pair of shears.

 

[007Sean]

Let me start off by saying I’m new to owning chickens. I bought 12 baby chicks on 2/2/19 and was given an extra one (making it 13) because the chick appeared to have an issue keeping her balance. We brought all the girls home and put them in a stock tank that has been acting as a brooder. They’ve all been on medicated chick food with vitamins and electrolytes in their water. The 13th chick we were given was not showing any improvement in mobility, so we separated her from her flock after a week/week and a half. We thought she had splay leg at the time so we researched splay leg and made her a hobble. While the splay leg seemed to improve some... her hock joint became inflamed. So I we discontinued the hobble for a while or gave her a break and then proceeded to try the hobble again. The hock once again became inflamed and we discontinued. Looking back I remember it wasn’t just her left leg that had issues, it was hard for her to control her left wing as well. In the last week this little chicks feet have started to deform on both feet. She’s half the size of the others that are in her flock (that she’s completely separated from(for 2 weeks)). I found a vet who sees poultry. She suspects Mereks is the culprit, which over the last few days I’ve been worried about. This chick has blue eyes. My question- do all baby chicks have blue eyes? I looked at the rest of the flock (who are in the basement) and I thought their eyes were black when we got them. Now every single bird has blue eyes. Second question- no one has even gone into our new coup yet. Do I keep these birds if they’re infected? Or do I do the humane thing (if they’re all infected) and euthanize them? We just moved to this property. The coup and run haven’t been touched. I put an order in for more chicks (a month ago) that will be getting vaccinated. Help! I need expert opinions and thoughts. I’ll attach images.

Judging by the pics, it looks like it has either genetic or hatching deformities, not Mereks. Why does your vet think it's Merek's?

 

[Redhead Rae]

I kind of like the idea of wrapping the chick before using the shears/pruners,
does it actually sever the head or just break the neck?
Concerns about shears being sharp enough to cut thru layers of paper and the neck.
Any sewer or haircutter knows that cutting paper will dull a good pair of shears.

It cuts through the paper towel and the neck as well, when using kitchen sheers. I haven't tried with a pair of pruning sheers, but they work well enough for cutting through grown chicken necks.

 

[Verl]

how is your little chickie?
I just wanted to add that I have had 2 chicks now with very badly curled toes..one we hatched in the incubator, the other was hatched by its mother. Booties have worked for both of these babes. their toes are still slightly curled, but nothing like before, and they are able to roost. they were bad, severely curled, and even walking with all their toes under their legs! ths second chick i somehow didn't notice until week 2, but the booties just stayed on a bit longer for her. I know your chick is older now, but it might be worth a try if she is still alive? I can post pics of the booties i made if that would be helpful.