Help!!! this has gone on for 8 weeks now another hen has the wobbles.....

kidsandchooks

Hatching
7 Years
Jun 13, 2012
5
0
9
Hi there, hopfully someone can help. ( i'm new at this so please if i ramble i'm sorry)
I have now 2 Isa browns that are Named Precious and Cheif ( by my kids) that have came down with some kind of illness.
The first hen can down with the wobbles - her feet curled and she tried to stand on her 'elbows' with little or no success sometimes her head would even droop, her droppings were very loose to start with but after trying a 'mash mixture' found on her she her poop is much better. She went off her food and i thought that was the end but.... she's still here
In the process of hand feeding and watering her, she started to pick up she started to 'talk and eat.... even layed an egg....( since a few eggs) but every now and then she goes backwards doesnt want her food then gets week etc etc and the poo oh dear it was horrible! She's still laying every second day or so.
In all of this we treated her for worms ( although that was hard cause she would drink the 'blue' mixture) we soaked her legs in condi's crystals and then vasalined them ( for mits) we have also gave her 2 course of antibiotics (oxymav B) ( at different times over the past 2 months) and have gone back to feeding her 'sick chicken mash' with oats, cinnamon,, garlic, honey, grated apple and a few drops vitamins.
Now... after thinking at one stage we were winning, and that after the cold weather finished she could go back outside and no longer be my 'lounge room' chook, she went backwards again ( wobbly and not eating.... poo terrible.... but after that layed an egg!) To also find another one of our hens has started with the same symptoms.... ARrrr
So this one is Cheif ... found her in the coop on the floor not wanted her 'breakfast' the not standing very fragile... she's now eating the wonder mash but i'm getting a little bit over having these girls get sick.
Please if anyway can help, have and ideas even....I'd love to hear!!!!
 
It sounds like you're in Australia so I don't know if this is a possibility there, but some of the symptoms you describe sound like Marek's disease. I don't know a lot about it but do know that it causes a gradual paralysis in the legs. You might do a search for "Marek" and read up on it and see if the symptoms listed, match what your hen is displaying, and also google to find out if Marek's is even a possibility in your neck of the woods.

Good luck and I hope someone else sees this and has some other ideas for you.
 
Yes, good spotting. I am in Australia. I've had a look but i will do more reasearch on Mareks. Thank you so much.
The hen that came down with it first ( Precious) is actually walking not too bad but in saying that the other is still having issues.

Thank you so much for your reply. I will certainly look into it.
 
Haha - it wasn't that hard - I'm an Aussie myself
smile.png
but I've been living in the US the past few years. I grew up keeping chooks, but they were just birds in the backyard - we didn't worry about diseases and things like that, so I still didn't know if Mareks is something they get down there (kind of like Rabies is here but not there). Glad to hear Precious is walking better and good luck with them both.
 
Awww, food luck. Sounds like marks like HEchicken said.

There are many rules in the us about reporting federal cases but I don't know about Australia...
 
Thank you, i'm still not sure whether it is Mareks... it looks like its hit and miss.
Precious is doing Great! actually now the question will be how long do i keep her seperate for and would she still be contagious.
Cheif ( the other hen) is still having the wobbles she can stand although as soon as she goes to walk she falls.... it looks terrible cause she catches herself on her neck... arr but she's eating and drink somewhat... loves her morning porriage and grated apple mixture... so i guess i'll keep on doing what im doing for now.
I'm tempted to try Collidal Silver... i have heard that my work... so thats probably my next step...
Thanks so much for you reply though
 

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