Hen with milky diarrhea, loses balance and falling back onto hocks

[SarahGfa]

Great news. I am so glad that she is fighting. Is she on vitamins at this time? Thiamine or foods rich in it, such as chopped beef liver or a bit of hamburger meat may help stimulate her appetite. Some eat better when they get around other chickens for short visits. I hope her improvement keeps going.

Thanks! I put Rooster Booster in her water so she's getting vitamins and electrolytes. I coaxed her into eating about 10 black soldier fly larvae today. It's not a lot, but it's better than nothing.

Forgot to mention @azygous you are right about the molt! Her head and neck are now covered in little pinfeathers and there are quills coming in on her tail and both wings (2 on each wing). I wonder if she started molting before getting sick, and it weakened her to catch a disease, or if the disease caused the molt to start. No one else is molting right now, but she is my only modern game chicken so she is on her own schedule.

 

[SarahGfa]

Update: She's walking around, can lift both wings. Can't flap or scratch. Mood seems okay. I put her outside for a few hours each day so she can get some sun and peck at grass/dirt.

Appetite still low. I don't think she can recover if she doesn't eat Poops are looking worse, green and watery. Here are two from this morning. The second one has an entire undigested soldier fly larvae in it! She ate 10 yesterday, so I guess 9 got digested?

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you considered tube feeding her? I have done it short term, but probably would not do it for one long term. You can buy feeding tubes and catheter tipped syringes from a vet or online. Aquarium air tubing will also work if the end going into the throat is melted with a lighter to soften the sharp edges. That coupled with a 35 ml regular tip syringe from a feed store works well for liquids, and very watery foods. The tube should go down the chicken’s right side back of the thoat, avoiding the trachea (airway) at the base of the tongue (see picture below.) Here are some links about tube feeding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-pics-for-visuals-very-detailed-post.805615/

 

[SarahGfa]

Have you considered tube feeding her?

I don't know about tube feeding. She's strong enough to eat if she wants to, but she never ever wants to. I wish I could fix whatever is causing her green poop and bad appetite. Is it normal for a worm to go through her digestive system and come out completely whole like that?

Also she is still molting right now and already hates me for bothering her so much. If I put a tube down her throat she will probably never speak to me ever again.

 

[Eggcessive]

I can get it over and done with in about 2 minutes, but I can understand your point of view. Molting is such as stressful time for them.

 

[SarahGfa]

another update: She is eating a lot more but her poops are still very watery. She drinks water with rooster booster. How long can a bird last with bad diarrhea?

She can run around with the flock and mostly looks like a normal chicken. But there is something wrong with her muscles or nerves and I can't figure it out. When she jumps off a ledge, she can't flap her wings. She just jumps off and lands on her chest, thunk. I see her lift up both wings and stretch them out so I know she can move them, but she just can't flap. Also she can run but not scratch. When she goes into the dust bath area, she just lies down and pecks at the dirt without doing the flippity flop motion to dust bathe. Has anyone ever seen this in a Marek's bird?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
I'm just responding to your request on my profile page to have a look at this....

I'm really not sure I can add anything that others have not. Yes it looks/sounds like Marek's but none of us can give you a definite diagnosis. PCR testing can be done on blood or a plucked feather shaft I believe so a necropsy is not the only way to get a positive diagnosis. Do a search for your state diagnostics lab. Their web page should give you a price list of all the testing and a contact number or email if you can't find the info on their website.

It is possible that she is moulting as a result of being kept in the dark. I like to get my Marek's birds out in the sunshine (not baking sun but sunlight) on grass and around other chickens as much as possible, but in a safe environment where they can't be pecked or bullied. If you can make a decent sized cage for them and let the others forage around them by scattering a little scratch and/or feed in and around the cage, that will often help to stimulate their appetite.

It is concerning that her poop is not formed. To me that watery one looks like none of the insects were digested, just broken apart into bits. Tumours in the proventriculus are quite common with Marek's and might cause poor digestion like this. Does she still have access to grit? If you have brought her inside and fed her things like insects and scratch, she also needs grit. I would give her fermented feed and vitamin supplement and give her time outside whenever possible.

I'm afraid I'm having problems with accessing the site. It keeps jamming or dropping out, so I haven't got time to try to type more at the mo. Good luck with her.

 

[SarahGfa]

Hi
It is possible that she is moulting as a result of being kept in the dark. I like to get my Marek's birds out in the sunshine (not baking sun but sunlight) on grass and around other chickens as much as possible, but in a safe environment where they can't be pecked or bullied. If you can make a decent sized cage for them and let the others forage around them by scattering a little scratch and/or feed in and around the cage, that will often help to stimulate their appetite.

It is concerning that her poop is not formed. To me that watery one looks like none of the insects were digested, just broken apart into bits. Tumours in the proventriculus are quite common with Marek's and might cause poor digestion like this. Does she still have access to grit? If you have brought her inside and fed her things like insects and scratch, she also needs grit. I would give her fermented feed and vitamin supplement and give her time outside whenever possible.

Thank you for responding. I am so happy you chimed in because you have so much experience with Marek's. I just wanted to make sure I am not missing anything that could be easy to fix.

She is outside with the other birds. They don't bully her that much (same as they bully each other) and sometimes she bullies them back so they are ok. I put her in a cage only at night to make sure she eats.

If she has tumours in the proventriculus, should I give her food that is easier to digest like white rice or bread? I made some fermented feed for her but she ignores it. Also, how long do they last with tumours? Will she waste away and die in a few weeks, or can she go on for a whole lifetime like this?

 

[rebrascora]

I would put her in the cage twice a day, or keep her in the cage over night so that she eats in the morning as well before she goes out to play. Marek's is a wasting disease so she needs to eat as much as possible to keep ahead of it. Normally I would not advise bread or rice but with Marek's, I give them whatever they will happily eat...... I've never managed to get an obese Marek's bird, which is the main concern with bread and scratch etc in a healthy chicken although it is important that she gets plenty of protein too..... so eggs, meat, fish etc. Blended might make it more easily digest..... like a bit of raw liver, blended and mixed with some bread. You will need to experiment and see what she will eat. Putting a friend in the cage with her may stimulate her to eat such treats, if the other bird is wolfing them down. Human baby food might work well or a bit of cat food.

As regards progression of the disease, I really can't say what will happen. I am not saying she has tumours in the proventriculus, just that it is possible. I have had birds improve after months of supportive care. Some miraculously recover after a few days of being incapacitated, some decline and die over a fortnight or so and some take months to die and some die suddenly without showing any symptoms. There is just no predicting it I'm afraid. Just take one day at a time and encourage her to eat in whatever way you can.

 

[SarahGfa]

I've never managed to get an obese Marek's bird, which is the main concern with bread and scratch etc in a healthy chicken although it is important that she gets plenty of protein too..... so eggs, meat, fish etc. Blended might make it more easily digest..... like a bit of raw liver, blended and mixed with some bread. You will need to experiment and see what she will eat. Putting a friend in the cage with her may stimulate her to eat such treats, if the other bird is wolfing them down. Human baby food might work well or a bit of cat food.

As regards progression of the disease, I really can't say what will happen. I am not saying she has tumours in the proventriculus, just that it is possible. I have had birds improve after months of supportive care. Some miraculously recover after a few days of being incapacitated, some decline and die over a fortnight or so and some take months to die and some die suddenly without showing any symptoms. There is just no predicting it I'm afraid. Just take one day at a time and encourage her to eat in whatever way you can.

THANK YOU for saying this... I keep reading posts that warn against too many treats, but without treats she will just ignore the food until she starves. Stubborn bird.

Her condition has been about the same for 3 weeks. I don't know what to do about long term management. My other birds are leghorns and saipans and they are way too active to put in a cage with her. Thought about getting something docile like a silkie so they can both be in a closed run, but don't want to get a new bird sick.