How paralyzed is paralyzed? Marek’s?

[LilLee]

Hi! I have a 20 week old Olive Egger, who about two weeks ago, started having issues. At first I was convinced something was wrong reproductively- she looked as if she was really straining to lay an egg- it was her first egg. she was waddling, her vent was out and pulsating, tail pumping- she was working very hard- and finally she laid a soft shelled egg. The waddling, tail pumping, and vent out didn’t stop though- and I was worried she was egg bound. I thought the waddling was due to an egg pushing on her. But- since then, she has laid two additional eggs and is still struggling to walk. I checked her vent yesterday and did not feel an egg. I’m giving her B vitamins because I read perhaps a vitamin deficiency could cause limping. She remains unable to walk though- she is walking on her hocks and seems to favor one side. So, now I am suspecting Marek’s? But my question is- how complete is the paralysis? She is able to hop about and she hops up to roost. I put her in a dog crate and I can see the scratch marks from her toes- she is able to move her feet, but it just appears she doesn’t want to- from perhaps an injury? Or is this common for Marek’s? I am wondering how much I should be separating her from the rest of my flock- if it’s a physical leg injury that just needs time to heal, then I’d love to put her out in the run instead of alone in the basement…

This has been going on for a bit now- symptoms started two weeks ago. I have kept her isolated for the past week. She is eating and drinking and pooping normally. She has laid an egg each day for the past two days.

I don’t see an obvious physical injury to her foot but I’m just…puzzled. She doesn’t seem to be getting better or worse, which makes me suspect Marek’s at this point. She is vaccinated, but she free ranges often.

Thoughts?
Thank you all!!!

 

[azygous]

Paralysis is when a limb won't work. Your little girl qualifies. Unfortunately, Marek's vaccine does not prevent a chicken from getting the virus and even spreading it. It will prevent tumors at best.

But there is another very similar virus called lymphoid leucosis that may be at work here. My flock carries this virus and a few years back, I lost three pullets to it. Here is the thread I made to document trying to treat those three and the eventual outcome.

It's quite the sage if you want to read through the whole thing. It has all of the ingredients of a made-for-TV drama. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...update-now-another-pullet-going-lame.1432738/

 

[Jojoand chicks]

Hi! I have a 20 week old Olive Egger, who about two weeks ago, started having issues. At first I was convinced something was wrong reproductively- she looked as if she was really straining to lay an egg- it was her first egg. she was waddling, her vent was out and pulsating, tail pumping- she was working very hard- and finally she laid a soft shelled egg. The waddling, tail pumping, and vent out didn’t stop though- and I was worried she was egg bound. I thought the waddling was due to an egg pushing on her. But- since then, she has laid two additional eggs and is still struggling to walk. I checked her vent yesterday and did not feel an egg. I’m giving her B vitamins because I read perhaps a vitamin deficiency could cause limping. She remains unable to walk though- she is walking on her hocks and seems to favor one side. So, now I am suspecting Marek’s? But my question is- how complete is the paralysis? She is able to hop about and she hops up to roost. I put her in a dog crate and I can see the scratch marks from her toes- she is able to move her feet, but it just appears she doesn’t want to- from perhaps an injury? Or is this common for Marek’s? I am wondering how much I should be separating her from the rest of my flock- if it’s a physical leg injury that just needs time to heal, then I’d love to put her out in the run instead of alone in the basement…

This has been going on for a bit now- symptoms started two weeks ago. I have kept her isolated for the past week. She is eating and drinking and pooping normally. She has laid an egg each day for the past two days.

I don’t see an obvious physical injury to her foot but I’m just…puzzled. She doesn’t seem to be getting better or worse, which makes me suspect Marek’s at this point. She is vaccinated, but she free ranges often.

Thoughts?
Thank you all!!!

I’m going thru it as well except mine is completely paralyzed thought she was getting better
Have her on Nutri drench b12! And vitamins with electylites
Don’t think it marecks she’s eating drinking just can’t stand
I’m having to bath her everyday which she hates because she’s laying in her poop
I don’t know any more to tell you except that’s what I’ve been doing
If any more start wobbling get what I got it took a week and hen number two has recovered cause we got meds in her fast
Good luck

 

[movick]

Shaheen HA, Hussein HA, Elsafty MM, Shalaby MA. Genetic resistance of eight native Egyptian chicken breeds having chicken B-cell marker 6 gene post-challenge with field strain of Marek's disease-induced tumor virus. Vet World. 2018 Nov;11(10):1510-1515. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2018.1510-1515. Epub 2018 Oct 29. PMID: 30532510; PMCID: PMC6247869. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6247869/