I’m devistated

[Stephine]

I didn’t get a pic of both legs but they seemed equal. No puss or cuts…maybe it’s a slipped tendon. I pulled her leg back but I couldn’t figure it out. I had her splint off yesterday but I redid it today but with twigs on the side to keep it straight. The only antibiotic I have is a sulfa drug. It’s 4g per two liter I am putting it in 20 oz and a little less than a gram. I add some of the water to the syringe when I’m feeding her food since she isn’t drinking. She either will live from my efforts or I may have to cull her so she isn’t suffering. But I don’t want to do that, not with this girl!

How long should I leave this splint on do you think?

Thank you sooo very much spending time with me.

When you say both legs are equal, do you mean she is sitting on her hocks on both legs? So one isn’t swollen? Sitting and walking on hocks happens for chickens when they are weak from being sick - so this doesn’t have to be an issue with her legs.
I definitly wouldn’t give her antibiotics willy nilly without having a real indication for it. If you want to just give her something just in case you can try oregano oil.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Sorry about your girl! I really hope for you she gets better!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Photos of the leg joints would be helpful, so get some when you change the wrappings. The splinting manual may be helpful (linked below)
It's unusual for a bird this age to have a slipped tendon. A swollen joint can be from a lot of things - disease, infection, etc.
If it's slipped, you should be able to feel it out of place. Slipped tendon is very hard to correct even in tiny chicks when it's a bit more common.



https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

 

[Chey1214]

When you say both legs are equal, do you mean she is sitting on her hocks on both legs? So one isn’t swollen? Sitting and walking on hocks happens for chickens when they are weak from being sick - so this doesn’t have to be an issue with her legs.
I definitly wouldn’t give her antibiotics willy nilly without having a real indication for it. If you want to just give her something just in case you can try oregano oil.

She is only resting on one hock not both. By equal I mean not swollen..looking the same

 

[theoldchick]

https://vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu/vdl/colorado-avian-health-program/mareks-disease/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[Chey1214]

https://vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu/vdl/colorado-avian-health-program/mareks-disease/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

This is what I was thinking from the beginning, I should probably cull her

 

[theoldchick]

This is what I was thinking from the beginning, I should probably cull her

With Mareks it is best to cull or isolate the flock and do not sell or add any more to your flock until all poultry is gone.

 

[Chey1214]

With Mareks it is best to cull or isolate the flock and do not sell or add any more to your flock until all poultry is gone.

I suspected mereks from the beginning, I wouldn’t give anyone a bird from my flock just by speculation. However, I now stock up on these vaccines so I have it available for hatching. I’ll have to really plan my hatches this summer to get the most out of this vaccine since it’s only good when activated.

 

[LuciferRoo]

Isn't Marek's something that vaccine does not prevent but simply helps the bird suppress it?
If that is the case and you have it in your flock, using the vaccine will not get rid of it.
The birds will not die from it but will be carriers.
Like someone said, you have to let this flock expire and then start fresh.
Or maybe there is a test for it and infected birds can be separated from healthy ones.
I am not a chicken expert by any stretch of the imaging. Just thinking logically about the issue.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I suspected mereks from the beginning, I wouldn’t give anyone a bird from my flock just by speculation. However, I now stock up on these vaccines so I have it available for hatching. I’ll have to really plan my hatches this summer to get the most out of this vaccine since it’s only good when activated.

If you lose her, then send the body to your state lab for testing so you know for sure if you're dealing with Marek's or not.

Vaccination is a very personal decision to make. Most that have Marek's positive flocks do vaccinate chicks they bring in, but they must be quarantined away from existing flocks so they are not exposed to the virus too early.
The vaccine may help, some find it useful, others don't. There's many threads here you can look up about it.

The vaccine does not prevent infection from the virus, it does help prevent formation of tumors, so it can be helpful for that.

Look up research papers about the Marek's vaccine, shedding, etc.