I discovered how to help one of my chickens from falling over!!! I'd like ideas to improve upon it!

[aart]

I think they probably need to be low and in the center - unless a chicken tends to fall in one direction more than another... but I'm not sure...

Centered makes sense to me.

 

[amyduck]

FWIW, I'm starting to think of a small underbody set of heavy metal washers strung together and with one band of (something wide enough to be comfortable but not too wide that it will interfere much with her preening...) maybe I'll put the washers in a row down the middle of her abdomen, two stacked on top of each other in the front and then single ones after that..., then the strap around the back of her legs and another in front of her wings and around her neck..

 

[amyduck]

An update, I ended up sewing washers to her harness, but only did that for a few days because she started to get better and also, because she caught the harness on a few places after it became dirt-logged after a dust bath. I think what may have helped the most is actually making sure she ate a lot and put on weight- because she really was light... so her own weight is better than some washers! She was a lot smaller than another hen I got at the same time, so I think the others were getting most of the food! So between really good care, vitamin B, and other things she is definitely better. She went from falling over about 30 times a day to not having fallen over at all the last couple of days and before that, about once a day. Admittedly, she is somewhat confined when I'm at work, so she's not navigating obstacles in the yard like she is on weekends. And one more thing! She just laid her 3rd egg! About 2 months behind the other hen. So that has also added to her weight - at least when she is forming and carrying one.

 

[Soy Milano]

How exactly did your vet confirm she had Mareks? You can't actually confirm that unless the bird died and they've done a necropsy or you sent a couple of their feathers to a diagnostic lab to evaluate whether a strain of the virus is present. "Falling over" isn't actually a classic Marek's symptom either. Here is more information about Mareks for your reference - http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/mareks-disease

 

[amyduck]

How exactly did your vet confirm she had Mareks?

It's true, she didn't confirm it so it might be interesting to actually test her. But the vet does specialize in birds at a bird hospital and has seen Marek's many times... I also had a necropsy done on one of my birds and it came back as presumed Mareks...

 

[NinaJoy]

Wondering what ever happened with this pretty girl - did she have Marek's ?

 

[amyduck]

Wondering what ever happened with this pretty girl - did she have Marek's ?

Hi Nina, thanks for asking!

- Blondie stopped falling down at the end of March (yay!) then she had a wonderful summer and early fall... until the end of October when she started falling again and got worse than before! Eventually she couldn't stand or even sit at all without assistance! And she gets leg spasms (or maybe they are cramps) that cause her to suddenly stretch out her legs for a few seconds (it's very odd.)

-The good thing is, just this week, she can finally sit without falling over for about 5 minutes. Today, she was able to stand for just a little bit. Thank goodness we can work from home for now, because I don't know what we would have done... because it hasn't been easy.

- We've tried a lot of things, including "walking" her once or twice a day in a small dog harness that has a strap behind her legs, so it lets me support some of her weight and she can sort of walk around. I like to think it's helping her legs to stay strong and may also help keep that muscle memory. (If anyone is interested in knowing what else we've done, like supplements, please ask.)

- As for the rest of her day, I tried a chicken sling, but it didn't work. What has worked really well are two neck pillows, one on top of the other, with a paper towel over the back for pooping. She spends all night and most of the day on her "throne" (when she isn't on a lap or "walking")

- As for Marek's, she probably has it, but I really don't know. So this could be a Marek's flare up, maybe caused by the stress of molting coupled with a course of Corrid (which blocks absorption of vitamin B1, which can cause neurological issues...so we are supplementing...)

- If it weren't for this problem (and that I recently had to treat her for lice, because she can't dustbathe very well) you wouldn't know there was anything wrong at all. She has a great appetite, coos over her favorite food, and talks to us all the time!

I just hope she recovers, or at least goes into remission again...

 

[NinaJoy]

Hi Nina, thanks for asking!

- Blondie stopped falling down at the end of March (yay!) then she had a wonderful summer and early fall... until the end of October when she started falling again and got worse than before! Eventually she couldn't stand or even sit at all without assistance! And she gets leg spasms (or maybe they are cramps) that cause her to suddenly stretch out her legs for a few seconds (it's very odd.)

-The good thing is, just this week, she can finally sit without falling over for about 5 minutes. Today, she was able to stand for just a little bit. Thank goodness we can work from home for now, because I don't know what we would have done... because it hasn't been easy.

- We've tried a lot of things, including "walking" her once or twice a day in a small dog harness that has a strap behind her legs, so it lets me support some of her weight and she can sort of walk around. I like to think it's helping her legs to stay strong and may also help keep that muscle memory. (If anyone is interested in knowing what else we've done, like supplements, please ask.)

- As for the rest of her day, I tried a chicken sling, but it didn't work. What has worked really well are two neck pillows, one on top of the other, with a paper towel over the back for pooping. She spends all night and most of the day on her "throne" (when she isn't on a lap or "walking")

- As for Marek's, she probably has it, but I really don't know. So this could be a Marek's flare up, maybe caused by the stress of molting coupled with a course of Corrid (which blocks absorption of vitamin B1, which can cause neurological issues...so we are supplementing...)

- If it weren't for this problem (and that I recently had to treat her for lice, because she can't dustbathe very well) you wouldn't know there was anything wrong at all. She has a great appetite, coos over her favorite food, and talks to us all the time!

I just hope she recovers, or at least goes into remission again...

Awwwww Blondie!
From everything you're described and everything I've internet researched (which practically means I have a degree, Lol), this does NOT sound like Mareks's, which is great!!! Marek's would have killed her by now.
I'm glad she's still up and around! Sounds like some sort of neurological issue and sounds like she's in wonderful hands with you!
So glad to hear this update.

 

[Sally PB]

Please keep posting about her! Pictures would be great, if you have some. And thank you for taking such good care of her.

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t know if it was mentioned earlier, but there is a $20 PCR blood test for Mareks that you collect at home that is a available from here:
http://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf