I think my chicken has Marek's

[cashela]

My young chicken (I don't know how old it is, almost fully feathered) suddenly went lame on Saturday, by Sunday it won't really stand, it's legs are all funky. Last night it was the same as well as this morning. It is still eating and drinking, just can't seem to stand. It is in with my two young turkey's who it has been raised with since they hatched I guess according to the guy we got them from.

I assume this is Marek's from all that I have read. Is there any chance that my chicken will recover? How long do I wait? It seems fine other then it is having a hard time moving around. This is a pet chicken. We don't have any other chickens, just this one and the two turkey's.

I just don't know what to do

 

[horsejody]

Put the chicken in a small cage to restrict movement and protect it from the others picking on it. Marek's is painless, however, the bird gets painful injuries trying to get around. Also, sooner or later, the others will pick at it. Put the food and water in the cage right in front of the bird. Take the bird out every day to clean the cage and check for improvement. The chicken may go into remission, or it may not. It can can take days, weeks or months to go into remission. They can survive and be happy after Marek's. It is not hopeless unless the paralysis reaches the neck. If it gets that far, then it can't eat or drink. I hope it's not Marek's. If I were you, all of my future birds would be ones that were properly vaccinated and quarantined as chicks.

 

[cashela]

Thanks! I will do this, it isn't being picked on yet, but I don't want it to. We got the chick and the two baby turkey's at a chicken swap in April. All had been fine and then this happened. I just didn't know if I should wait it out as long as the bird could still eat and drink. I don't intend to get any more chickens. This one was thrown in for free with the turkeys. It's a pet as are the turkeys.