Injured leg??

[onyx2011]

Sorry for the spam, but after further educating myself, it does seem that Big Red has the classical marek's(nerolymphatosis?):
*paralysis of one or both legs(he only is able to move by using his wings as arms, crawling about and using his environment)
*weight loss: i didnt think about it until i picked him up earlier to wash off his feet. He is much less muscular than before,and much less heavy, hardly weighing more than one of the hens, who he used to be massive compared to
An article i was reading also mentioned green stool, and i thought he had it because he just wasnt eating the variety that he usually does outside...

Why is it that marek's is afflicting him and not my hens? They seem healthier than ever before. The only problem i have with them is that they have recently stopped laying but i believe the problem is because my dad removed the heat lamp and thus they arent getting enough light..

 

[Eggcessive]

Green poop is a sign that he is not eating, which usually happens in Mareks as well. Some chickens seem to be immune to Mareks, while others get it. They can get it in the environment or from wild birds.It could be that he has some problem with immunity, but we don’t know for sure that he has Mareks. You should get a necropsy by a state vet or poultry lab done on his body if you lose him. Refrigerate it and wrap in a plastic garbage bag, and ship it on ice packs in a foam cooler. I would contact them early Monday by contacting your state dept of agriculture. You also could Google Metzer Farms Poultry Diagnostic Labs which has contact info for state labs.

 

[onyx2011]

Green poop is a sign that he is not eating, which usually happens in Mareks as well. Some chickens seem to be immune to Mareks, while others get it. They can get it in the environment or from wild birds.It could be that he has some problem with immunity, but we don’t know for sure that he has Mareks. You should get a necropsy by a state vet or poultry lab done on his body if you lose him. Refrigerate it and wrap in a plastic garbage bag, and ship it on ice packs in a foam cooler. I would contact them early Monday by contacting your state dept of agriculture. You also could Google Metzer Farms Poultry Diagnostic Labs which has contact info for state labs.

I just looked up gross necropsy for farm animal via that handy dandy chart... $100 seems crazy for such a small animal and i know that even if i had the funds, my parents would never allow me to do such a thing...

Is there a point to trying to help the rooster, or am i fighting a lost cause?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Working on it all rn, trying to see how i can create a chicken sling... How do chickens contract mareks disease? My flock of 5 have been alone, i got them from tractor supply as chicks,and they're all a year old. We live in isolated countryside on a highway, and there's no neighbors at all for miles,and none of which i have even seen chickens with. Can they contract them from wildlife? We live in a swampish area, so ducks and turkeys make frequent visits to our yard,but typically avoid when the chickens are turned loose.

I apologize if i come across as ignorant, but im just really new at this all... Even though theyre a year old,i suppose im semi lucky as i have had no trouble within the flock until now

Actually, about a month ago, a chicken died from a raccoon or a possum attack while we were out shopping... Can chickens contract anything from corpses??

Sorry for the spam, but after further educating myself, it does seem that Big Red has the classical marek's(nerolymphatosis?):
*paralysis of one or both legs(he only is able to move by using his wings as arms, crawling about and using his environment)
*weight loss: i didnt think about it until i picked him up earlier to wash off his feet. He is much less muscular than before,and much less heavy, hardly weighing more than one of the hens, who he used to be massive compared to
An article i was reading also mentioned green stool, and i thought he had it because he just wasnt eating the variety that he usually does outside...

Why is it that marek's is afflicting him and not my hens? They seem healthier than ever before. The only problem i have with them is that they have recently stopped laying but i believe the problem is because my dad removed the heat lamp and thus they arent getting enough light..

I'm so sorry that he seems to be getting worse

No need to apologize for asking questions. Marek's can affect chickens of all ages. Some chickens do show symptoms and get sick, while others do not. Marek's is opportunistic, so your rooster may have an underlying condition/illness that has allowed the virus to take hold. Unfortunately, there is no sure way to know if Marek's is the cause of his decline without the testing that @Eggcessive mentioned. You can look up your state lab in the following link
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

You mentioned earlier that you had a chicken die and wondered if chickens could catch anything from a corpse? Did you bury the chicken that died or have your chickens had access to decaying matter (eaten any of it)?

Do what you can for him to make him comfortable. If he is in pain and worsens, then you may want to consider ending his suffering. I understand that is always a hard decision to make, so discuss it with your parents.

If you were providing an extra source of light for your hens and it has been taken away, likely that is the cause of the disruption in laying.

Here's some reading on Marek's for you https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you tell us what state you live in? I can help you find your state lab fee list.

 

[onyx2011]

Can you tell us what state you live in? I can help you find your state lab fee list.

I live in Michigan, thank you for your help!

 

[onyx2011]

I'm so sorry that he seems to be getting worse

No need to apologize for asking questions. Marek's can affect chickens of all ages. Some chickens do show symptoms and get sick, while others do not. Marek's is opportunistic, so your rooster may have an underlying condition/illness that has allowed the virus to take hold. Unfortunately, there is no sure way to know if Marek's is the cause of his decline without the testing that @Eggcessive mentioned. You can look up your state lab in the following link
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

You mentioned earlier that you had a chicken die and wondered if chickens could catch anything from a corpse? Did you bury the chicken that died or have your chickens had access to decaying matter (eaten any of it)?

Do what you can for him to make him comfortable. If he is in pain and worsens, then you may want to consider ending his suffering. I understand that is always a hard decision to make, so discuss it with your parents.

If you were providing an extra source of light for your hens and it has been taken away, likely that is the cause of the disruption in laying.

Here's some reading on Marek's for you https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

I have had some busy weeks this winter where im home long enough to sleep and haphazardly feed all my animals,i feel really guilty about it. Certain weekdays i get home at a reasonable time,and about 5-6 weeks ago, i wasn't in the chicken coop for over 24 hours(my personal record). However,i didnt feel too bad because they have enough food and water to last 2 days at a time, daily routines are just the best.( Plus, i just adore when they all come running excitedly to the fence!) When i went out there, the hen was just... Disgusting. Rigor mortis had set in, but it smelled fresh(ive had my fair share of experience hunting). There weren't any maggots,and i remember just feeling pure horror and then pure confusion as the chickens didnt seem to notice at all! I placed her in a garbage bag and rather unceremoniously threw her in a trash can because the ground was too hard to even attempt proper burial.

Yes, my dad recently removed the incandescent lamp as spring has been approaching, so thank you for confirming my suspicions!

My friends who also own chickens claim they are stupidly resilient, and ive read plenty of "underdog" threads on here, reading of hens who have sprung back from being horrendously mauled by x animal... How do you know when a chicken is beyond saving?

Thanks for the help and support!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I live in Michigan, thank you for your help!

Each state is different...you may want to give them a call, but it looks like a necropsy would be $65.00, but would think that does not include shipping and any other tests/administrative costs
Michigan state lab Phone: (517) 353-1683
Michigan state lab https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/
Michigan state fee schedule https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Misc/AD.ADM.REF.005.pdf

Quality of life/suffering, symptoms, whether or not you have time to care properly for an animal - all play a part in making a decision about putting them down. These are things that need to be considered and discussed with your parents - have them help you.

 

[onyx2011]

Each state is different...you may want to give them a call, but it looks like a necropsy would be $65.00, but would think that does not include shipping and any other tests/administrative costs
Michigan state lab Phone: (517) 353-1683
Michigan state lab https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/
Michigan state fee schedule https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/Misc/AD.ADM.REF.005.pdf

Quality of life/suffering, symptoms, whether or not you have time to care properly for an animal - all play a part in making a decision about putting them down. These are things that need to be considered and discussed with your parents - have them help you.

He looks absolutely miserable. He was the natural alpha being a rooster, but he thoroughly enjoying accompanying the hens everywhere and protecting them. Being in a crate is suffering to him. He doesn't even raise his head to look at me anymore while I talk to him, he just sighs and occasionally shifts around.

I asked my dad to euthanize him for me while I'm at school Monday. Part of me feels I should be there for him until the very end, but I just can't. I care too much. I just don't think I can handle witnessing my little buddy's vanishing from existence. I shouldn't be awake right now, but I can't stop tossing and turning. This sucks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

He looks absolutely miserable. He was the natural alpha being a rooster, but he thoroughly enjoying accompanying the hens everywhere and protecting them. Being in a crate is suffering to him. He doesn't even raise his head to look at me anymore while I talk to him, he just sighs and occasionally shifts around.

I asked my dad to euthanize him for me while I'm at school Monday. Part of me feels I should be there for him until the very end, but I just can't. I care too much. I just don't think I can handle witnessing my little buddy's vanishing from existence. I shouldn't be awake right now, but I can't stop tossing and turning. This sucks.

I'm very sorry that he is declining further.
Never an easy decision to make, but if he is suffering, ending his pain is always the right thing to do.