Injury or Marek?

Skyle

Fluffy feathered feet addicted
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Apr 11, 2020
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Hi. Today I noticed that one of my 15-week old cockerels was limping. I checked his feet but they aren't swollen, have cuts, etc. He still uses the "injuried" foot, but makes only half step with it, plus he prefers to just lay down and watch his siblings. He gets up to eat and drink (or to run away if I get to close to him), the poop looks fine. I tried to put thee foot in cold water for a bit, he was cooperative and then he was limping a less and not so in pain. The cockerels and pullets aren't vaccinated and free range with the whole flock since they were 6-weeks old. The older rooster and the Australorp hen accepted all the chicks very well, but the Brahma hen still chases the younger ones sometimes and they are afraid of her. Maybe he jumped off the roost/coop ramp badly because of the older hen? Or it can be Marek's?
 
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He could have landed badly and it's a sprain/strain. If he's mostly getting around OK, eating and drinking well, then I'd just keep an eye on him. Sometimes doing daily soaks in a warm epsom salt solution will help. If he gets worse then I would consider crating him for a while to force more rest.
 
Hi, how is your cockerel now ?
We lost a RIR 2 months ago who began with a slight limp one morning (we put it down to a daredevil leap off their coop by a 'chunky' bird and a possible 'sprain').
Over 2 wks it became more pronounced and despite a vets visit it was kinder to let her go - the vet diagnosed Mareks (not tested) but we're still not so sure due to the length of time and the way things advanced.
 
Hi, how is your cockerel now ?
We lost a RIR 2 months ago who began with a slight limp one morning (we put it down to a daredevil leap off their coop by a 'chunky' bird and a possible 'sprain').
Over 2 wks it became more pronounced and despite a vets visit it was kinder to let her go - the vet diagnosed Mareks (not tested) but we're still not so sure due to the length of time and the way things advanced.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Thank you very much for your answer, today he limped less and seemed to have more desire to walk and follow his siblings, this night he roosted with the flock.
I uploaded a short video, I'm sorry if isn't very long, but I had to go to work early and that was the most I could do. If necessary I'll reupload another one in the afternoon.

 
Thank you.
That's great news, so pleased he's improving. Our RIR (we called her Ruby) only had a very slight limp on the first morning (same as your boy in the video) but over a week 10 days it became more pronounced though despite this she was still climbing, first out in the morning, and running chasing others who'd found tasty worms etc.
We obviously checked her (no complaints, no struggling, no shouts as we patted, prodded, poked and stretched limbs and wings), checked with the breeder who thought it was a sprain or bruising but it then grew very pronounced. As you said it was then the preferred lying down and observing only moving when too sunny or the others moved out of view lol.
She ate, drank, pooped - all normal. Eventually she wasn't walking as balance was too difficult, right leg was warm, foot opened and closed but slowly so we gave her a soothing warm bath, hairdryer to dry her to fluffiness (which she loved) and cuddles on garden chairs and our laps before the trip to the vets and the inevitable......
As I said, they diagnosed Mareks but as it took so long and didn't affect her neck/head droop etc and was really only right sided (slight wing droop) we're thinking something called 'Aseel disease' as certain French, Italian and Indian chicken keepers have put diaries on 'YouTube'.
Sorry it's a bit long winded but neither us, nor the breeder have ever seen or heard of any Mareks anywhere near us.
Hope your boy is back to 100% soon !
 
It's common to automatically assume Marek's. There are other virus's and illnesses that can look like Marek's. And some strains of Marek's are more virulent than others. Some strains are less virulent, symptoms can be milder, flock losses can be smaller. Others can be severe, progress quickly, and flock losses can be much greater. It's always good to consider it as a possibility, but since there are other things that can cause the symptoms, it's also good to consider and try some other things, unless through testing you have really determined that it is Marek's.
@Skyle, I would give him a little time. His limp is slight, and otherwise he looks good. He may just have tweaked it landing, or if he got in a scuffle with another cockerel.
 
Thank you all. With the cold water soaks he improved really fast. Now he doesn't even limp when he walks, only if he runs. I wanted to try the epsom salt solution to help him more, (I didn't even knew it before lol) but due to some problems I arrived at the pharmacy just after it closed:hmm
I'm very paranoid with my animals and from every little thing I imagine catastrophic endings:lol::rolleyes:
 
It's common to automatically assume Marek's. There are other virus's and illnesses that can look like Marek's. And some strains of Marek's are more virulent than others. Some strains are less virulent, symptoms can be milder, flock losses can be smaller. Others can be severe, progress quickly, and flock losses can be much greater. It's always good to consider it as a possibility, but since there are other things that can cause the symptoms, it's also good to consider and try some other things, unless through testing you have really determined that it is Marek's.
@Skyle, I would give him a little time. His limp is slight, and otherwise he looks good. He may just have tweaked it landing, or if he got in a scuffle with another cockerel.

Hi Coach,
Absolutely right, took some investigation on here to find out more but the more we found (plus talking to the couple who supplied Ruby) we were almost certain it couldn't be Mareks. So many online had or have similar stories about sudden limps or lameness it was strangely reassuring and hence we fought for weeks and gave her all the time we humanely could.
Going on that, have you any ideas as to what it could have been please since the vets were so sure that they dismissed testing (and we were as all of us with these amazing creatures so grief stricken that we just wanted to take her body home) ?
She was a big bold fluffy flouncy (talkative) 6+ months old RIR in the rudist health but it's still a mystery to us and her breeder - who breeds lots for show.
 

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