Injury vs Marek's?

[bbowen]

I've got a limping 19 week old Barred Rock. Left leg. This chicken is accident prone. She ripped off a nail a few weeks ago ( other foot) and she is the outsider. The rest pick on her.

I'm wondering how to tell a leg injury ( sprain, etc) from the effects of Marek's?

Thanks.

 

[silkieroo]

First off don't panic thoroughly check the leg for signs of injury and watch her face closely for signs of discomfort. Here's a link... Although it's not heartening i felt like you should see it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=323724

Good luck

Maddie

 

[SAORSA]

This is the link to Wikipedia, Merks. It has a really good pic of the chickens eye, a normal eye and one with Merks.
It's gross but it's really good to know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek's_disease

 

[bbowen]

Thanks. Her eyes appear normal. When is the onset of that eye discoloration? She's still limping but other than that I don't notice anything different. She's eating fine and drinking and laid an egg.

I don't see or feel anything obvious for injury to her leg.

 

[bbowen]

Now, she's panting. I let her out to be with the other today but I have put her back in isolation for the night with diluted asiprin water.

How fast does this progress if it is Marek's?

 

[babsbag]

I'm sorry about your hen. They don't always get the eye problem, nor do they always get a limp. I have lost 2 to Marek's. One I nursed for 3 weeks before she died, and the other one was about 3 days. Both of mine started just looking a little droopy, and my first one had problems with her neck. She wouldn't straighten it out, kept it tucked into her chest. She didn't eat or drink after about a week and I forced fed her. My other one was different. I thought he had an impacted crop. I treated him for that for 2 days and the last morning he was walking around my bathroom while I fixed his breakfast and 10 minutes later he was dead. It was literally like he had a heart attack.

I had necropsies done on both birds and they confirmed that is was Markek's. These are the first chickens ever on this property and came from a very healthy flock. I have another hen that definately has the disease and she has the gray eye. I don't know how long she will be with me. She is not quite a year old and has stopped laying. Another hen that is raising her brood has a comb that has turned very pale. I am fairly sure that it is Marek's as well. They say that I can expect to lose 80% of my flock. It is very frustrating and devasting. I have vaccinated all my chicks and hope for the best.

Good wishes for you and your birds.

Oh, and some birds do recover but remain carriers.

 

[Supermommy486]

Sorry to kinda hijack but quick question. If a chicken has gray eyes does that automatically mean they have Mareks? Can they not normally have that color of eye?

 

[babsbag]

I am really not sure about the eye color being "normal". All my chickens have brown eyes. The one that I suspect has Marek's has a gray iris in one eye, her other one is brown. I believe that she is also blind in that eye.

 

[bbowen]

Well, she managed to dig a big hole in the yard and dust bathe herself. She was using the injured foot to kick up dust. I took her out of the hole to see what was up and she refuesed to stand. After some time she stood up. Limp seems better but it hard to tell.

I think I'll still isolate her at night. I don't want her jumping/getting pushed off the perch. Going to try more aspirin,MSM, and maybe some Arnica cream on the leg.