Is it Mareks or Botulism?

[flowerchicks]

I have a serema pullet that is about 8-9 months old( she just started laying 2 weeks ago). She and her roo are part-time house chickens, living in their own 3x5 ft coop outside during the day and coming inside in the evenings to "free range" in the living room.

Last night she was her normal, active self, this morning, around 8am I took them outside and noticed she was very limp and wouldn't stand up. She was fluffed up, her head and tail was drooping, and she was sort of holding her wings out. She also lost about 10 feathers when I put her down, which has never happened before. She seemed quite out if it and wouldn't move so I immediately brought them both back inside. I offered her freeze fried meal worms ( a MUCH loved treat) and she didn't eat them. There was no strange looking poops in their cage from last night, there are No signs of anything respiratory, she just seems to have lost all strength. I couldn't tell if her legs were splayed, as she has unusually short legs (I think she's a dwarf chicken). A few hours later, and she is walking around and eating meal worms.

The first thing I thought of was mareks, but would she have such a quick onset and recovery? if it's botulism, would she recover this quickly on her own?

 

[flowerchicks]

Is anybody going to help me? I need to know how to treat her.

 

[lilchick]

I have had hens act like that when they are straining to lay an egg. Did she lay one for you? Sometimes they retain the egg and that is a whole different problem. If she is back to normal I would not worry about it.

 

[flowerchicks]

Thank you for your reply. She laid an egg early yesterday evening, she has not laid one yet today, but she has been going in and out of her nesting box. I guess if she lays an egg tonight, and is fine tomorrow, I will assume she is fine. The way she was acting this morning, though, I really didn't expect her to be alive when I got home today.