Is it Marek's

[joojy]

I have a 1 and a half year old black star cross hen. I also have 2 austrolorp hens, same age and 2 bantams. Also 3 large ducks and 2 call ducks. Everyone else looks fine.

The black star hen started not moving her right wing about a month ago. Took her to the vet to look for injury. He found nothing. Then she started limping. She will jump up into the coop. Lately she is not moving much. She looks alert, but is losing feathers on right side wing. She cried when I picked her up, so is fighting back. What should I do? She was eating and drinking.
I brought her in the house today. She is a pet, but I do not want her to suffer. I can take her to the vet again.
I am not sure what to do.

 

[pips&peeps]

Sounds a little too old for mareks. Is it possible she could have gotten into bad feed and has botchulism?

 

[joojy]

She has only eaten what the others have. Should I just see if she gets better. She is in the kitchen and looks happy enough. Should I get her special food or vitamins.? We did recently get grit for them.

 

[pips&peeps]

For now I would keep her confined. Have you ever wormed your birds?

There is not alot you can do if you don't know what is wrong. I would worm, keep her on regular food, no table scraps or treats of any kind, and get some vitamins for her water. You can use red cell or polyvisol.

 

[joojy]

I have never wormed them. I thought it might be a stroke because it was just the one side.
I will go and get what ever it is I need to worm them with and poly vi-sol, is that an animal vitamin?

 

[pips&peeps]

poly vi sol is a childrens vitamin. red cell is a horse vitamin

 

[seminolewind]

Hi, I would get a poultry vitamin (feed store or mail). And keep feeding her.
I would be thinking Marek's too. I've has several older chickens die from it. It's not common in adult chickens, but we don't know their immune system, and genetics of the hen.

I would think Marek's if she developed another symptom, or if another chicken got it. My adults showed wasting away, except for 2, and my chicks showed more of the paralysis. Just hope for the best right now.