Lame RIR pullet with video (probably malnutrition)

[Sonya9]

Whatever this is...it seems to be progressing FAST. Before she seemed to "voluntarily" curl and roll.

Now it is nearly like she is having seizures, she tries to eat and then suddenly starts curling and rolling violently several times in a row and she even cries out when it happens.

This does NOT look good. I am worried she isn't able to eat/drink properly and I am syringe feeding her water with egg. I am starting to wonder if this bird has been sick all along (even though she looked so happy up until now) and all of the care and supplements and hi cal feedings just delayed the inevitable.

Of course it is the weekend and my vet office is closed.

 

[casportpony]

Hate to say it, I really do, but it looks like Marek's to me.

-Kathy

 

[Sonya9]

Hate to say it, I really do, but it looks like Marek's to me.

-Kathy

Yeah I am thinking there is far more wrong here than simple malnutrition. There is no "definitive" test to diagnose Marek's correct? It is sort of like MS?

She rolls violently now over the littlest excitement, even food. I syringe fed her some water with egg and then gave her a small dose of valium.

After nearly 3 weeks of trying this is very sad, and she is still very alert mentally and talks to me BUT if I pet her or offer her food the violent rolling starts again. I will keep her juiced on valium until Monday when the vet opens.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yeah I am thinking there is far more wrong here than simple malnutrition. There is no "definitive" test to diagnose Marek's correct? It is sort of like MS?

In the link in my previous post, "Great big giant mareks disease faq," it talks about testing for Mareks. Getting a necropsy by the state vet on her if she dies is also a way for testing.

 

[Sonya9]

In the link in my previous post, "Great big giant mareks disease faq," it talks about testing for Mareks. Getting a necropsy by the state vet on her if she dies is also a way for testing.

Thanks. Read the whole article.

Since most of the birds I have came from the same breeder it seems they have already been exposed. Everyone else seems healthy.

Sounds like Mareks is an opportunistic disease and since they told me this RIR was confined too long, and then picked on and starved when put in with the adult flock, it makes sense.

On the upside I bought a lot of poultry supplements (Poultry Booster, Liquid b12, Electrolytes, etc...) so hopefully I can keep everyone's immune system healthy and I won't see any other birds succumb to this problem.

 

[Sonya9]

In the link in my previous post, "Great big giant mareks disease faq," it talks about testing for Mareks. Getting a necropsy by the state vet on her if she dies is also a way for testing.

I am taking her to my vet tomorrow to have her euthanized. Up until now she couldn't move around but she as eating/drinking and very chatty (and I had hope she could recover). Now she is STILL chatty in a sweet social way but she can't eat or drink and it is a struggle even with the syringe. I will give her a heavy dose of valium before the vet visit and stay with her until she passes over.

I will also have him draw blood etc....for testing here at UGA.

I have been suspecting since early on that she wasn't going to get better, I hoped she would but something just didn't seem right. She just wasn't progressing.

 

[sbhkma]

I am so sorry. You worked very hard to help this girl and you gave her a brief quality of life she would not have experienced otherwise. Thanks for all you did for her and continue to do by making the hard choice in her best interest.

 

[Sonya9]

Well I went to the vet. Her body is being shipped to UGA today for testing.

I also called the breeder (certified NPIP breeder) to tell him what was going on. This guy got into breeding "heritage" chickens 3 years ago and now he turns out several hundred chicks a year (many are rare breeds). I went back to him for older pullets because he was certified and my other birds came from him, he knew I was worried about bringing in disease.

Anyway he didn't seem to keen at ALL on having her tested, in fact he was obviously trying to brush off the whole situation. He told me before he has a "closed flock" and then yesterday he said "Well she can't have Mareks...the people I bought her from had her vaccinated". What??? Now he is saying he bought these pullets and they were already vaccinated? He does not vaccinate any of the birds he hatches and sells.

He has a lot of RIR's, including Heritage RIRs. She did not appear to be a heritage bird so why on earth would he be buying regular RIR pullets when he has a bunch and also has a "closed flock"?

I think he did not want me to get her tested. How could a breeder object to that especially when I was paying for it? Why would they object unless they were worried about the results? Instead of being concerned and telling me to please let him know what happens he started getting quiet and wanted to get off the phone asap.

 

[sbhkma]

That is indeed an odd reaction. I'd be suspicious too. Please let us know what the necropsy results show as far as what was wrong with this poor girl?

 

[Sonya9]

My vet called me with the UGA results -- no sign of lesions, no evidence of Marek's based on necropsy results.