Lumps/cysts developing all over chicken’s head and neck! Help!

[Iriskandi]

I’m going to post pictures tonight after work. I’m going to separate at least her and her sister into another brooder and completely clean out and rebed everything. I have to look for an avian vet. But probably the earliest I can ER her in is Tuesday when my boyfriend has a day off. I don’t think I will be able to get an appointment any sooner since we both work M-F.

 

[Iriskandi]

I’m sorry. I am having trouble not melting completely down. I am looking at pictures that I finally found on the skin version of the disease. And I am nearly certain she has it. The birds I have her with were ones that were underweight. I live in Ohio and wanted to put more weight on before taking them back out. Now I feel like I have killed all of them. I am afraid of putting a couple of them back out with my flock now that they seemed to have put on weight.

I am just sick with feeling like I have killed these birds.

 

[Iriskandi]

Here is an updated photo. Everyone inside is less interested in eating than normal. Everyone has an empty crop.

I saw a thread about someone dealing with Mareks in their flock and plan to copy their feeding schedule. I’m just going to try to support everyone’s immune system as possible. I’m in it for the long haul.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Aww poor girl. I hope she pulls through.

 

[casportpony]

Here is an updated photo. Everyone inside is less interested in eating than normal. Everyone has an empty crop.

I saw a thread about someone dealing with Mareks in their flock and plan to copy their feeding schedule. I’m just going to try to support everyone’s immune system as possible. I’m in it for the long haul.

Check her entire body for more. If you find them elsewhere it is probably Marek's, but if you don't, I still think it could be pox.

 

[Iriskandi]

They run down her neck at the very least. When I last completely inspected, I want to say that I felt lumps elsewhere. But I thought they were new feathers coming in. She has shed a lot of feathers. I will give a better inspection tonight. I am nearly certain it’s Mareks. I lost a hen about a month ago to suspected but not confirmed Mareks. I honestly don’t know what that hen had. She couldn’t stand. Her legs worked when I held her. Trust me. She liked to kick when she was frustrated with me... but I think back to a couple of my mysterious deaths and think that Mareks may have been in the mix.

Ultimately I’m not 100%, but it appears that neither disease has a specific treatment. And I am going to assume the worst case. I’m gathering together supplies tonight based off the recent thread I saw from a user maintaining their Mareks flock. It’s all immune boosting sorts of things, which will help in general for my inside and outside birds.

I can’t find a lot of information on the skin form of this disease. The one thing I read was that birds were slightly more likely to recover from it. I am wondering if diluted iodine on her lesions will help.

My biggest concern this morning was that no one inside seemed too interested in eating. No one looks depressed per se. But no one ran to food this morning. Empty crops too.

I don’t know what else to do at this point besides attempting to make everyone’s immune system strong.