Marek survivor? or something else?

[CFCDD]

Midnight our little black bantam 1.5 years old took ill 3 weeks ago. She has what i think is a slight paralysis in her wing and can no longer jump or get back into the coop with has a ladder. There is a slight improvement but nothing major.She eats well and drinks the multi vitamin i got her. She's a bit skinny but she went through a heavy moult. She's isolated but is now pining for the rest of them. She lays no eggs but i am happy enough with that.( i have a flock of five)
Could she have survived Marek's or am i just waiting to see if any tumours develop.I cannot keep her isolated forever. I told myself is she was not eating or drinking i would do the decent thing but every day i go to check on her she comes out to see me and seems ok but much slower than the rest. I got her a little on the ground rabbit hutch with a enclosed run and a little box and at night she puts herself to bed it's kinda sweet. If it was a vitamin thing it would have sorted itself by now i feel? Does anyone else have a survivor left with partial paralysis.? she can walk but not run.I have railway sleepers in the garden and she cannot jump on them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated these are my first chucks.

 

[azygous]

She's survived something, but maybe not necessarily Marek's. Are you give her vitamin E and selenium and B-complex?

Her symptoms, besides being typical of Marek's, can be from other avian viruses and from something toxic such as fluids from machinery contaminating soil where she picked up grit.

 

[CFCDD]

She's survived something, but maybe not necessarily Marek's. Are you give her vitamin E and selenium and B-complex?

Her symptoms, besides being typical of Marek's, can be from other avian viruses and from something toxic such as fluids from machinery contaminating soil where she picked up grit.

Thanks i have her on a multi vitamin would that be OK or do i buy those capsules and pour them on her foods? Its an urban garden & don't use any chemicals in it so contaminated soil is probably not the cause.she is the one that seems to get everything she has sour crop, attacked by a dog, scaly leg mites. Is it common that one bird gets bloody everything that's going?

 

[rebrascora]

I have certainly had birds that have survived Marek's attacks and although they will always be prone to future attacks, they can have a good quality of life for weeks, months or even years in between. I have had some that were completely nest bound unable to support themselves for weeks on end but would not give in to the disease, eventually make it back to free ranging with the flock, albeit with a bit of a limp. Some completely recovered from an outbreak in a matter of days, so that you could not even tell they have the disease.
It is entirely possible that your girl has survived an attack. Could it have been the dog attack that triggered the Marek's outbreak? How close together were they? Usually Marek's is triggered by a stressor. The disease supresses the immune system, so Marek's birds are prone to all sorts of ailments and parasites that they should have resistance to and therefore her constant health issues may be another indication that it is the problem. Are the others picking on her at all? If not, I would return her to the flock. Isolation just depresses them and that means their bodies are less able to fight the disease. Maybe just left her into the coop at night if she cannot manage the ramp. If she is tripping on her feathers as I have had some do with dropped wings, you can trim the feathers which can make a big difference. Supporting her immune system with a good poultry supplement (Do you have Nettex Nutri Drops in Ireland?) may help and perhaps a probiotic or fermented feed to improve the health of her digestive tract.
Good luck with her

 

[CFCDD]

thank you so much , the dog attack was last year, the isolation yoke is separate to the main coop but i feel she could go back with the rest now. I had her the other end of the garden isolated and to be honest i thought she was more stressed with that.I can move her little isolation yoke into the main fenced area so that way she can sleep by herself. The others are not picking on her at all ( she was a senior ranking hen anyway) the cock seems very protective of her still. I have a poultry supplement in her water at present.I will let time tell. one of her wings slightly drags but not to the point that it is hitting the ground.I am hoping for chicks in the next few weeks if it was Merek's at least i know what to look for.Thanks again.

 

[rebrascora]

It sounds like a good compromise to put her little coop in the run so that she has company through the day at least. I hope she pulls out of it and that you are able to raise chicks without issue.
I have a broody who had a Marek's episode 6 months ago due to hatch chicks this weekend. I have lost the odd youngster to it here and there and occasionally an older bird but I've lost far more to predators, so I think it is important to keep things in perspective.

 

[CFCDD]

yes she will retire with her little quirky injuries and she will definitely be happier nearer the others. i free ranged her with the others and they were all fine in the last few days. she's a tough little nut all the same.thanks for the support. The chicks if i am lucky enough to hatch at all will either get it or not and no amount of me stressing out about it will make any bloody difference.