newbiechickenmamma11
Chirping
Last night my favourite hen was euthanised at the vet, but I wanted to post here to hear your opinions on what was going on, so I know what to do in the future in case any other flock members show similar symptoms.
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My hen was a 10 months old araucana, who just started laying approx 2 months ago. I got her as a day old chick and I thought she had been vaccinated for mareks but after talking to the seller last night she seemed confused so I'm not sure whether or not she was vaccinated anymore. She was at the bottom of the pecking order, and now and again had some crop issues where it didn't always empty fully overnight. Not sure if this tidbit is related, but I always thought she was probably the weakest out of the lot, if something was to happen.
**
Her onset of symptoms was extremely acute and sudden which is what's perplexed me.
Yesterday during the day, she was acting completely fine. I have a chicken camera in the run and saw that around 5.10pm she may have started walking less. 5.20pm she started sitting down like she couldn't move her legs. 5.50pm-ish is when I found her sitting down. I picked her up, and saw that her left leg was pointed straight backwards, but her right leg seemed to be fine. If I placed her to stand up, she would fall back down because of this.
I quickly brought her inside and noticed that she was also gasping/panting for air. I felt her neck area and *feel* like I felt a little tiny ball there and wondered if she had choked on something (this bit I forgot to mention to the vet). When I tried to massage that down or up, it kinda made a burpy sound like as if it was an air bubble. Or maybe it just made her breathing worse so I didn't do that anymore. I gave her some water and olive oil and she would drink it, but continued to gasp heavily.
As I was waiting to be driven to the emergency vet (6.15pm~), I noticed when I placed her down, both her legs no longer worked / were paralysed. They were stiff and straight and would point back.
At the emergency vet (who sees chickens but does not specialise in them), they said it was most likely mareks disease and recommended putting her down. They also said she was running a fever at 42C~ (107.6F). So, I sadly had her put to sleep.
**
Coming home now and reading the chicken forums, I'm confused if it was mareks or not, because she didn't have the classic mareks stance (one leg forward one leg back - she did start like this but it quickly became both legs back). I'm also wondering if she may have had botulism, which seems to have very similar symptoms, and could have been treatable? Though perhaps she was too far gone given the gasping? Or could it have been something else?
No other chickens are currently showing symptoms. They are all the same age - 10 months old. 5 are vaccinated against mareks at hatch, and 2 remaining who are unclear whether vaccinated or not. I will be cleaning the entire run and coop out today regardless, though I run a deep litter system so I don't think I can ever fully sanitise it.
I haven't had great experiences in the past with vets seeing my chickens (and have often been told incorrect information in the past) and you guys have been so knowledgeable and such a great help in my backyard chicken journey, so I wanted to check her your thoughts, so I can better prepare going forward.
I have attached a photo if it helps. Rest in peace dear girl.
Thank you so much.
**
My hen was a 10 months old araucana, who just started laying approx 2 months ago. I got her as a day old chick and I thought she had been vaccinated for mareks but after talking to the seller last night she seemed confused so I'm not sure whether or not she was vaccinated anymore. She was at the bottom of the pecking order, and now and again had some crop issues where it didn't always empty fully overnight. Not sure if this tidbit is related, but I always thought she was probably the weakest out of the lot, if something was to happen.
**
Her onset of symptoms was extremely acute and sudden which is what's perplexed me.
Yesterday during the day, she was acting completely fine. I have a chicken camera in the run and saw that around 5.10pm she may have started walking less. 5.20pm she started sitting down like she couldn't move her legs. 5.50pm-ish is when I found her sitting down. I picked her up, and saw that her left leg was pointed straight backwards, but her right leg seemed to be fine. If I placed her to stand up, she would fall back down because of this.
I quickly brought her inside and noticed that she was also gasping/panting for air. I felt her neck area and *feel* like I felt a little tiny ball there and wondered if she had choked on something (this bit I forgot to mention to the vet). When I tried to massage that down or up, it kinda made a burpy sound like as if it was an air bubble. Or maybe it just made her breathing worse so I didn't do that anymore. I gave her some water and olive oil and she would drink it, but continued to gasp heavily.
As I was waiting to be driven to the emergency vet (6.15pm~), I noticed when I placed her down, both her legs no longer worked / were paralysed. They were stiff and straight and would point back.
At the emergency vet (who sees chickens but does not specialise in them), they said it was most likely mareks disease and recommended putting her down. They also said she was running a fever at 42C~ (107.6F). So, I sadly had her put to sleep.
**
Coming home now and reading the chicken forums, I'm confused if it was mareks or not, because she didn't have the classic mareks stance (one leg forward one leg back - she did start like this but it quickly became both legs back). I'm also wondering if she may have had botulism, which seems to have very similar symptoms, and could have been treatable? Though perhaps she was too far gone given the gasping? Or could it have been something else?
No other chickens are currently showing symptoms. They are all the same age - 10 months old. 5 are vaccinated against mareks at hatch, and 2 remaining who are unclear whether vaccinated or not. I will be cleaning the entire run and coop out today regardless, though I run a deep litter system so I don't think I can ever fully sanitise it.
I haven't had great experiences in the past with vets seeing my chickens (and have often been told incorrect information in the past) and you guys have been so knowledgeable and such a great help in my backyard chicken journey, so I wanted to check her your thoughts, so I can better prepare going forward.
I have attached a photo if it helps. Rest in peace dear girl.
Thank you so much.
if she was gasping for air would she have been too far gone? The whole thing progressed so quickly within 1 hour. 
