- Jan 5, 2012
- 10
- 2
- 79
I know there has been some discussion of Mareks Disease, because I have read quite a bit of it. Unfortunately it has shown up in my flock. I have an 8 month old Americana cross, that I got as a chick this June, along with five others. I have a mixed flock of 16, including two roosters. One of the Americanas never quite got as large as the others. Last week (it has been very cold, then very warm, then very cold again--50 degree swings) I noticed her limping. She'd wobble and stick out her wing to not fall over. Within two days she was lying on the floor of the coop, immobile, but not dead. I brought her into the house, in a plastic tub with bedding. I force fed her (figuring it couldn't hurt) a mixture of colloidal silver and water at first, then as she perked up, colloidal silver mixed with "emergen-C" vitamin powder. For two days she lay on her side, then moved to lying on her breast, then spent yesterday standing up. After the first two days she started eating again. As she was crawling with lice I also treated her with topical Ivermectin and D.E.
Today I moved her back to the flock. She is wobbly on her legs, but can run around and fly. However, she is closing one eye now, and pecks at her food several times before finding it (I read about Marek's impairing vision). Tomorrow I will probably bring her back in the house and continue the nursing treatment. Her recovery was remarkable...but everything I read about Marek's says to cull the bird (I have not done this yet, and for various reasons would find it very difficult to do). Also, I am getting mixed messages on the forums. Many say your flock is over if you have a bird with Marek's, many others say all birds are exposed to Marek's. All my other birds are healthy (so far). I gave the flock the choice of colloidal silver and vitamin laced water v. plain water today and they all drank up the doctored water. I have found colloidal silver remarkable in treating eye infections and runny noses. Anyway, is this bird hopeless? Would she be full of tumors? What about the rest of my flock? They are for the most part laying nicely, despite it being winter.
Thanks for your input...
Today I moved her back to the flock. She is wobbly on her legs, but can run around and fly. However, she is closing one eye now, and pecks at her food several times before finding it (I read about Marek's impairing vision). Tomorrow I will probably bring her back in the house and continue the nursing treatment. Her recovery was remarkable...but everything I read about Marek's says to cull the bird (I have not done this yet, and for various reasons would find it very difficult to do). Also, I am getting mixed messages on the forums. Many say your flock is over if you have a bird with Marek's, many others say all birds are exposed to Marek's. All my other birds are healthy (so far). I gave the flock the choice of colloidal silver and vitamin laced water v. plain water today and they all drank up the doctored water. I have found colloidal silver remarkable in treating eye infections and runny noses. Anyway, is this bird hopeless? Would she be full of tumors? What about the rest of my flock? They are for the most part laying nicely, despite it being winter.
Thanks for your input...