Marek's? Hen has elongated pupil, soft stool; was lethargic and off balance.

[HappyHart]

Hi, I have a 1.5 year old Calico Princess hen with Marek's symptoms, but she seems to have improved this week. She still has diarrhea, but seems to have gotten over her lethargy (mostly) and is eating again.

Last week we noticed she was separating herself from the other four hens and couldn't jump up the ramp to the coop one night until the third try. She was only drinking. She would act like she was going to eat, but would let the food drop instead. They all get ordinary 16 to 18% protein layer hen pellets.
It is far to late to separate the flock as they have been together for the entire time, since birth. The others are doing great. This is the only hen that went broody last year, and I believe she has not laid eggs for most of the year. She is smaller than all the other hens, but has been most of her life.
This seems to have come on only since Spring now that they had started eating more 'found' things in the run. They are pretty free-range in a large, fenced in area. Coop is well made, wooden mini barn with play sand floor and roosts.
Does this seem to be Marek's and is it possible for them to have bouts of this and recover more than once?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Marek's is a good bet. Do you know if she was vaccinated?

This looks like the beginnings of the ocular form. There are several types that attack different parts of the bird, and if vaccinated or not and the age and condition of the bird, I think you will see ups and downs as the disease progresses.

There is a blood test that can be done, you send in a sample and pay a fee. Otherwise a necropsey can diagnose it. Marek's is so common and can be brought in by wild birds, the wind, your shoes... that I just assume exposure and keep a closed flock.

I had an old hen die earlier this year with the ocular form. I noticed months before that one of her eyes was the usual amber color while the other was pale yellow. I didn't realize what it was at the time, but several months later it was obvious and she died from it. No others have any signs, but I think the rest of the flock had been vaccinated.

You noticed it early. Make sure she is getting enough to eat and drink. Once they start having problems, the rest of the flocks starts to push them out and away from the food.

Let us know how it's going.

 

[HappyHart]

Marek's is a good bet. Do you know if she was vaccinated?

This looks like the beginnings of the ocular form. There are several types that attack different parts of the bird, and if vaccinated or not and the age and condition of the bird, I think you will see ups and downs as the disease progresses.

There is a blood test that can be done, you send in a sample and pay a fee. Otherwise a necropsey can diagnose it. Marek's is so common and can be brought in by wild birds, the wind, your shoes... that I just assume exposure and keep a closed flock.

I had an old hen die earlier this year with the ocular form. I noticed months before that one of her eyes was the usual amber color while the other was pale yellow. I didn't realize what it was at the time, but several months later it was obvious and she died from it. No others have any signs, but I think the rest of the flock had been vaccinated.

You noticed it early. Make sure she is getting enough to eat and drink. Once they start having problems, the rest of the flocks starts to push them out and away from the food.

Let us know how it's going.

It is possible that they were vaccinated. Purchased from an Ace Hardware, but open to the public for a few weeks before I got them. I don't think this breed is very resistant to disease, as I lost one over a year ago from the same group. Could have been the same thing. She's eating again and seems more energetic.