Mareks or something else?

[Alex#242]

So I believe one of my breeding flocks has possibly been hit with mareks. Yesterday when I let my silkies into the run I noticed one of the hens did not come out. I found it in the coop laying on its side kicking it’s legs. I immediately brought it into the brooder and put it under a lamp and set it back up. The hen will sit up normal eats and drinks like crazy but doesn’t appear to have any function in one leg. Today I noticed another hen that was in the same run stumbling around and fell down and slowly got picked back up. Both birds are sneezing a lot and both have normal eyes as of now. I tried to pick up some anti biotics yesterday from tractor supply to start treatment if it’s just sinus problems but they didn’t have any. I did give all my flocks rooster booster and they seem to have pepped up some. The silkie in the brooder is very alert but doesn’t move around much. So far I have only observed this in my silkies and none of the other breeds. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

With multiple birds exhibiting the same symptoms I would wonder if they ate something moldy which can cause botulism. Generally Mareks is hit and miss and the birds will continue to decline. I personally would wait and watch and see how it goes.

 

[Alex#242]

It is very possible they have eaten moldy food. I had a bag of chick starter get wet and they have eaten out of it. I inspected the food before I gave them access to it. It felt dry and didn’t appear moldy or wet but maybe it did get moldy. How can I treat botulism.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have no experience treating birds, I believe they need to be flushed. Otherwise some can improve on their own.

@Eggcessive @casportpony @Wyorp Rock any advice?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

silkies..found it in the coop laying on its side kicking it’s legs...hen will sit up normal eats and drinks like crazy but doesn’t appear to have any function in one leg...another hen that was in the same run stumbling around and fell down and slowly got picked back up. Both birds are sneezing a lot and both have normal eyes as of now...It is very possible they have eaten moldy food. I had a bag of chick starter get wet and they have eaten out of it.

Can you take them to a vet?

How old are they?
Do you have a video of their actions?
Pictures of the poop?

A bird that has Botulism (eating rotting animal/plant matter) or even Mycotoxicosis (eating moldy feed) will usually be so sick, they won't be able to eat/drink on their own.

The symptoms are a bit puzzling - sneezing a lot sounds like respiratory infection, but the stumbling, loss of leg function and laying on the side kicking, sounds neurological.

You are also dealing with Silkies, so they seem to be more prone to have neurological problems either from injury, vitamin deficiency or Marek's.

How is the poop? Is it normal, mucousy, loose, etc.? If they are very young and are just now being exposed to soil outside, Coccidiosis is another thought.

Keep them drinking and give them fresh feed. If you can't get any tonight, then offer them some cornmeal made into a mush or wet oatmeal. Make chick grit available free choice.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm afraid it sounds very much like Marek's to me. The respiratory issue will probably be a secondary infection caused by a suppressed immune system due to the Marek's virus. My lame ones usually eat heartily in the early stages and as long as they continue to eat, I offer supportive care, but once they lose interest in food, I euthanize. I've had some recover and be good as new after a few days, others make a significant recovery after weeks or even months of TLC and others decline and die. Those that recover will be prone to further and usually more prolonged attacks at some point in the future.
A good vitamin supplement is probably the best place to start with supportive care. You are looking to support the digestive and immune system. Unfortunately antibiotics will do the opposite and upset the digestive system, so I would recommend you do your best to treat the respiratory symptoms with the likes of VetRX rather than resort to the big guns(antibiotics), unless things get serious. Of course you may decide just to euthanize rather than risk it spreading further. Getting a necropsy would be a good idea if you do lose one.

 

[Alex#242]

I will try to update with more info tomorrow the first bird to show signs is around 17 weeks old. The most recent bird showing signs is 10 months old. Both birds have been outside for a couple months. Im not sure the leg is "paralyzed" because they both seem to react to touch. The poop for the most part looks completely normal.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It is very possible they have eaten moldy food. I had a bag of chick starter get wet and they have eaten out of it. I inspected the food before I gave them access to it. It felt dry and didn’t appear moldy or wet but maybe it did get moldy. How can I treat botulism.

Botulism is not a disease but rather the symptoms associated with the ingestion of botulinum toxin. In fact the botulism bacteria is one of the most common germs on Earth and you and I eat it each and every day and it causes us no problemo. It only becomes a problem when botulism spores hatch and grow in the absence of oxygen that botulinum toxin is produced. As for wet feed, eating feed that previously has been wet can lead to ASPERGILLUS a serious and quiet deadly condition that is not a disease in the same way that botulism is but an infection with mold spores.

I am curious if you feed your birds fermented feed because fermented chicken feed is a playground for the organisms that produces the ASPERGILLUS mold.

Also you can not any longer (as far as I know) buy animal antibiotics over the counter unless you have a prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

There is no treatment for botulism. You either live or you die after you eat it. But I
sort of doubt that you have botulism in your flock because botulism is a broad acting toxin that usually quickly results in total or near total paralysis then death. Supposedly botulism is so deadly that if you dipped your forefinger in a beaker of pure botulism toxin and let it dry, your forefinger would have enough botulism toxin remaining to kill 100,000 humans if they only touched the tip of their tongue to your finger. So be careful about licking strangers' fingers.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/...=10476f0ccc6bd104954c744bbe2485b4&action=view
Aspergillus usually starts in the lungs and the mold travels from there.

 

[rebrascora]

Marek's often just numbs the nerve rather than paralysing the limb, so the bird will often be uncoordinated almost like they are drunk. They will sometimes step on or trip over their own foot or walk on their hock on one side. The falling over and being unable to get back up is common. They seem to get quite frustrated with their inability to coordinate themselves and it becomes worse when they are under pressure. Removing any cause of stress is important.... for example a young randy cockerel is often a trigger for a Marek's outbreak in my experience. !7 weeks is a highly vulnerable age for the disease as hormones are causing physical and psychological changes. The 10 month old may have been carrying the disease for some time and something has just triggered it. Have there been any changes in their flock or pen or management in the last week or so. A young cockerel suddenly harassing them perhaps if they are in small breeding pens maybe with not enough hens to keep him occupied. That is the sort of situation where it rears it's ugly head in my experience or a flock with several young cockerels all coming of age and running amok.

 

[Alex#242]

Just to update everyone the good/bad news is there has been no change good or bad. The bird that was the worst off still cannot stand on its on it just sits and drags itself around. The other bird still can get around but its mobility is still very unbalanced and clumsy.