Marek's??

[#lovemygirls]

I have been reading article after article for a week now. I know there are no rules with Marek's, but I am hoping someone can give some advice from experience! My sweetest chicken feel from her roost last Thursday night. I heard her fall and Noticed she was hopping on her leg. She flew back up and I assumed she would be okay. The next day she couldn't walk on her leg. She stopped eating. She will only eat small quanties after I have tried everything in the kitchen! I have to make her drink with a dropper. Her poop is green and has been for 5 days now. She can hop and she can move her toes on her bad leg. She can control her leg, it's not stuck out in any direction. She just refuses to put pressure on it. I have felt all of her leg and cannot feel any breaks or injuries. These were my first girls and have never been vaccinated for anything. They are all about 23 weeks old. She was 22 when this started. I bought them from the TSC and they were direct mailed to me. They have not been exposed to any other birds except the ones in the coop. No one else has any symptoms or any issues. Has anyone else had similar experiences or any advice? I have not been able to find a local vet that sees chickens. If it were Meraks, would she be able to move her toes??

 

[Abriana]

Welcome to BYC!
It is possible that she injured her leg when she fell. I'm praying that that is what it is and not Mareks!
Even if your flock has not been exposed to other birds, Mareks can travel for miles through the wind and if you walked somewhere with your boots where someone else walked with Mareks on their boots, and then you walk in your chicken yard, they can get it that way too. I don't think it is Mareks though, I think she just hurt her leg when she fell. Just to be safe, separate her until she gets better.

 

[#lovemygirls]

Thank you, Abriana!
It is possible and I am really hoping that is what she has done!

 

[seminolewind]

lovemygirls, one thing I've learned in 8 years of Marek's is Always treat for other possibilities. If you question a broken leg, treat for a broken leg .

Marek's exposure whether vaccinated or not causes immunosuppression, which means your birds can be prone to get sick from common bacteria that usually would not normally affect them. Such as Strep, E.coli, Aspergillosis (fungal), staph, Coccidiosis, eye infections, Clostridia, and others. I've learned that if they may die anyway I have nothing to lose by treating them with everything I have on hand. So at home I have some of these. Sulfadimethoxine, (or Corid) Tylan, LS-50 , Penicillin. Coccidiosis in adults is common.

My first bird's broken leg was real, and one more was. The rest had broken legs that were not, followed by lack of aim (pecking at food but not picking it up).
My first true victim started with inability to stand, the paralysis crept it's way up until he couldn't balance his body, wings, or neck. He developed a cloudy gray eye. He could not aim at the food. The vet euthanized him and said he did not have Marek's!.
When I realized I had it, months later, I had 10 chicks just turned 6 weeks. One developed a broken leg. Then another. On the third one I realized it was Marek's. I lost all 10.

 

[#lovemygirls]

It has been 3 1/2 weeks now and she is still the same. She has started eating a small amount and drinking on her own. She is still separated from the others. She does not have any additional symptoms at this time. Her leg does not seem better. I am fairly certain it is hurt somewhere, but I do not know where. I have felt and I cannot feel any difference between her legs. I wonder if it may be disclocated. She can move her leg and toes, but refuses to put any pressure on the leg. I wish I could just fix it :-( she is still her sweet self! My other chickens all seem fine at this time too.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

As much as it may pain you to hear this, remember that chickens are flock animals who live and die by the cruel dictates of the pecking order. I don't see any way that this pullet can lead a normal life in the presence of other chickens.

1. Don't beat yourself up. Marek's is everywhere in a chickens' environment and most wild bird species are prime sources of Marek's Disease. Therefor the dangers associated with free ranging also includes Marek's as well as hungry predators.

2. Marek's is a form of herpes that manifests itself as cancer in what ever organ of a chicken's body the Marek's virus settles in.

3. Marek's is for ever more incurable and any bird that survives becomes a Marek's carrier for life. Therefor you are not helping your healthy birds little less those birds yet un-hatched by treating a Marek's victim.

4. Because Marek's Disease is caused by a virus as opposed to a bacteria there is NO antibiotic that will successfully treat it.

5. Even vaccinations for Marek's Disease are problematic because there are 7 or more major types of Marek's viruses and each and every one requires its own vaccine.

I could continue but I won't.

 

[Leihamarie]

It has been 3 1/2 weeks now and she is still the same. She has started eating a small amount and drinking on her own. She is still separated from the others. She does not have any additional symptoms at this time. Her leg does not seem better. I am fairly certain it is hurt somewhere, but I do not know where. I have felt and I cannot feel any difference between her legs. I wonder if it may be disclocated. She can move her leg and toes, but refuses to put any pressure on the leg. I wish I could just fix it :-( she is still her sweet self! My other chickens all seem fine at this time too.

I'm so sorry to hear about your girl. The good news is that this doesn't sound like Marek's. In my experience, once a chicken shows symptoms of Marek's, they're gone within 10 days. This sounds like an injury that she was in shock from which caused her to go off food and water. I'm not a vet, but I do know Marek's, as I've been dealing with the Visceral form for a year now. I hope your girl continues to improve. If it's a sprain or an injury, it can take quite a while to heal. If it's a dislocation, it needs to be put right before she can heal, but I don't know about that. I don't have experience (yet) with breaks/dislocations/sprains. My thoughts are with you. Please keep us posted on her progress!