Hi there- Our broody chicken successfully hatched chicks on Easter, and was a wonderful mama. After staying in the coop with them for weeks, they finally all came out together. We noticed mama seemed "stiff legged" after sitting around for so long with her chicks. She would flap her wings to walk, and sat around with them in a safe corner most days. This went on for weeks. We finally ended up quarantining her because the chicks were old enough to hold their own in the flock, and still are. Mama bird, however, for the most part, has not. We are keeping her in our garden, and in quarantine at night. This has gone on for almost 2 months. She seemed to be getting better for a while, would even run to us and beg to go lay an egg in the coop for a week straight. Now she's back to being lethargic and laying around. She is very unbalanced when standing. We have done vitamin water daily, added crushed up vitamin B, given daily yogurt, and really nothing is helping. I am not certain it is Marek's, because she has had the walking issue since May, and it is now mid-August. Shouldn't Marek's take her quickly?
You're right, this does not sound like Marek's. It sounds to me like she may have come down with a different, less severe illness. Try giving her electrolytes and apple cider vinegar in her water. Not too much- just a capful works wonders. Keep us updated in case she deteriorates any more.
Here's to hoping you find the cause of her malaise so she may recover to her 'old' self. Best wishes.
True, this doesn't sound like a classic case of Marek's. But, Marek's comes in so many different forms and can strike in many different ways, so its still possible (though hopefully not the case!). I would continue with the vitamins and other supportive care. Is she getting enough to eat? If not, try offering some moistened chicken feed or other favorite treats to encourage her to eat. Make sure that she doesn't get dehydrated either. Since she's survived this long, keep trying! You're doing a good job. If a bird still has a will to live, its hard to cull it. Some birds with Marek's do "recover", though they can succumb later on in life due to internal tumors. You may want to try some natural "remedies" to Marek's Disease. Some people have had success with St. Johns Wort (Hypericum), and Colloidal Silver. There are several threads on using these substances to "treat" Marek's, and you can probably find them by typing in the Backyard Chickens search bar. Good luck!
Thank you! I tried the apple cider vinegar with her water today, will keep doing that. I will also try the St.John's Wort- thanks so much for the replies.
