Not Again!!! Please Help!!! ASAP

[bantam0907]

Last fall i lost my two show birds to marecks disease so i cleaned the coop like crazy and got all new things in it, used animal safe disinfectant the whole nine yards. I waited til this summer to try and get a couple more show birds, and i got a silkie roo who ws vaccinated against marecks and i was going to get a hen but one of my friends needed to rehome a little cross hen and i just fell in love so i took her in, long story short i noticed her limping and its just getting progressivly worse... im terrified its marecks again because of the paralysis and leg positioning but then again shes not lethargic and acts completly normal with appetite and such... But it looks so much like mrecks to me im not sure, im hoping maybe she just hurt her leg somehow? Please any suggestions or comments would be grreatly appreciated...

Sorry the pics are dark i took them last night...

Then what has me hopeful that maybe she just hurt her leg: the first pic is her leg that is fine, it looks normal. But in tthe second picture you can see some bruising...
NORMAL LEG...

BRUISED LEG...

 

[georgeandmildredgoose]

i guess you have isolated her? how awful for you to be in another stressful situation. as you know there are lots of reasons a hen can be lame. you may have to wait and see if further symptoms develop, or if in fact she gets better. i hope she gets better soon.

 

[flashover1969]

Hi Bantam,
When your show birds died you said it was from Marek's disease? Just curious, but was this discovered by a necropsy? I ask because there are other illnesses/toxins/diseases that can cause leg problems with poultry.

I'm sorry to hear that your having troubles like this and you have my sympathy.

 

[georgeandmildredgoose]

hi bantam, hows it going?

 

[seminolewind]

I agree with Flash, the only way to know for sure is a necropsy done by a lab. She looks as tho she has that classical Marek's pose. With your flock history, it sounds like it.

 

[bantam0907]

I didnt have a necropsy done but i talked to my old 4-H leader and she was pretty sure thats what he died from so im not 100% thats what it was... Loretta (the sick hen) is still alive, she cant walk but is still really active... She uses her wings to move around and she has a good apetite still and clucks all the time. I did notice her right eye is swelling slightly. other then that she acts like she is completly fine! I have no idea but Merle (the roo) and i will be heartbroken if anything happens to her. I know i should probably put her down but I just cant do it if she is still active and theres any chance of her getting better.. and i know some people will fuss at me but unless she starts becoming lathargic and losing her apetite etc im not going to put her down.

 

[KandiandJerry]

Sorry to hear this and wish you all the luck with her....so sorry....

 

[seminolewind]

Mine all acted normal aside from their symptoms. They always looked like they were eating when in fact they were wasting. And I'm learning that Marek's symptoms can be varied quite alot by which areas are being affected first. It's like the virus is not choosy where to start. With your history, and a hen from another flock, it's likely that the hen has Marek's and I hope your roo gets by.

It's harder to tell when it's only one chicken. But your hen looks like she has the classic pose. And could that bruise or sore have developed by the way she gets around?