Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[seminolewind]

Love the names, Casportpony! I've seen a lot of drunken/curly toe marek's. My current afflicted one has a strange symptom - like I tried to describe, she can't connect with her food - her aim is off, but she keeps trying. Her head also wobbles around as she concentrates between pecks, and it reminds me of Katherine Hepburn in her later years, "On Golden Pond" (sorry to make that connection - I'm not sure what the issue was with her, having seen the movie when I was pretty young).
I also refer to Marek's as "cherpes" or "chirpies", since they say it's a form of herpes virus!

ANYWAY, SEMI GOOD NEWS! There's some improvement, and I think she's regaining some use of her bad leg! What I've been doing is dissolving this Hypericum Perforatum, 30x tablets, in, in water and soaking bread in it to feed her. I had used it with vitamin B dissolvable tablets with my EE that recovered (she never had the limp, but some similar weird symptoms where her pecking aim was off). I didn't have any of the b vitamin tabs yesterday, so I used part of a dissolving "airborne" vitamin tablet. Today I bought more vitamin b , so she's getting that. Her sister is getting the same treatment - she has no symptoms, except I noticed a runny nose, but she's sitting and/or sleeping a LOT. I also have them separated to cut back on stress. Today it got cold and windy, so they are inside with me. Earlier the bad-leg hen was marching around the house squawking, still limping and slow, but seems to actually be using her bad foot.

Somewhere earlier in this thread I read what seemed like good advice - important things to consider is whether they're getting food, water and warmth, and to reduce stress. I think that maybe the lack of these basic things as they start to go downhill maybe finishes them in?
It's a major pain in the butt to have them pooping all over my dining room (the floors are unfinished, but still it's a lot of paper towel clean up!), but I really hope I can save them. I haven't ordered the vaccine yet - I'm in CA, so Twin cities charges $30 extra shipping charge for 2 days. It's a lot to pay when the majority of info says it's too late.

How's she doing?

 

[BigECarter]

These are two of my survivors. Nosey Rosie (rhodebar) and Apollo (who started out as Athena). Apollo (lav orp) rarely crows and gets tired easily. We have never seen him try to mate. But he is growing and seems happy. Neither of the hens is laying, otherwise they seem fine. Busy and active.

 

[Nambroth]

No, they don't have Marek's..or any other disease. I live at the base of a mountain with lots of other birds and wildlife..Preventative measures work the best and it keeps them REALLY healthy and thriving!

That essentially describes my living situation too, but Marek's was still introduced. I am VERY much an advocate of keeping birds healthy and stress-free as a way to prevent disease, but it is a different ballgame with Marek's as it is a herpesvirus. Of course anything we do to make sure our birds immune systems stay in top shape is great, but it requires a LOT of research into holistic preventatives, because some over time can actually suppress immune systems. I greatly encourage anyone that wants to try these methods to really look into them first. It is VERY IMPORTANT to note that avian systems have evolved separately from mammalian ones (like ours or our common pets, cats and dogs) for many millions of years, and that many alternative medicines (and pharmaceuticals for that matter!!) are untested on avians. Their bodies are not the same as ours.

where do you get hemp oil? another person posted regarding the st. john wort but the admins don't want this thread to turn into st. johns wort. I might pm you

I'm not an admin, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was! I just think that the St. John's Wort discussion will have a better chance in the thread dedicated to it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/135247/st-johns-wort
By all means try it, and report your experiences with it. I tried everything under the sun to save my rooster and I wouldn't ever tell someone not to if they wanted to! I just haven't seen any proof of it working in confirmed Marek's infected birds.

Thanks for sharing. But it got me real choked up. It seems that she was growing tumors everywhere. I guess she hung on for a long time.

I wanted to let you know that this varies from chicken to chicken, but often the lymphomas are very fast growing and aggressive. My bird went from having a tiny growth to being riddled inside within a week. It was reassuring knowing he wasn't 'silently suffering' for a long time with the tumors. They can be very fast, very aggressive.

 

[ranchokelly]

Thanks for asking, Seminole, and the advice. It hadn't occured to me to cover her head - maybe that will work. The last time I managed to get a friend to do the chopping, while I held the bird. Still traumatic, but I looked away. That friend isn't around now, and unfortunately I just don't have anyone I know willing to do it.
The vaccine is supposed to come today, but she seems to be getting worse. She still eats and makes noise (she's a noisy one), but can't get around. She tends to get a leg stuck sticking out in front or behind her, or sometimes both in a split, and flaps frantically to right herself. It's so hard to know if she's suffering. Shes sitting on my lap now, enjoying getting petted. I have her sister inside as well, and she spends most of her time sleeping, but can walk and has a healthy appetite. At least they've had each other so far - if one doesn't make it , I worry about the other one being lonely and facing the rest of the flock. When I had the last one inside for weeks healing, it was terrible trying to get her back in with the others without getting pecked! She still keeps to herself.
Anyway - I guess I'll give them the vaccine if/when I get it today and wait for the miracle!

 

[ranchokelly]

Big E, your lavender rooster is amazing!! I want one!
Here's a photo of my sick girls. They're both mutts - one a buff orpington mixed with a barred rock mutt (he may have been part EE - she has a really strange comb), the other looks mostly like her black australorp mother with some pretty red feathers from her red rooster grandfather - who brought in the Marek's!
They're both sweet and beautiful to me!

 

[katie1015]

ello I have an 18 week old marans hen and she seems to be acting weird. She has always been a loner and stays away from the others. Lately she has been getting worse. It seems like she can't support herself anymore. She is very wobbly. Is she sick? Or could it be a birth defect?

 

[Nambroth]

Big E, your lavender rooster is amazing!! I want one!
Here's a photo of my sick girls. They're both mutts - one a buff orpington mixed with a barred rock mutt (he may have been part EE - she has a really strange comb), the other looks mostly like her black australorp mother with some pretty red feathers from her red rooster grandfather - who brought in the Marek's!
They're both sweet and beautiful to me!

Poor sweet girls.They are lovely. I do hope they recover for you!

 

[schnebbles]

my poor silkie with mareks is so rumbly sounding, like a cold. I've given her tylan and she just sounds so congested. I steamed her and another one one night in the bathroom but it didn't really help. What can I do? anything?

VetRx doesn't do much either. I haven't given it to her orally, should I try that?

 

[BigECarter]

ello I have an 18 week old marans hen and she seems to be acting weird. She has always been a loner and stays away from the others. Lately she has been getting worse. It seems like she can't support herself anymore. She is very wobbly. Is she sick? Or could it be a birth defect?

Hi Katie. I suggest you add a new post in this folder (Emergencies/Diseases/Injuries and Cures). Follow these instructions: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/3569/have-an-emergency-disease-please-read-first. The answers to those questions will help to better diagnose your bird. Keep in mind that diagnosing a sick hen is difficult in person, and that much harder over the internet. Hopefully you will get some good advice.

Poor sweet girls.They are lovely. I do hope they recover for you!

x2.

 

[ranchokelly]

Just a note to vaccine buyers - I don't recommend Twin Cities poultry supply. I paid $30 for over night shipping, emailed to see if I would get it the next day - no answer.(actually I got an answer, but it didn't answer when it would be delivered, and my response asking for that one piece of info didn't get a response). And I didn't get it next day.
I emailed for this info because I'm going out of town tomorrow, and so if/when it's delivered, it will sit in the sun and probably go bad, a $50 waste (it must be refrigerated) .
http://www.jefferspet.com has a breakdown of vaccine ship times - I should have ordered with them, but twin cities was a little cheaper.
Live and learn.