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

[ochochicas]

My chicken has been laying like this for a couple days now. Could anyone tell me what is wrong and what I could do to help her?

Fordguy - you should start a new thread for your hen. You will get more responses that way. You also could be more specific with her signs of illness. How old is she? Does she lay eggs? Is she still laying? Is she eating/drinking? Is there food in her crop? What do her droppings look like. Any sneezing or nasal discharge? Most birds who are sick will be lethargic and looked "puffed up". It could be anything but we need more info.

 

[lalaland]

There isn't enough info in your post to really say anything - I would suggest you go to the instructional post on the emergencies/diseases/injuries, read it and then make a brand new thread.

That instructional post will tell you to explain lots of details about your hen - how old she is, if you have examined her for lice or mites, if she is willing to eat, if she can stand, if her eyes and nostrils are clear, what her vent looks like, if anyone else in the flock isn't feeling well, if she is laying, if her vent looks nice and pink or pale and puckered, if you have felt to see if she is egg bound, if you have ever wormed her or the flock, what her droppings look like.......

would like to help you but it is as if you posted a pic of your 6 yr old kid and said tommy is sick, help! we just need to know so much more to begin to help.

in general, isolate her, see if you can tempt her to eat, do a thorough exam to see if you see any injury, swelling, mites, lice,.....and post a new post. Hopefully someone will be able to help you. And, by the time we notice something is wrong with a chicken, they are often very ill because they hide their illnesses.

best of luck and keeping my fingers crossed for you

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Fordguy - you should start a new thread for your hen. You will get more responses that way. You also could be more specific with her signs of illness. How old is she? Does she lay eggs? Is she still laying? Is she eating/drinking? Is there food in her crop? What do her droppings look like. Any sneezing or nasal discharge? Most birds who are sick will be lethargic and looked "puffed up". It could be anything but we need more info.

X2. Probably also a good idea to check her for mites/lice and bring her into a warm room, 80-85 degrees is ideal.

-Kathy

 

[seminolewind]

My two sick chickens have been granted some more time to see if they can get better. I'm torn because I have chicks hatching in a week, so I don't want the sick chickens anywhere near the house. We have a back room in the house that we don't use because it has not heated. In a "compromise" the sick chickens are in there now. I've already treated both of them for worms and also with tylan. The younger one had Corid and the older one had oxytetracycline. I will treat the older one with Corid for 5 days and see if that helps. The younger pullet was eating on her own today, so maybe she is feeling better. They have not lost more weight this week.

Meanwhile there is a 3rd pullet (sister to the 4 month old) who sometimes seems slow and puffed up but will be normal the next day. I check her crop daily and she is a good eater. However, she has no meat on her and only weighs 1.8 pounds. I'm thinking she is sick too. Her healthy sisters are around 3 pounds or more. I know I worry too much, but it is so hard to see them sick. It would be better if they would just quickly pass in the middle of the night and not have to suffer or waste away!

If I've learned anything at all through this ordeal, it is to let them go when it is time. There comes a point when it is obvious that they are not going to get better. I need to be the one to make the call and let the chickens go peacefully and not let them suffer anymore. I guess with each one it gets a little easier, but it is still sad.

When I get chicks , and I'm hatching some now, I put them in the least traveled room I have. Right now it's my closet and spare room. Then I "gown" and scrub before I go in for 3 weeks. Then I just scrub to the elbow. Perfect? no, but nothing is. My "going peacefully" is 10-20 ml of vodka tubed and wait an hour. They go to sleep and I can euthanize them. It's still sad.

I've had at least two Marek's chickens suffer with, and then reportedly die from, the neurological form of this disease. Both of them walked backwards and at times even in circles. They would suddenly be that way for a day or two and then just as suddenly, they'd go back to being 'normal'. Another one of mine, a roo, had the ocular form and went blind before he died (he also got bats**t crazy towards the end too) and yet another hen had the severe paralysis form. Currently it appears as if a good number of them are starting to whither away on the vine, leading me to believe that there will be more deaths by wasting and opportunistic diseases (from immuno-suppression) in my not so distant future.

Do you ever get the thought that it's just never going to end? I know I sure do...

-kim-

It never ends, but I feel like it comes in spurts then you get a breather. This year will be hard because I have 8 that are 6-7 years old.

My two sick chickens have been granted some more time to see if they can get better. I'm torn because I have chicks hatching in a week, so I don't want the sick chickens anywhere near the house. We have a back room in the house that we don't use because it has not heated. In a "compromise" the sick chickens are in there now. I've already treated both of them for worms and also with tylan. The younger one had Corid and the older one had oxytetracycline. I will treat the older one with Corid for 5 days and see if that helps. The younger pullet was eating on her own today, so maybe she is feeling better. They have not lost more weight this week.

Meanwhile there is a 3rd pullet (sister to the 4 month old) who sometimes seems slow and puffed up but will be normal the next day. I check her crop daily and she is a good eater. However, she has no meat on her and only weighs 1.8 pounds. I'm thinking she is sick too. Her healthy sisters are around 3 pounds or more. I know I worry too much, but it is so hard to see them sick. It would be better if they would just quickly pass in the middle of the night and not have to suffer or waste away!

If I've learned anything at all through this ordeal, it is to let them go when it is time. There comes a point when it is obvious that they are not going to get better. I need to be the one to make the call and let the chickens go peacefully and not let them suffer anymore. I guess with each one it gets a little easier, but it is still sad.

I've had at least two Marek's chickens suffer with, and then reportedly die from, the neurological form of this disease. Both of them walked backwards and at times even in circles. They would suddenly be that way for a day or two and then just as suddenly, they'd go back to being 'normal'. Another one of mine, a roo, had the ocular form and went blind before he died (he also got bats**t crazy towards the end too) and yet another hen had the severe paralysis form. Currently it appears as if a good number of them are starting to whither away on the vine, leading me to believe that there will be more deaths by wasting and opportunistic diseases (from immuno-suppression) in my not so distant future.

Do you ever get the thought that it's just never going to end? I know I sure do...

-kim-

Quote: Fordguy - you should start a new thread for your hen. You will get more responses that way. You also could be more specific with her signs of illness. How old is she? Does she lay eggs? Is she still laying? Is she eating/drinking? Is there food in her crop? What do her droppings look like. Any sneezing or nasal discharge? Most birds who are sick will be lethargic and looked "puffed up". It could be anything but we need more info.

X2. Probably also a good idea to check her for mites/lice and bring her into a warm room, 80-85 degrees is ideal.

-Kathy

X3

 

[fordguy32]

When I get chicks , and I'm hatching some now, I put them in the least traveled room I have.  Right now it's my closet and spare room.  Then I "gown" and scrub before I go in for 3 weeks.  Then I just scrub to the elbow.  Perfect? no, but nothing is.  My "going peacefully" is 10-20 ml of vodka tubed and wait an hour.  They go to sleep and I can euthanize them.  It's still sad. 



It never ends, but I feel like it comes in spurts then you get a breather.  This year will be hard because I have 8 that are 6-7 years old. 

I would start a new thread but I'm new to this site and I have no idea how too. But the past couple of days she has just layed there and I have to pick her up so she can drink her water and food. I checked her droppings and they seem fine, and the time I've had her (1 week) she hasn't layed any. When I first got her she acted fine but these past couple of days she has just layed there. Also she hasn't been sneezing or anything.




X3

 

[fordguy32]

X2. Probably also a good idea to check her for mites/lice and bring her into a warm room, 80-85 degrees is ideal.

-Kathy

I would start a new thread but I'm new to this site and I have no idea how too. But the past couple of days she has just layed there and I have to pick her up so she can drink her water and food. I checked her droppings and they seem fine, and the time I've had her (1 week) she hasn't layed any. When I first got her she acted fine but these past couple of days she has just layed there. Also she hasn't been sneezing or anything.

 

[lalaland]

ok.

to start a new thread, look at the bottom of the page, under neath the last post that you are reading. there will be a box "post a reply" and right next to that, "start a new thread". Lots of people with a ton of experience read those posts and you will get the most replies there.

Now, you said you have just had her for a few days. Do you have other chickens? If so, be sure to get her the heck out of the coop and run that has the other chickens. You can use a dog kennel, cat carrying case, cardboard box, just about anything. IF she has something contagious, you want to protect your other chickens.

Do you know how to look for mites/lice? THere are some that are easier to see at night - but for right now, pick her up. Try to part the feathers at the back of the neck, and look at the skin. Do the same thing under her wings, and especially around her vent. The vent is the anus/buthole. You want to see pale skin, and smooth feather shafts where the feathers come out from the skin. Look for specks, anything moving, dust, spots on the skin.....those are all signs of mites/lice. Those are parasites and can kill chickens quickly.

If you find them, you can dust her thoroughly with wood ash. IF you don't have that, get out to a garden store for feed store fast and get a pyrethrum dust for her. It will say garden and poultry dust....comes in a tall cardboard cylinder with a shaker

 

[lalaland]

You said you have to pick her up to feed her and give her water. Can she stand on her own? If you put a treat (maybe a small piece of bread, or a piece of red tomato or fruit, or scratch) a little bit in front of her will she move to eat it?

Do you know what a crop is? Can you tell if her crop is full or empty?

When she walks, does she waddle? Is she holding her tail down? Have you tried feeling her belly and seeing if you can feel an egg or lump towards her vent?

 

[fordguy32]

You said you have to pick her up to feed her and give her water.  Can she stand on her own?  If you put a treat (maybe a small piece of bread, or a piece of red tomato or fruit,  or scratch) a little bit in front of her will she move to eat it?

Do you know what a crop is?  Can you tell if her crop is full or empty?

When she walks, does she waddle?  Is she holding her tail down?  Have you tried feeling her belly and seeing if you can feel an egg or lump towards her vent?

I will check her for mite/lice in just a minute, but she will walk but it's very little and she stays real low and then sits back down and lays there, and she keeps her tail down yes

 

[lalaland]

darn it I just replied on phone but it didn't post.
Ok, I'm guessing you might have an eggbound hen. That means just what it sounds like. You are going to give her a nice, warm soak in water. If you have epsom salts, add a cup or so to the water.

You can use your kitchen sink, a big plastic storage tub, whatever. Get towels ready, and a blow dryer for hair if you have one. Put her in - water should be fairly warm but comfortable. Deep enough to cover her vent when she is laying down. You might have to hold her down, but most will settle down soon and relax. Keep her there for 15 - 20 minutes. You might have to add warm water if it starts to cool down, you do not want her to chill. If she starts to pant, she is overheating and you will need to add a bit of cool water.

This is a good time to use your fingers to gently get rid of any poop stuck to her back feathers. Also watch for mites/lice. Key here is you want her relaxed, so move slowly and keep it as calm as you can.

When done, blot her dry with towels - you can wrap her in towel - and then blow dry if you have one, keeping your hand in the airstream so you know if it is too hot on her skin. Then when she is as dry as you can get her, put her somewhere warm and quiet.

Then, google eggbound, and then , start a new thread so we don't drive everyone nuts here who wants to be reading and discussing mareks issues. I hope you report back! it could be something other than eggbound, but it is something to try.
good luck!