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

[seminolewind]

Quote:
I was surprised myself when I read that.

 

[ochochicas]

I wanted to post something happy from my flock. This is Kettle Corn (her mom was Popcorn. Popcorn died when Kettle was two weeks old. Out of four chicks she was the only pullet.) Popcorn was an Amber white. Kettle's dad is Ameraucana x Crested cream legbar.

Kettle is the half sister to all my pullets who died this spring from Marek's. She will be six months old on Friday. When she was four months old she had an impacted crop and was very ill. I tubed her for more than a week and massaged her crop trying to break up whatever was stuck in there. I was just about to give up, assuming Marek's had shut down her digestive system and she wasn't going to recover. One morning I checked her and her crop was empty! That was about 6 weeks ago. I weighed her yesterday and she has gone from 1.5 pounds to 3 pounds! I think that despite all the strikes against her, she might be one of the lucky ones that survives. This is absolutely the sweetest pullet I've ever known. I'd be devastated if she didn't make it.

 

[alibabba]

She isn't too interested in eating but the act to tossing scratch seems to trigger her to eat, as does the sight of the rest of the flock nearby eating.

Great point.

I have been noticing the same. Inside, when I sit with them, it revs them up a bit to eat, the sound of food hitting the dish, the sight of it falling down... otherwise they don't seem to do as much eating as normal on their own....

and outside, the other chickens seem to get them more alert and wanting to eat everything. I try to have them out as much as possible, it really perks them up sooo much!

I also moved the cage and let them watch the Big TV one day. Better than nothing, I thought...

 

[lalaland]

I am so frustrated. I got home after dark and the poor little legbar hen had not eaten anything all day. I don't know if she drank anything, there were a few small droppings. She fought me when I put a few dropperfuls of water with the sulfa and electrolytes - I didn't want to leave her all night with nothing.

I've txtd my boss and taken yet another vac day tomorrow so I can try to get food and liquids into her tomorrow. This is probably futile. Its the not knowing if I do more if it could possibly help, but I wanted to try to let sulfa work its magic.


I can give her 3 consecutive days of good care - frequent feeding and liquid. after that, I can't be gone from work more. so she will either make it or not .

****.

 

[alibabba]

I wanted to post something happy from my flock. This is Kettle Corn (her mom was Popcorn. Popcorn died when Kettle was two weeks old. Out of four chicks she was the only pullet.) Popcorn was an Amber white. Kettle's dad is Ameraucana x Crested cream legbar.

She is lovely!!

 

[lalaland]

She is gorgeous!

Hey, this morning I put the legbar out on the grass - she was drinking the water/raindrops off the blades of grass and weeds. Fake biting at the grass, and then actually started eating greens. SHe found the biggest earthworm I have ever seen - it was as thick as her leg and longer ....and she ate the whole thing! After a half hour I brought her back to the wire cage. Tried to tempt her to eat but she wouldn't. I am going to put her back out every so often and I might seed the grass with treats to see if she will eat them that way.

I really hope she turns around.

edited to add: She was picking out the sorrel, so I picked some leaves for her and dropped them in the water dish. She fished them out and then finally decided to drink! So I've repeated that practice hourly, and she is getting the water with the sulf and electrolytes into her at least. You know, sorrel is awfully tiny and it takes a long time to find some in the grass.....

 

[seminolewind]

Quote: Absolutely X2!!!!!!!

 

[seminolewind]

Lalaland, I think there comes a point where we have to decide sink or swim. So far 2 of my patients are still swimming. I hope yours turns around!

 

[lalaland]

Lalaland, I think there comes a point where we have to decide sink or swim. So far 2 of my patients are still swimming. I hope yours turns around!

I know. I just wanted to give the sulf a chance to work.

She at a june bug, some earthworms. some shredded cheese. Maybe a few grains. some sorrel. and a lot of dirt! I've eyedropped the sulfa/electrolyte water. She is skin and bones. Not sure if there is anything to stop the wasting. not interested in eggs, cat food, mash, yogurt. I"m half tempted to go buy some minnows for her.

I will coddle her today and tomorrow. Monday she will be on her own, but I think I will just let her be with the flock rather than keeping her in the cage. She does a lot of scratching in the dirt and eating a bit of grass. Lots of sitting too.

I know she will be shedding more live virus theoretically, but I'm thinking once exposed, you are exposed. let me know if I am wrong. I could set her up in her own coop but think it would be miserable.

 

[ochochicas]

Quote: My birds always do better with a friend (as long as they aren't getting picked on). I think that is the reason my first bird lasted so long. I put the second pullet in with her and they would just hang out together all day long. They were very bonded in the end. I took them together to be necropsied.