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

[KAT Bird]

Thank You All So Very Much !!!

Your heart felt sympathies are one of the many reasons I enjoy this site so much. It's my opinion that you just can't know how it feels to lose a chicken unless you have a chicken of your own to love!
So Thanks Again BYC for brightening an otherwise dismal day!
**Note: Aloe is still with us as of right now, but I don't think he'll be here long. So sad.**
Thanks.

Sorry to hear about what you are going through. Glad you decided to post. We are all here for education and support. Keep us posted on your birds.

 

[mightymax]

MY LOVING ALOE




Well, I can't find Aloe !!! Today's the second full day since he 'disappeared'. I'm so sad, my eyes are no longer blue, they're red from crying. I really think that he went away to die! Here's the story from the beginning...
About a week and a half ago, I went out early in the morning to let the chickens out just like I always have and noticed that my little roo Aloe was looking pretty haggard. He, like the rest of my flock, has been exposed to Marek's and I knew that he hadn't been feeling like himself lately but didn't think too much more about it as I went about my morning routine of feeding and watering all our animals. An hour or so later I heard the geese going off about something or other over by the chicken coop and I took off as fast as I could in their direction. I arrived to find that Aloe (who had been blinded by Marek's) had somehow gotten himself 'stuck' between a fence post and an empty bucket. I say 'stuck' because a sighted chicken could have figured out how to get out of the situation but since Aloe couldn't see very well, if at all, every little cause for concern turned him into a monumental bundle of nerves. I waited until things quieted down, and then I returned to my chores. Later that morning I went to check on how everybody was doing and couldn't find Aloe. I hunted and searched for a solid 2 hours and then again off and on throughout the day, and still no Aloe. I went to bed crying that night. Then in the morning when I went to let the chickens out, there he was. No worse for wear! I have no idea where he went or how he escaped my (and my family's) detection as we were looking for him and calling his name the entire day previous, but he obviously did because there he stood right in front of me. I was so happy to see him again that I vowed never to let him free range again. He was just too fragile. Well that idea didn't last long. I put him in our huge enclosed dog kennel for the next few days. I would take him there in the mornings and then return him to the coop at night so he could sleep with his friends, but I could tell that he was getting more and more depressed. Finally I decided to just let him live his life (however long or short it may be) like he always had before...free to roam our property.
Things were fine for a week. And then this past Wednesday, he disappeared AGAIN !!! Only this time he hasn't come back. It's been two days (and nights) now and I'm still holding out hope for his safe return. I go out at night armed with a flashlight and call his name hoping he'll hear me, but something inside tells me that my little boy Aloe won't be coming home this time.

 

[JeanR]

So very sad. Marek's is dreadful. After learning about it, 14 years ago, I have vaccinated every chick at hatch since then. The few birds I have purchased, had to be vaccinated or I would not accept them. Hatcheries charge just a little more to vaccinate at hatch, and while it may not be 100%, I would never sell a single bantam that was not vaccinated. Doesn't help your loss, am so sorry. I have three 12 year old hens that are dearest pets and am grateful for their continued good health.

 

[mightymax]

Thank You !!!
All but one of my chickens has been vaccinated against Marek's, and that particular one has since passed, so even though they're vaccinated, like you said, they can still fall victim to this horrible disease.

 

[mightymax]

If this had happened to anyone else, I'd say 'show me the chicken' !!! But, in this case, it happened to me and I can 'show you the chicken'. In my previous posts I wrote about my little roo Aloe who, along with having Marek's Disease, went 'missing' last week, presumably to find a place to die like animals who know they're sick often do. Well, this morning around 10:30 I heard an awful fuss coming from behind the house so I went to investigate and lo and behold, look at who I found...Aloe !!! The poor guy has been 'somewhere' on our property for the last week without the comfort of his friends and by the looks of him, barely enough food or water to survive! It's hard for him to hold his head up and he can't seem to walk in a straight line, stumbling and falling onto his right side each time he try's to go anywhere. I immediately gave him some water with vitamins and electrolytes through a syringe and made him a mash out of some non-medicated chick starter. He took the water OK, but didn't appreciate me putting the mash in his beak whatsoever! Then I put a light dusting of sevin powder on him because wherever he had been, he had come home with bugs and mites all over him. Afterwards I put him in a pet carrier and placed him in the laundry room (the warmest room in the house). Since he's blind, I left some of the mash in with him, but not the water for fear that he may drop his head into the shallow bowl and drown (I plan on giving him some water with the syringe every half hour or so). Like I wrote earlier, his health had been declining for a week or more before his 'disappearance' because of Marek's, but since I haven't seen him in a week, I'm not sure which of the symptoms he shows now are due to Marek's progression and which are indicative of malnutrition, dehydration and just being exposed to the elements for so long. I'm certain he won't be with us much longer but would like to make his last few days the most comfortable that I can for him. He's always been a semi-neurotic little fellow who gets frightened by the abrupt appearance of his own shadow, but he's always been with other chickens (since they saw him this morning, they've been crowing and cackling for him). So one of the questions I have is, should I keep him in the hospital crate in the laundry room where it's warm and quiet, or do you think that his last days would be better served by keeping him in the crate, but putting the crate in the coop with the chickens he grew up around? I just don't know what else to do for him...any helpful suggestions would be genuinely appreciated. Sorry for the lengthy post but I didn't know where else to turn. Thanks !!!

 

[seminolewind]

What would he tell you he wants?

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh, I'm so happy you found Aloe again. He may enjoy being around his friends in the coop if you have a low wattage heat lamp source, or even a heating pad on low in the coop for him only. Or you could bring in another friend into the laundry room, and switch them out daily to rotate friends. It is awful when pets disappear before they die, and you never know what happened. I hope he enjoys his last days with you.

 

[tridentk9]

I wonder if a drop of Rescue Remedy might help Aloe. Not much as the human version contains alcohol but is more readily available.

A small amount of something sweet (but liquid) such as orange juice may also help him. It'll raise his blood sugar without much need of digestion.

I vote for in a crate in the coop and use supplemental heat.

 

[casportpony]

Glad you found him. Probably best to hold off on the food until you correct his hydration. Okay to give some corn syrup with the water, but food might kill him if he's dehydrated. He needs 30ml/kg (30ml per 2.2 pounds) every 6-8 hours if he isn't drinking on his own and he needs to be kept in a warm place.

-Kathy

 

[mightymax]

Thanks so much to all of you that responded !!! I removed the food from his crate and am continuing with the vitamin and electrolyte water like casportpony suggested. I also mixed in a few drops of corn syrup. He still won't take it on his own but at least now he's resting with his eyes open and seems more alert. He moves his head towards my voice when I talk to him now too. If he makes it through the next couple of hours, he told me that he'd like to go visit with his friends in the coop so I'm headed out to set up a supplemental heat source for him although it's gotta be in the high 80's, maybe even the low 90's here right now. I'm sure he'll need it this evening though, if he lasts that long. I'm not trying to be morose, I just don't want to get my hopes up too high because even if he makes it through this, he will still have Marek's. I'll post more this evening. Thanks again !!!