Not eating or drinking, strange behavior

[RainbowHen]

Glad to hear that she is perkier! Definitely repeat treatment once a week for a few weeks and be sure to get in every nook and cranny. I spray the whole thing down and give a few hours to dry before letting the girls back in.

 

[Sonya9]

Just wanted to post an update on my girl. Yesterday, my husband checked on her throughout the day. She was up walking around with the other, pecking the ground. When I got home from work, I found her off by herself again. I separated her from the others.

This morning she seemed really off, like losing her balance and not interested in any food. I took her to the vet, and she seemed to think Marek's Disease, but wasn't positive. She did notice some neurological issues. This has all happened so fast.

Well, when I got her home and took her out of the carrier, I immediately saw a pale brown little bug crawl into her feathers. I have not seen that before. Is that lice or mites? I've read that they can cause problems also. I dusted her really good with some DE I had handy. I have some Sevin Dust I can get on her and in the coop also.

Any thoughts? I really hope it's not Marek's. She's my favorite gal.

If it is Mareks then most likely she has another illness and the stress from being sick caused the Mareks to rear its ugly head (it is a herpes virus triggered by stress).

Plus if it is Mareks then apparently it isn't a super hot strain since it is just now showing up, but either way think about getting her tested (or have a necropsy done if she passes looking specifically for it). It is often very manageable if you know it is there and take steps to prevent birds from getting too stressed or even treat stressed birds with anti-herpes meds to prevent it from appearing.

Mites/bugs can be a problem when the bird is sick because their immune system weakens.

 

[samanthaddm]

If it is Mareks then most likely she has another illness and the stress from being sick caused the Mareks to rear its ugly head (it is a herpes virus triggered by stress).

Plus if it is Mareks then apparently it isn't a super hot strain since it is just now showing up, but either way think about getting her tested (or have a necropsy done if she passes looking specifically for it). It is often very manageable if you know it is there and take steps to prevent birds from getting too stressed or even treat stressed birds with anti-herpes meds to prevent it from appearing.

Mites/bugs can be a problem when the bird is sick because their immune system weakens.

Thanks! That's great to know. She was definitely more alert this morning, so I hope when I get home I see some more progress. What are anti-herpes meds for chickens? I can treat cats all day, but I'm new to chickens.

 

[Sonya9]

Thanks! That's great to know. She was definitely more alert this morning, so I hope when I get home I see some more progress. What are anti-herpes meds for chickens? I can treat cats all day, but I'm new to chickens.

Some people (including me) use human anti-herpes meds. They are antivirals so work best as a preventative or at the first signs of disease.

The most common is acyclovir or valacyclovir. Get a script for a dozen or so tablets from your vet and fill it at a regular pharmacy then give small amounts (no dosing info is available as far as I know). I paid about $10 for 10 tablets and they last a long time. A few on this forum have used it with good success though it can cause kidney damage so I only treat individual birds that may need it (i.e. if they are injured, traumatized, sick etc...to prevent problems).

If it is Mareks it should stop the progression of Mareks symptoms.