NancyNurseCxMama
Songster
My poor sweet Rocky, nearly 8 weeks old, looks like she has Marek's. I thought at first that she had injured her leg---although always smaller than my other six chicks, she was feisty and always the first to do daring things like get up on the brooder roost or leap to the top of the waterer. When she started limping last Monday I thought she was hurt. I separated her during the day in a smaller brooder but put her back with the others at night because she would sit there and cry for her buddies. I followed all suggestions: B vitamins, selenium, Vit E.
She was eating, drinking, interacting with the others and no one was picking on her so, although I kept her separated from the others in a small dog crate, I put all of them out in the coop on Wednesday. At that time, her only symptom was limping---her toes would curl around my finger, she would push with the weaker leg against my hand. Again, I figured an injury, although I couldn't see any obvious one. Very chatty, friendly, seemed to be fine except for the one gimpy leg. Thursday, same. Normal poop.
Friday: went out to the coop. She was sitting in her cage, both legs paralyzed, doing the "splits," peeping softly. I took the cage out immediately and brought her back into the house and put her into the little brooder.
Today, Saturday: She looks up when I come in, peeps very softly. She will only take food from my hand and only scrambled eggs with a bit of chick grit and mealworms. Takes very little water from my finger tips.
I know she is dying and it's just so sad to see her this way---breaks my heart and I am so teary. I've had many pets die so I know the deal---same heartache every time but we always go back for more. Yes, these are pets to us.
The others look fine, so far. I know how contagious this is and I will clean out the coop and disinfect it but they have all been exposed and it will be up to fate whether they come down with this or not. They are much bigger than she is so I am hoping for the best here.
A question for those who have dealt with this---I am planning to disinfect with Virkon and would like to know if any here have used it. I have researched it to death and it seems like the best option out there but I would like to hear from anyone that has had experience with it. Where did you buy it? It looks like I would have to send away for it---do any stores carry this?
Sorry for the long post....thank you all for listening and for any help you might have to give.
She was eating, drinking, interacting with the others and no one was picking on her so, although I kept her separated from the others in a small dog crate, I put all of them out in the coop on Wednesday. At that time, her only symptom was limping---her toes would curl around my finger, she would push with the weaker leg against my hand. Again, I figured an injury, although I couldn't see any obvious one. Very chatty, friendly, seemed to be fine except for the one gimpy leg. Thursday, same. Normal poop.
Friday: went out to the coop. She was sitting in her cage, both legs paralyzed, doing the "splits," peeping softly. I took the cage out immediately and brought her back into the house and put her into the little brooder.
Today, Saturday: She looks up when I come in, peeps very softly. She will only take food from my hand and only scrambled eggs with a bit of chick grit and mealworms. Takes very little water from my finger tips.
I know she is dying and it's just so sad to see her this way---breaks my heart and I am so teary. I've had many pets die so I know the deal---same heartache every time but we always go back for more. Yes, these are pets to us.
The others look fine, so far. I know how contagious this is and I will clean out the coop and disinfect it but they have all been exposed and it will be up to fate whether they come down with this or not. They are much bigger than she is so I am hoping for the best here.
A question for those who have dealt with this---I am planning to disinfect with Virkon and would like to know if any here have used it. I have researched it to death and it seems like the best option out there but I would like to hear from anyone that has had experience with it. Where did you buy it? It looks like I would have to send away for it---do any stores carry this?
Sorry for the long post....thank you all for listening and for any help you might have to give.
