Well I took her to her vet 1.5 hours away. They did an xray and exam her insides were all inflamed. They thought markes, but gave me options. i could put her down, or try antibiotic for a few days to see if she improves... So i opted with the iv fluids, anti imflamitory and clavamox.
After the fluids she had an appetite and and ate 1/2a banana on the way home. But this morning she ate eggs by syringe again amd was sleepy.....
So. Im hoping for the best. Not much more i can do.
If you check You tube you'll find videos of chickens with Mareks. If it is Mareks there isn't a cure and they eventually die. I haven't found much in the way of cures for chickens. We just do what we can and hope for the best.
When Buckwheat swelled up I researched and got told there was nothing. She's still with us.
I had an EE that walked like a Runner Duck and since she seemed okay and was laying I did nothing. She eventually died, after quite a few months. She was a great layer up to that point.
Unless a disease strikes a lot of birds at a time and in the commercial industry I don't think there is much concern.
I got the "Blue Book" for Cavies/ guinea pigs years ago from Cornell and it basically said not much was done since guinea pigs were so easy to replace. Shaggy's leg eventually went down, (swollen) and he lived for some time after. I just put heat packs on his leg.
So what's my point? Just that not much is done to help us BYC keepers.
Seems to me without a vaccine, and they're not 100% effective, Mareks is possible. Wild birds carry it and since we free range how can we avoid it? I stopped putting a feeder out when I got chickens. To buy Vaccines for a few chicks isn't cost effective. We simply need to practice biosecurity.
Some folks understand why we say, "no I'm sorry you can't go into the coop, etc. etc." Others go Hmph!
Perhaps the fad of keeping a back yard flock will inspire the Veternarian world to do some research to help us small holders.
