OMG!! (Mareks??) HYPERICUM WORKED IN 15 MINUTES!! SHE'S WALKING!!!!

[Piper1998]

This is a great thread. I'm really nervous, though, as I'm posting to another thread about my cochin not walking since Friday. Several people have posted in telling me that it sounds like a case of Marek's disease. So if she has it, and I'm treating her with this miracle cure, she's still contagious to the rest of my flock, right? I'm new to this chicken stuff, so please pardon me if I sound mean, but wouldn't it be prudent to cull the bird and lessen the chance of other birds catching it? Also, does anyone know how fast Marek's moves within a flock? I'm getting ready to integrate a couple of RIR's into the flock but want to wait until this scare is behind me. I guess I'm wondering what the incubation period is for Marek's disease.

 

[GoodLuckCharlie!]

Hi there,
I was looking for a thread about Mareks and saw this...my Lilly (4 months old EE) has been slower the last few days. We thought she's getting ready to lay her first egg-I'm hoping that is true. But, today, she has been wanting to itch the left side of her face, and bringing her leg up to her face seems difficult, and she barely touches her face with her leg-she keeps doing this. I checked her eyes and her ears ( in case its an ear infection?) and cross-referenced their appearances to our other chickens and I don't see any difference. I was fine to believe she will be laying soon, but I'm not so sure since the left leg deal. She won't jump around like the others and if we pick her up there's no resistance at all-and she waits to be set completely on the ground before slowly walking away. I'm bummed too, like you, to see the chickens go through this. I found the site below and thought it was helpful reading. I'd like to see what else everyone comes up with as well.


http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

 

[appychick]

Quote:
Isolate your bird away from your others-no aerosol transmission possible scenario & take precaution of contaminating the rest- treat your bird & see whether or not it improves....If you see improvement,most likely your bird is not contagious.

Too many animals are culled for simple injuries that time will heal......

 

[chkn]

Quote:
Maybe I'll try some of this for my rheumatoid arthritis!!!

 

[BamaSilkies]

St. Johns Wort is also used as cure for worms in humans so probably good for the same thing in chickens. I will post the link below where I found that information.

http://www.ayushveda.com/health/intestinal-worms.htm

 

[Porcini1951]

My chicken "Leggy" was able to stand for quite a while today, She took a few steps without keeling over too, It's her right leg that's the problem she puts it to the floor then picks it up again. She's been treated with Baytril for her original air sac infection and then with a steroid in an attempt to cure the lameness, after a few days on the Baytril her appetite returned and she been eating pellets and corn with mealworms (medicated with Flubenvet) ever since. Wethought she may have Marek's but are beginning to wonder now. Everything else about her is normal. Going to try hypericum and colloidal silver but not sure of dose. got some hypericum 30ppm from the health food shop and colloidal silver should arrive via Amazon today

 

[Porcini1951]

it seems to vary depending on which source you believe. The max I've read so far is 70 days

 

[ShyPeep]

I just posted a question about a post-Marek's survivor and reintegrating her into the flock, when I came upon this thread and thought I'd respond. One of my 4-week old Buckeyes became paralyzed (both legs and one wing) w/ Marek's in the brooder. Vet said cull her; I took her home and isolated her; she was suspended in a harness for 7 weeks, hand-fed, bathed daily, etc. The other 11 are still asymptomatic and have since all moved out into the coop/run/free-range and are doing great. They were all vaccinated at the hatchery. After researching, I ended up giving hypericum perforatum and causticum (1 tab of each in 1 T distilled water - mixed separately and w/ separate eyedroppers - 2x/day) for 7 weeks. I also supplemented with nutritional yeast (full spectrum of B vitamins) in her food and vitamin B12 in her water. I was mentally prepared to have a very permanently special-needs chicken.

As of last week she's regained use of both legs and wings, is preening like a pro, gaining weight and walking around. I'm now wondering about reintegration into the flock; I believe that the entire flock was exposed to the virus in the brooder, but since the others' vaccinations let them remain healthy, I wonder if there's still a risk in letting the now-well chicken back in?

Reading all the literature about "no treatment" for Marek's is depressing, and although I fully understand that some of forms the virus takes may not be treatable (especially internal tumors), I've come to believe that the paralysis is, at least in some cases.

ShyPeep

 

[kimlovespink]

Where did you get the info about hypericum perforatum and how much to give her...etc. I googled it and didn't find much info. Please help. I am so desperate to find something to help my poor chicken.

 

[Porcini1951]

Really sorry to have to report that we had to have Leggy put to sleep last Thursday.
She was looking really healthy and eating well up to three days before this but then she started making wheezy noises when breathing and I had read that this can happen with Marek's - they seem to recover but it has spread to the lungs. We decided to do the humane thing and my husband held her whilst she was despatched before crying his eyes out. The vet said that this was the best thing to do for her and we had given her an extra week as she seemed so well apart from the one leg not working.

I used 2x homeopathic hypericum tablets from Holland & Barrett health food store plus 6 drops of colloidal silver - had to buy this from Amazon. The tablets were dissolved in distilled water - about 5 mls in a plastic syringe - the tablets are tint and fitted in the syringe to dissolve. (distilled water easy to do - instructions on the internet) and touched no metal so let her drink from that.
Give the hypericum solution then 4 hrs later the colloidal silver then 4 hrs later the hypericum etc etc
I must say we didn't see any change in her from using this.

Apologies for not posting this before - we had a horrible incident when one of our dogs, a Jack Russell, was attacked by a big off lead dog which nearly killed her so have been somewhat pre occupied. She had her wounds sewn up yesterday after letting the antibiotics get rid of the infection from the bites.

Good luck with your hen and I hope something works for you. I'm just hoping that the non ex-batts we have that were bought at the same time as Leggy don't succumb to this horrible disease.

Jan