One of my 5month old orpingtons cannot stand up

[leadwolf1]

Before you give up on the idea that a necropsy is too expensive, call your local state extension office and see if your state offers low or no cost necropsies. My entire necropsy was $35 others have paid less.

Here is a vitamin program that you can follow. If she doesn't show improvement in 2 weeks, she won't. .5 mls poly vi sol per day, without iron. 400 ius vitamin E twice daily.

Symptoms are not pointing to worms. Unless you have the deworming medication on hand, I would save the money. Of course, it is your chicken and you need to do what you feel is best.

If she has one leg out front...I would say that is pointing towards it being Marek's. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to have a necropsy done.

Vaccinating is only 90% effective and only protects against the bird developing the tumors...not the wasting or paralysis that the disease is known for. Right now, I have lost 3 of my 9 vaccinated pullets with 2 more showing symptoms. The vaccine is the only thing we have to aid in the fight of this disease but, it isn't the complete answer. If you haven't been practicing isolation procedures then your younger chickens have already been exposed.

 

[Minchi]

I dont think she is smaller due to access to food, as she have spent half her life in quarantine after pecking attacks. Its either genetic, psychological or disease related. would Marek's make them grow slower? I have done electrolytes and vitamins. I will try acv and yogurt. she doesnt seem to like the cat food (trying to incr protein) but i have been giving her loads of meal worms.
i have also been giving her chick starter which has abx in it. do they sell one i can put in her water?

Great idea about the stuffed toy!!

thanks for the help and support

You want to be careful not to over do the protein. Just a little extra to give her strength. I also use Greek yogurt plain. There are other antibiotics that you can put in water, even the pet store should have at least one bird antibiotic. After that it is really a waiting game, this might help???

http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0%3Cbr%3Ethe

 

[tlcmama]

Thanks everyone -


I've been looking for other signs of Mereks her eyes look okay (no grey) iris and pupil look normal. The only sign is sitting with one leg out front or lying on her side.

I am continuing to give electrolytes in her water. Gave her apple cider vinegar in her water today. I have been feeding cat food with a ground up Flintstones vitamin and vitamin E in it. She is still eating her scratch and regular food just fine.
I inspected her very closely today and found loads of mites

BAD mommy. Could that be causing the problem?
I've ordered poultry protector and diatomacious earth.

I think I should move her inside too. I read something on another post that STRESS can bring on Mereks as it decreases immunity - any thought on that? She has definitely been under stress since being the victim of 2 attacks since I got her.

 

[Minchi]

Well it affects humans like that so I would not be surprised. I know that a little sugar in water helps with stress.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

I do not think that mites could be causing this problem. I've bought chickens that had loads of mites on them that I had to treat and other than some missing feathers, there were no signs. I use poultry protector on my birds and it works great. Keep in mind that if you move her inside it may just add more stress.

 

[leadwolf1]

A chicken with Marek's does not need to exhibit all of the Marek's symptoms...the paralysis, leg out front, is pretty much diagnostic. Again, only a necropsy can tell you for sure.

As for the mites. I have noticed that once Marek's takes hold, the opportunistic bugs start taking over....lice, mites, coccidiosis. Seems that once the bird's immune system is compromised, Everything tries to get a hold!

Stress is a huge factor is bringing on Marek's...especially with carrier birds. They can got for months, years even, without symptoms..let a little stress in and, boom, full blown Marek's. Heat is a huge stressor.

As far as moving her in the house...I would have already done that. Keeping her as far away from the flock as possible. At this point, the harm is already done and the more quiet you can keep her, the better. This is from experience, not from literature.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote: http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
this mentions weight loss

Sorry I have no idea what is wrong with your chicken but found this link.

 

[tlcmama]

A chicken with Marek's does not need to exhibit all of the Marek's symptoms...the paralysis, leg out front, is pretty much diagnostic. Again, only a necropsy can tell you for sure.

As for the mites. I have noticed that once Marek's takes hold, the opportunistic bugs start taking over....lice, mites, coccidiosis. Seems that once the bird's immune system is compromised, Everything tries to get a hold!

Stress is a huge factor is bringing on Marek's...especially with carrier birds. They can got for months, years even, without symptoms..let a little stress in and, boom, full blown Marek's. Heat is a huge stressor.

As far as moving her in the house...I would have already done that. Keeping her as far away from the flock as possible. At this point, the harm is already done and the more quiet you can keep her, the better. This is from experience, not from literature.

yeah but i figured she has been housed with the other all along and I was trying to keep things as normal as possible for her
she has already had 2 stints in the house after the pecking attacks

so now she is lying on her right side only and she will only eat meal worms of her own volition - everything else has to be forced on her
i came home today and she actually had a pressure ulcer on her foot! i made her a sling like ive seen here but she hated it
i put a towel under her so she is not on the hard bottom of the box - i really dont know what to do next

ive ordered colloidal silver and sulmet but havent gotten them yet - am i grasping??

I know i should just put her down but I keep thinking one of the the remedies is going to work and she will come out of it (assuming its not mareks - which it probably is

)

i tried to get some straight answers from 2 vets and animal control about how to sedate her or suppress her respiratory drive but no one would give me any answers
i dont know if i have the heart to physically do it (break her neck, co2 etc) but i thought that i could give her a crushed dissolved narcotic and it might shut down her drive to breath
or at least make the other options easier on both of us
sounds much more peacefully (and easier on me - selfish and scared). i feel like a quitter even pondering this but the other birds are suffering from lack of attention while i pour it all on her

How long will she live if i dont do anything? she seems so miserable, it seems unfair

 

[leadwolf1]

The thing about Marek's...

A chicken showing active signs seems to give off more of a viral load then an asymtomatic carrier does. So, by keeping her with the others you are actually putting much more virus into the environment then before.

Another thing, that I learned the hard way, the other chickens will eventually sense the danger of the illness and turn on your girl. They will peck her to death or try. They do tremendous damage to the head. Again, I found this out the hard way. It was devastating. The poor chicken was already sick and they jumped it when it was down. Don't let your hen suffer this fate.

Some Marek's birds can linger for months. It is hard to watch. Like you, I can't seem to put them down. You might want to reconsider. If she continues to hang in there, you have to make a chicken ICU and keep her safe, warm and secure. The stress of fear of being attacked, outside not able to move, is very real and they experience it all the time. They are prey animals and when they can't move, they are in fear constantly.

As for the bedsores. I put mine on a deep layer of pine and move them around regularly. Soft towels help, also. I put them in a small enough container that I can clean regularly and using towels, make a propping system.

Hypericum, st John's wort...I've tried them with little to no success. I've tried vitamins, probiotics, protein...anything that I could think of to save them. Nothing, works. The disease is deadly. It can go into remission and you think you have won...but, it comes back. And, when it does...it comes back with a vengeance. I have a black bantam cochin. I figured she was a goner. Put her in CICU and she came out of it...she layed eggs for a month...now she is back to where she can't walk again! I figure that she won't get a second chance.

 

[tlcmama]

The thing about Marek's...

A chicken showing active signs seems to give off more of a viral load then an asymtomatic carrier does. So, by keeping her with the others you are actually putting much more virus into the environment then before.

Another thing, that I learned the hard way, the other chickens will eventually sense the danger of the illness and turn on your girl. They will peck her to death or try. They do tremendous damage to the head. Again, I found this out the hard way. It was devastating. The poor chicken was already sick and they jumped it when it was down. Don't let your hen suffer this fate.

Some Marek's birds can linger for months. It is hard to watch. Like you, I can't seem to put them down. You might want to reconsider. If she continues to hang in there, you have to make a chicken ICU and keep her safe, warm and secure. The stress of fear of being attacked, outside not able to move, is very real and they experience it all the time. They are prey animals and when they can't move, they are in fear constantly.

As for the bedsores. I put mine on a deep layer of pine and move them around regularly. Soft towels help, also. I put them in a small enough container that I can clean regularly and using towels, make a propping system.

Hypericum, st John's wort...I've tried them with little to no success. I've tried vitamins, probiotics, protein...anything that I could think of to save them. Nothing, works. The disease is deadly. It can go into remission and you think you have won...but, it comes back. And, when it does...it comes back with a vengeance. I have a black bantam cochin. I figured she was a goner. Put her in CICU and she came out of it...she layed eggs for a month...now she is back to where she can't walk again! I figure that she won't get a second chance.

I know I should put her down but I keep making excuses - and today I actually saw improvement. Im hoping no one else gets whatever it is and i realize she will always have to be separated, but if she is savable I have to try.

CICU in full effect over here! You have no idea. I am actually a nurse so weve got all the stops out for "bathroom chicken"! My son even suggested tube feeding her.

So heres the latest: Last night she got colloidal silver and Sulmet in her water. I FORCE fed her vitamins, cat food and 2 meal worms along with as much water with Sulmet in it as she could handle. I left her sleeping under a heat light - she was totally limp and breathing out of her mouth. Honestly I didnt think she would last the night. This morning she was still pretty listless and I thought tonight I would have to "take care of her"
BUT Tonight she was downright perky!! Ate all her feed mixed with yogurt (first time she ate by herself in 3 days) and was able to stay sitting upright for the first time in 4 days (maybe with a slight lean).

A sane person would put her down - but as long as she seems to have some life in her I will keep trying. I will also be more understanding when I have patients families who want to continue with illogical treatments on their terminal family members.