Ongoing weakness in chicken

Kmcschoolee

Songster
Feb 9, 2021
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I am still having trouble with this chicken. She sits on her haunches all the time. She will get up and walk around with the chickens but her legs seem weak. Not limping when walking but walking slow. If she tries to run she will limp a little. This has been going on a for several months. I've tried vitamins b complex, and e. I've done poultry cell at 3cc once a day for several weeks. And I was doing 500mg csb for a month or more but no change. She seems maybe a little weaker today but still gets up and walks then sits back down like she's weak. She eats really well. She shakes her head a lot and her neck feathers are puffed up. I don't see any mites or lice but her skin is flakey like peeling almost like when you get a sunburn. I did treat for parasites with ivermectin drops on her neck a few weeks ago just to be sure. I'm at a loss. If it's mareks wouldn't she be either improving with the csb or getting worse if the disease is progressing. I have the occular type I don't know about any other type. I have included a picture of her sitting and a video of her up but shaking her head. In the video she only shakes it a couple times but she normally shakes it like that a lot. I really don't know what else to do for her any help would be so appreciate. The only thing I haven't tried is selenium paste because so many people say it can be toxic.
 

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I'm not familiar with the csb abbreviation, what is that?
Do you know when she last laid? Any bloat in her abdomen? How is her weight,is the keel bone very prominent, or well muscled (I know EE's tend to be leaner in general than some other breeds). Are droppings normal?
As for Marek's....there are many strains, I have Marek's in my flock and the majority of my birds with symptoms have presented with ocular symptoms. However, some of them have developed visceral tumors as well, and some did not develop occular symtoms at all and necropsy showed visceral tumors. So Marek's does not always look the same in each case, or each bird. As well as that, Marek's can weaken their immune system leaving them more vulnerable to other illness. Sometimes it is really difficult to know until necropsy, sadly. I've lost some that seemed fine and went downhill rapidly within a few days, and necropsy showed tumors everywhere inside. They are so good at hiding illness, that it often goes unnoticed until it's very late in the disease. I would have expected the vitamins to help by now, if they were going to. It's also possible that it isn't Marek's related at all, as the symptoms of other diseases often look like Marek's as well. A reproductive problem could do this as well, sometimes tumors press on nerves and cause lameness or weakness.
 
I'm not familiar with the csb abbreviation, what is that?
Do you know when she last laid? Any bloat in her abdomen? How is her weight,is the keel bone very prominent, or well muscled (I know EE's tend to be leaner in general than some other breeds). Are droppings normal?
As for Marek's....there are many strains, I have Marek's in my flock and the majority of my birds with symptoms have presented with ocular symptoms. However, some of them have developed visceral tumors as well, and some did not develop occular symtoms at all and necropsy showed visceral tumors. So Marek's does not always look the same in each case, or each bird. As well as that, Marek's can weaken their immune system leaving them more vulnerable to other illness. Sometimes it is really difficult to know until necropsy, sadly. I've lost some that seemed fine and went downhill rapidly within a few days, and necropsy showed tumors everywhere inside. They are so good at hiding illness, that it often goes unnoticed until it's very late in the disease. I would have expected the vitamins to help by now, if they were going to. It's also possible that it isn't Marek's related at all, as the symptoms of other diseases often look like Marek's as well. A reproductive problem could do this as well, sometimes tumors press on nerves and cause lameness or weakness.
I'm not sure of her laying. She squats like she should be but I have 2 other EE so not sure. Weight is the same. I have weighed her several times. She's thinner than the other 2 though. No swelling in the abdomin I have checked her for that many times. Not walking like egg bound. No water belly. Poop looks normal
 
How old is she? How long did you treat with the b vitamins? Are her toes curled under on either foot? Have you lost any birds from Mareks, and how old were they?
 
I have lost several birds over the last few years but non with "typical" mareks symptoms. No paralysis etc. She is 2 years old. I got her as a chick. She is vaccinated from mareks. I did poultry cell for a few weeks and vit b for about a week and a half. Her toes only curve in a little when she sits but not bad more like just angling in. Fine when she walks. With the head shaking I worried about avian encephalitis but she'snot "sick". She fights me when I try to lift her head. She will push down on my hand with her chin
 

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