Paralysis from Marek’s disease to cull or not?

[blairctchickens]

I have a two month old Ameraucana pullet that has come down with respiration issues and paralysis of the legs from Marek’s disease. We have her isolated and over the course of two weeks hand fed and watered her, her respiratory symptoms have subsided to occasional cough, but her leg paralysis is persisting. She can hobble around and feed herself and get water with some assistance. Also we have given her the recommended recovery medicines and vitamins while doing a thorough research on the Marek’s Disease.

Should I cull this pullet, or wait in the hopes she could recover and be a normal chicken with the hope she does not relapse?

 

[rebrascora]

It's a personal choice based on your circumstances and ethos.
I've had Marek's birds take 3 months to make a significant but not total recovery but be able to free range with the flock and lay eggs. As long as they are prepared to fight it, I provide supportive care. Once they lose interest in food and won't eat or drink, I euthanize them.
There is a good chance that your pullet will get further and usually more serious attacks and she will of course be shedding the virus all this time, but your other chickens have almost certainly already been exposed, so you could take the view that you have nothing to lose....
Once they know they have Marek's, many people cull as soon as they see symptoms and perhaps this is the right thing to do.... I give them a fighting chance as long as they are prepared to work with me.

Good luck whatever you decide. I've had birds go a year between attacks with a very good quality of life in between.

 

[blairctchickens]

Thanks for your input. Well unfortunately once I got home and picked her up from her pen, she started to vomit all over. So with a heavy heart I knew it was time to let her go. Always hard to cull a bird you were looking forward being healthy.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry! Yes, a lot harder to cull the sick ones that you have loved and cared for than the healthy surplus cockerels etc that are ear marked for the freezer.