Please help: vet thinks Marek’s, I’m not sure. Am I deluded?

[Agathachristiehens]

Hi everyone.

I’m new so apologies if I make any forum faux pas.

I had a little flock of three pet/laying hybrid hens. I love them. We’re UK based and currently due to avian influenza, they’re in a run but encased in fruit netting to protect them. They’re four years old. All have not laid for several months apart from a couple of eggs here and there.

A few months ago, one of them got a very dry floppy comb and just started to decline. She lost weight, was lethargic, didn’t want to eat or drink, etc. I took her to a chicken vet a few times and we tried various antibiotics as they thought it might be respiratory. She soldiered on for weeks until one day I found her in the coop. I believe she’d had a heart attack. My heart was a bit broken and we were down to two.

Now a second hen (my secret favourite) has got sick. Her symptoms are slightly different. She’s quite puffed up, has the same dry floppy dehydrated comb, is slow and lethargic, reluctant to eat or drink much, and isn’t interested in scratching. She also has a very dirty bottom. I’ve checked and I don’t believe she’s egg bound.

The vet couldn’t examine due to the flu but said likely Marek’s, nothing much to be done but gave me citramox antibiotics just in case.

From what I’ve read, Marek’s kills then pretty quickly once it’s reared its head. Is that correct?

Am I deluded to hope that, because of her grubby bottom, it’s in fact a gut infection (as I read on an old forum post on here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/solved-mourning-dark-comb-dehydrated-no-appetite.907854/ )

And can anyone share their experiences of sick chooks with symptoms like my little Jane?

TIA!

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry for your loss. Did you send the last hen off for a necropsy?
What do you feed them and how's their coop?

 

[Mrs J]

Could you post pictures of your hen?

 

[Agathachristiehens]

Sorry for your loss. Did you send the last hen off for a necropsy?
What do you feed them and how's their coop?

Thank you for the reply.

No, we didn’t send her off as the vet said it was likely she just had a heart attack due to the ongoing respiratory infection. There was no mention of Marek’s with my first hen. I also, in hindsight, am not convinced by the respiratory infection.

They’re fed outside and have layers pellets and fruit and veg on top. They get a smattering of corn in the afternoons. I do have a battle with keeping rodents out of their little chicken trough and I do think they visit overnight. I don’t leave much in there at night and just top up each morning. I’m going to get a hanging trough for them. Their coop is a little house-style one inside the run. It’s only small as I didn’t have many hens. It’s clean and doesn’t seem to have mite issues.

I’ve just built a large shed which I’m going to turn into a big coop for them with roosts and nesting boxes, as I think the ventilation will be better. It’ll also offer them rain and inclement weather shelter.