Possible Mareks or ??

[MrsM74]

Hello - wanting to check my course of action with a 9-10 week pullet. I have older pullets that came from a hatchery that were vaccinated for Mareks and Cocci. They are all very healthy, I have had no sickness in them at all. I have a group of younger pullets, hatch-mates who came from a local breeder and were not vaccinated for anything. There were 7 to begin with, two died suddenly about a month apart, both of which were blue copper marans with feathered legs. The three obvious marans mixes (two black and one blue) left of the five younger ones are weaker, just sort of sickly. About 10 days ago one of the black ones presented with weakness and had a hard time keeping her balance. I had just finished treating with Corid. Took a fecal in, she still had Cocci so I continued to treat all the youngers with Corid. The sickly one was also emaciated, so I started keeping her in a crate and giving her foods to help put weight on her as well as so she wouldn't be pushed out of the feeder, etc. She is slowly recovering, or at least seems to be. Her appetite is still not what I would like but she is gaining slowly, seems a little stronger, and no longer loses her balance so easily. This morning the last blue marans was down on it's legs, walking sort of crouched instead of up on its feet, losing its balance easily, trying to balance with wings, finally gave up and just laid down to eat. It acts like it is starving even though both feeders are full of pelleted all flock. I put some niacin on their food, made a mash of crumble, a little cracked corn, meal worms and niacin. It gobbled it up. I am going to wait a day and if no improvement take her to the vet. Does anybody else have any input on this course of action? I really do not want to lose them :/.

 

[Kiki]

I was going to say cocci but you figured that out.
Congrats!
Vitamin B.
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Please read this too:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Since it was all in your Marans, which came from a different farm, and you have tested positive for Coccidiosis, I think that is still your likely culprit....not that Marek's couldn't be a possibility...but in the time frame your are talking about, with past history, as well as the one bird improving from the Corid regiment, I'd look no further than Coccidia treatment at this point.

I see you had them all on flock raiser. I place my "foreign" chicks on medicated chick feed to allow their system to acclimate to the coccidia in my soil (I am presuming they were purchased as chicks or hatched in an incubator and not hatched under a broody?).

Corid tries to play catch up, but the intestines may have already received scarring.

You should have them (as well as the whole flock) on apple cider vinegar (raw, with mother, no metal container). That helps feed the gut biotics. I'd also have a probiotics in the diet either drink or feed or yogurt. That provides biotics.

The final possibility is that this particular line was overly inbred which may mean they simply have a weaker immune system and will always be "problem children." (My Isbars were that way...I finally just gave up on that line in my area.)

However, as a breed, I have found Marans particularly hardy in my area.

The last ditch effort you could try is sulfadimethoxine or sulfamethazine (Sulmet). It used to be easily obtained in the feed store as a water additive. However, with the FDA crack down on antibiotics, you can only get the oral cattle injectable OTC. (I'll give a link below). You can ask your vet if they would be willing to prescribe it, or purchase from the link below.

The sulfa drugs hit coccidia hard, as well as gram negative bacteria such as eColi, Salmonella. You use it at full dosage for 2 days then half dosage for another 4 if symptoms haven't abated. Toxicity can be a problem if used at too high a dose or for too long. (Hatching eggs may be effected).

When I've gotten behind a coccidia outbreak, or the amprolium isn't working (the ingredient in medicated feed at low dose and Corid at higher dose), I have saved coveted birds with Sulmet. About half recovered fully. About half were still unthrifty, likely due to intestinal scarring. For those, I found placing them on medicated feed lifelong helped to control things.

That's all I can suggest. I'm sorry for your struggle. I know how frustrating it is to try to bring in a coveted line and meet with challenges. (I'm struggline with getting decent Cream Legbars on my property...hopefully the 2 chicks I have now will prove to be my start.)

LofMc

Di-Methox injectible from Jeffers. Ask @casportpony for dosing. Can be given orally.
https://www.jefferspet.com/products/di-methox-injection-40-250ml

 

[MrsM74]

Thank you. I gave this pullet powdered niacin and she is almost back normal. She was walking on crouched or fixed legs, falling over frequently, lying on her side to eat. Now she is a only unsteady if somebody bumps into her. Not sure if it is a coincidence as I have continued with Corid, but I am happy regardless.