Possible Mareks??

[alxw]

MY second post unfortunately is about another sick chicken. I traded roosters with a man and when I first got him I thought he was kinda weird. He didn't move to much and as the week has progressed so have his symptoms. He now is off balance, looks like he has avian pox bc he has white and black spots on his comb. He is so underweight but is ravenous whenever I put new feed out. He sneezes and drools. Today while competing for food with one small hen that is in the cage with him he lost balance and was unable to get back up. Almost paralyzed but not classic one leg up and one leg back. Just laying on his side flaying around but unable to stand. I wormed him when I arrived and found blood in poop so I gave him some Sulmet as well just in case he did have cocci. I decided to seperate him and when I put him in the crate he was able to stand. I'm not sure if I should put him down or let whatever is affecting him progress. Also I have a hen and six babies that I have kept away from him in the coop. I only have let them in the run while the small buff hen and sick rooster are free ranging. And only after I cleaned the run of all poop what are my chances that I'm going to lose my buff, and hen with her babies?

 

[rcentner]

Mareks can present in a lot of different ways unfortunately. It's not always the leg front/leg back. But the spots on the comb make me think it's not that.
You can't predict if you will lose the hen and babies...I said this earlier to someone else and will repeat it to you....I have had sick birds that die overnight, sick birds recover on their own and birds exposed that never have been sick (all in the same flock exposed to the same things) Sounds like you are doing your best, for best preventative they should share nothing, but if that is not possible then do what you can to keep it clean and use a disinfectant...dilute bleach/roccal/Oxine
wishing you well!

 

[centrarchid]

Mareks affected birds do not loose weight before paralysis.


Next time quarantine. Keep new birds separate from flock for a good month. Also avoid hitting new birds with multiple medications all at once. Medications themselves can be stressfull which is in addition to move. They can also interact in a bad way.

 

[alxw]

Thanks unfortunately I made the hard decision to put him down. I hate losing an animal. I have learned a hard lesson about how important quarantining is, my hen is now starting to act oddly and sneezing today. I am never trading chickens again what bothers me the most is if that man knew he was sick and said nothing though i'm hoping that's not the case.