Pullet in rough shape

[Crookadoodle]

I hope it helps too.
Please let me know how it goes.

I have another chicken in the house again today, same sort of presentation. She was totally fine yesterday outside, eating and drinking and running around and was roosting last night. And all of a sudden this morning her legs are frozen she is falling over not eating or drinking. I brought her in the garage to see if a few degrees change things. Its -24C here right now with strong winds. All other chickens dont have frozen feet or legs and are super energetic. Im at a complete loss.
This girls name is Henrietta and she is an absolute sweet heart. She came from my barnyard mix group my original first group, she looks more like an australorp, no feathered feet, all black, small comb.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I would send a bird off to be tested, especially for Mareks.

 

[Crookadoodle]

I would send a bird off to be tested, especially for Mareks.

Oh man, I hadn't thought of Mareks shoot. I dont know why coccidiosis just seemed to fit. But they are getting unwell so quickly. This is miss Henrietta who was just acting fine yesterday. Hunched up he wing extended down on both sides, eyes closed.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Are they having bloody stools? I've dealt with cocci once but even the adults had blood specks in their poop.

 

[Crookadoodle]

They had on and off for a couple days a few weeks ago but showed no lethargy or anything. No blood recently so I figured whatever it was resolved but now they are having watery white slimy stools with some brown/green specks or chunks but not normal at all

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can your vet run a fecal float to see if worms might be an issue as well?

Not all strains of Coccidia present with blood in the stool, I would finish the Corid.

Any chance their feed has gotten molded, eaten anything rotten or toxic?

Are they all staying "cooped up" due to the severe cold weather?

 

[Crookadoodle]

Can your vet run a fecal float to see if worms might be an issue as well?

Not all strains of Coccidia present with blood in the stool, I would finish the Corid.

Any chance their feed has gotten molded, eaten anything rotten or toxic?

Are they all staying "cooped up" due to the severe cold weather?

I will ask on Monday when the vet opens and ask about a necropsy as well.
I will still finish the amprolium treatment as directed just incase but I am thinking it is likely Mareks. The wing drop, same watery white poops with green specks in them, loss of balance and eventually just laying down, loss of appetite, dramatic weight loss and very fast decline all seem to fit. I had actually mixed up the birds I had brought in and the one in my garage that is the 3rd one sick is another bcm we got in a group of 5 bcm and 5 EE as 4 month old pullets.
They did go through a 30 day quarantine before integrating but they also came infested with mites without disclosing so I wouldnt be surprised that the seller also didnt disclose exposure to Mareks which i didnt know about at the time.
They have a 10x8 coop with sand as litter and a droppings board that both get cleaned daily. The run is 10x20ft and is covered except for the far end that I flipped the tarp up to let in sunlight and ventilation. Ground is half concrete half dirt that I rake at least weekly. They have various things to perch on and a dust bath. We rolled round bales up to it for extra wind break. They have wanted to be out every day this winter despite the bitter cold except for 1 day they stayed cooped up, and it hasnt been an issue until now. Their water is a heated nipple waterer in the run and their food hangs in the run and is stored in a metal garbage bin to keep dry and pest free. Minimal scraps given just veggies that I cut off from cooking that my rabbits dont eat, nothing spoiled. I checked their feed, we buy as we run out so it doesnt stay stocked to go bad, it smelled and looked good.
I am so heartbroken if it is indeed Mareks. This is my first year of chicken keeping and we will be a Mareks flock ongoing. I was not prepared to loose a majority of my flock and from what I have read thats what happens to unvaccinated backyard flocks...I didnt even know when we first started that you could buy vaccinated chicks and I just bought from some local folks around us.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm very sorry!
Hopefully the vet can give you some answers.
Marek's unfortunately is common worldwide. The vaccine can help stop the formation of tumors, but it doesn't prevent infection from the virus. Many folks that have vaccinated birds lose them to the disease each year.
Some vaccinate, some don't...it's personal preference. IF this is Marek's, then managing symptoms and/or culling symptomatic birds can be helpful.
You may find the article below helpful and encourgaing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

 

[Crookadoodle]

I'm very sorry!
Hopefully the vet can give you some answers.
Marek's unfortunately is common worldwide. The vaccine can help stop the formation of tumors, but it doesn't prevent infection from the virus. Many folks that have vaccinated birds lose them to the disease each year.
Some vaccinate, some don't...it's personal preference. IF this is Marek's, then managing symptoms and/or culling symptomatic birds can be helpful.
You may find the article below helpful and encourgaing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

Thank you for attaching that post, very helpful and gives me some hope we can still successfully keep chickens.
Because we live very rurally I actually had to freeze the third pullet that passed on Saturday morning and will bring her in to the vet later this week who will mail it to the University vet lab. Quite a process! However, the one upside here is Manitoba is the government will cover the fee for necropsy is you are a small backyard flock owner (under 100 birds) and are unsure why you have fowl passing away or sudden egg drops during regular laying period- this is under their avian influenza program. Even though they are primarily concerned about AI they will test for and determine cause of death and report any illnesses to you and how to address it in the flock. So I am hoping to have more definite answers in a few weeks. In the mean time I am still doing the amprolium tx and also doing some st. Johns wort to the girls that are showing Mareks signs to see if it helps at all- I woukd rather try something to help them! Surprisingly the 3 girls that I brought in (remaining 2 of 5 BCM, and 1- Shadow a pullet from my original group) are standing, walking around and are doing better than the other 3 who have already passed. They started showing symptoms on Friday and Saturday.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad the ones you are treating are getting better.
I do hope you get some answers from the testing. Please let me know what you find out.