Reintroducing a hen with possible Marek's

[mumbles77]

My Buff Orpington (Betty) has been experiencing leg paralysis for a little under a month. She eats and drinks well, looks fine, has energy (perhaps diminished somewhat from having to limp around), isn't losing weight. She had some gasping issues for a while but that seems to have dissipated, recurring only for a couple minutes after doing something exhausting like trying to fly. Nothing strange about the crop, eyes normal, no runniness around the beak, no mites, no visible or feelable external tumors, wings working fine. In short, no symptoms but the gimpy legs. One works a little better than the other; she can and does get around pretty well walking on her "knees," with some help from the one foot that sort of works. In dealing with range paralysis we think of Marek's, but I'm surprised at the lack of co-occurring symptoms (should I use that phrase? She doesn't have a substance abuse problem...) or any noticeable decline. In some ways, with the disappearance of the gasping, she's gotten better. But the paralysis remains. We have her separated from our other two in a box with all the chicken amenities, and let her out for a few hours each day to practice walking. She gets around well, albeit with a persistent limp. We also give her water with vitamins and electrolytes. She doesn't appear to be in pain, though I understand chickens can't say, "I'm in pain." Our grange vaccinates all its chicks against Marek's. Other chickens Peggy and Joan were exposed to Betty for a stretch of time when we weren't sure what was going on. They appear perfectly healthy. Given that Betty appears to be sustaining without noticeable suffering, putting her down seems unnecessary.
My philosophy as a chicken owner is that, while I love my birds, I'm not in a position or inclined to spend hundreds of dollars attempting to treat something that is likely not treatable and that will make the chicken miserable with all the transporting, poking and prodding. Call me cold-hearted, but this is a chicken. As much as I don't like the idea, I will cowboy up and put down a terminally sick bird. Betty, however, does not appear terminally sick, just gimpy (though for mysterious reasons).
Given this information, how do people feel about re-introduction to the flock? Obviously I don't want to put my other birds at risk, but I also don't want to keep a bird that's disabled but otherwise fine separate forever. Historically these three get along great, but time may have altered their dynamic. In re-introducing, I would monitor behavior and separate again if things don't work out. I am of course concerned about Betty carrying something she herself survived, though I would think that with the previous exposure, the others would already be sick if that's what was going to happen. That's my long story. Any thoughts/advice/similar experience?

 

[CMV]

I would change the title of your post to something like "Reintroducing a hen with Marek's". I think you will get more responses.

I have never had Marek's in my flock so I can't help you. Consider this a bump to get you back up in the queue.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[mumbles77]

Good idea. So done. Thanks.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

****Disclaimer***OK, this is an opinion, and only a barely-informed one because I have a friend who introduced Marek's into her flock from a show trio she bought, and she did a ton of research and talked to the research vets at the Ohio State University about it, and I learned along with her, but have no real expertise...

Since your other birds have already been vaccinated and were already exposed to the sick one, I doubt that you can do much harm by re-introducing her. Marek's is easily spread, so if one bird has it they've definitely all been exposed already and quarantining Betty won't really do much to protect them.