Rooster balance problems - how big is the chance of Marek's?

[5GodsDown]

Thanks for the support.

I called the poultry clinic and told them I honestly don't know what to expect, but he seems to have more energy and he's at least not getting worse by far. The vet was surprisingly positive and said we should continue treatment for another 5 days, both baytril and metacam. She apparently expected him to have died this weekend if the meds didn't work, which I myself wouldn't have expected at all because he's doing well otherwise. I hope she didn't forget he never really stopped eating on his own, because only the other vet was present when I told the whole backstory. In any case I'm glad she thinks it's positive, in the end she's the poultry specialist.

One little edit: I've found one small roundworm in one of my chickens' droppings. I've been checking most of their droppings while cleaning out their sleeping place but haven't found anything else. Should I start treatment immediately? Phil should be in the clear, they've checked his droppings at the clinic last Friday.

 

[Eggcessive]

What do you use for worming there? Do you have albendazole, fenbendazole, or flubendazole available?

 

[5GodsDown]

What do you use for worming there? Do you have albendazole, fenbendazole, or flubendazole available?

Flubenol/flubendazole is available, so I suppose my vet should have it. Do I immediately need to start treatment if I see a worm? Today was their last day getting baycox the second time to get rid of the coccidiosis completely. Phil still had a tiny amount in his droppings so they advised to repeat for all chickens. I understand coccidiosis and worm treatment is pretty heavy on the digestive system, so I'm hesitant to do it immediately after one another.

 

[Eggcessive]

It it not an emergency to worm the flock, but I would think about doing it in the future. Phil is got enough going on.

 

[5GodsDown]

So another little update. Phil got sick about 3 weeks ago, hasn't been walking for 2.
Medication at the moment:

• 2x 15mg of Baytril
• 2x 2ml of Metacam
• extra vitamins

Things I've noticed:

• eating and drinking are still great
• feeding him meds is increasingly difficult as he's resisting a lot more
• he makes a lot more noise
• he obviously tries to move around much more, I couldn't find his food bowl yesterday because somehow he had moved it to the other side of his little enclosure
• he escaped this morning, I probably didn't properly close of his little night compartiment. I found him a meter outside of it
• his left leg is often pretty cold, but not ice cold as you'd expect with freezing temperatures we're getting now. It's warm if he's able to get it under him

He obviously wants to get up but still can't. He's sitting a bit more upright I think. I try to move his legs around when I take him out for his meds. Tomorrow is his last day of baytril, I'll call the poultry vet again and see what she has to say.

 

[Eggcessive]

I had a hen last year who could not stay upright. She waould take off running and end up on her side, or fall backward. For 5 weeks she had good muscle strength in her legs, but could not walk, although she could stand up in her basket and move to another side to get out of her droppings. I had to feed her 3 times a day with food and water mixed in since she would not drink water. Soon she started escaping the basket, and the others would attack her. Finally, she had had enough, and she began walking around, although wobbly. She regained use of her legs, and has spent the last 8 months walking everywhere, eating and drinking on her own, and is now back with her flock after spending the summer in her own coop. So there still could be a chance for Phil, but very hard to know when to decide to end it.

 

[5GodsDown]

I had a hen last year who could not stay upright. She waould take off running and end up on her side, or fall backward. For 5 weeks she had good muscle strength in her legs, but could not walk, although she could stand up in her basket and move to another side to get out of her droppings. I had to feed her 3 times a day with food and water mixed in since she would not drink water. Soon she started escaping the basket, and the others would attack her. Finally, she had had enough, and she began walking around, although wobbly. She regained use of her legs, and has spent the last 8 months walking everywhere, eating and drinking on her own, and is now back with her flock after spending the summer in her own coop. So there still could be a chance for Phil, but very hard to know when to decide to end it.

I've found out something else and pretty stupid I haven't tried it earlier. If I pinch his legs, he pulls them away, yet if I pinch his toes he doesn't seem to feel anything. So to me it seems nothing is wrong with his legs, yet he can't feel his toes on both legs... When I move his legs around a bit the toes still somewhat retract to the natural "perch" position. He's been getting vitamins with B2 and B12 in them for 2 weeks now, first in his water and afterwards directly into his mouth by order of the poultry vet. So I think it's kind of a matter of regaining feeling in the toes...

 

[5GodsDown]

I had a conversation with the poultry vet again. She says I can still try to give him calcium supplements and some medicine to strengthen his muscles, but I asked her whether she thought it would be useful as he hasn't been walking for more than 2 weeks. She says it's my choice but admits it doesn't look good. Apparently she's had a similar case this week and also no improvement. She said I could give him broken oyster shells and yoghurt but he's been getting that since the beginning anyway. I massage his toes now, he seems to be still feeling one of them, other than that the feeling seems to stop where the foot begins. If he had curled toe paralysis I'd think it's too late anyway. I told her I wouldn't make the decision now, but think it over in the weekend.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am not a vet, but if he has been on a decent balanced chicken feed his whole life, I would doubt that a rooster would be deficienct in calcium. Hens need more calcium, but most roosters do well on 1% calcium diets. Here is some reading about calcium and phosphorus deficiency and balance:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ement-poultry/mineral-deficiencies-in-poultry

https://www.farmhealthonline.com/US/disease-management/poultry-diseases/ca-and-p-deficiency/

 

[ChickNanny13]

I'm no Vet & read that we don't feed Roos layer feed due to the calcium ... That it may/can cause liver/kidney issues.