Rooster with mass in neck, possible tumor, thymus response -- Marek's

[scratch'n'peck]

I'm glad that Derp is eating and drinking fine. I hope she is back to her old Derpy self soon.

I had a Silkie x naked neck cross who would have mild relapses of wry neck from time to time that seemed to be brought on by even mild stress. When she started showing symptoms originally I wasn't all that familiar with wry neck, and it seemed like her episode would pass on its own. I guess I am mentioning this in hopes that Derp's episode, what ever its cause, remains mild and resolves soon.

 

[Nambroth]

Derperella continues to be the same-- no worse, no better. I have made a few discoveries...

About two weeks ago I noticed that some of the droppings on the poop board had a lot of small gravel in it. I couldn't quite figure out whose they were, because they were happening when the chickens were smooshed together at night for warmth. I thought it was actually Willow's. I didn't think too much about it because whoever it was seemed to be passing the small stones without a problem. I thought it was just chicken craziness, and eating too many for their gizzard. Well...

Yesterday I had to have Derp out in the coop/run while I was at a neighbor's house. When I came back home I brought her inside for her meds and to keep her overnight. She pooed, and wouldn't you know it... FULL of rocks! Several poos like that... about a crop's worth of small pebbles. What on earth!
Today when I took her outside with me, I watched her carefully. She was eating little pebbles like they were candy.

I guess we didn't name her Derperella for nothing!!

Anyhow, I suspect she is probably deficient and the rock eating is either 1. her way to try to get the necessary vitamins/minerals (and failing) or, 2. perhaps the rock eating started the deficiency in the first place? Either way, we are continuing with the vitamin E / B-complex / Selenium treatment and feeding her high quality foods.

 

[Tomtommom]

Derp is like a toddler... My 15 month old eats pebbles, acorns, sand, sticks

(I fish it out of his mouth ofcourse) Had a dog that would eat asphalt and would scrape gum off the sidewalk with his teeth.

Sometimes, animals (and small children) do stupid things just because it seemed like it was tasty or a good idea at the time.

Let's hope her pebble eating days will end with the adjusted diet.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Hope Derp comes good for you, I have seen the grainy crop before with Marek's, she would lay down so much I think it blocked the gizzard path. Haven't seen the neck issue Derp has though.

One point I did read but forgot to mention last night about the poo. You mentioned it was yellow and clear. We had that issue with our second bird. The avian vet we saw with Pepper said that was caused by liver failure. Coupled with the leg function loss it was an indicator of MD. The lesions can damage or put pressure on the liver and stop it from functioning properly.

I know the droppings can be great indicators of issues, but they can also throw a few curve balls as different issues have similar symptoms.

Good luck.

 

[seminolewind]

Nambroth, I use Virkon as well. I buy a 10 pound bucket of the powder and have a sprayer on the end of my hose, and occasionally drench everything, even the dirt. I know the smell of it from the hospitals I've worked at.

I think it was sold for livestock disinfecting, and I read somewhere that it killed Marek's, I think it's probably used at those big chicken houses between grow-outs.

As for the pebbles and stuff, I think when they waste, they are starving , and will eat anything to make them feel full.

http://www2.dupont.com/Virkon_S/en_GB/proven/virucidal_efficacy_poultry.html

http://www2.dupont.com/Virkon_S/en_GB/index.html

 

[RoxyBird]

This may sound silly, but since you've been considering deficiencies and have mentioned the pebble eating... could she be mistaking pebbles for oyster shell/calcium? My most recent casualty was a bird who most likely had hypocalcemia (she had to be euthanized because she went downhill so fast). It can cause some weird looking postures due to muscle weaknesses. I'm not a vet or experienced with these symptoms, mind you...

Anyway, my vet recommended popping a few pieces of oyster shell down the throat each day as a diagnostic. He said it couldn't hurt.

 

[Nambroth]

Nambroth, I use Virkon as well. I buy a 10 pound bucket of the powder and have a sprayer on the end of my hose, and occasionally drench everything, even the dirt. I know the smell of it from the hospitals I've worked at.

I think it was sold for livestock disinfecting, and I read somewhere that it killed Marek's, I think it's probably used at those big chicken houses between grow-outs.

As for the pebbles and stuff, I think when they waste, they are starving , and will eat anything to make them feel full.

http://www2.dupont.com/Virkon_S/en_GB/proven/virucidal_efficacy_poultry.html

http://www2.dupont.com/Virkon_S/en_GB/index.html

Thank you! I am extremely loathe to use anything on the soil. The overall health of my yard ecosystems (large and small) is more important to me than the tiny possibility of killing Marek's in the soil.
I don't think Derp is wasting. She eats normal food very well, has nice droppings, and I weigh her twice a day and she is very steady. Her keel is thick and she's very solid. But I understand what you are saying.
I did use Odoban as a recommended virucide to completely saturate every surface of the coop and the gravel run as much as possible. It was recommended by several as it specifically is known to kill herpes virus (which Marek's is a type of herpes virus as you know).

This may sound silly, but since you've been considering deficiencies and have mentioned the pebble eating... could she be mistaking pebbles for oyster shell/calcium? My most recent casualty was a bird who most likely had hypocalcemia (she had to be euthanized because she went downhill so fast). It can cause some weird looking postures due to muscle weaknesses. I'm not a vet or experienced with these symptoms, mind you...

Anyway, my vet recommended popping a few pieces of oyster shell down the throat each day as a diagnostic. He said it couldn't hurt.

Not at all silly! That's what this forum is good for... troubleshooting and thinking of things that other people might not have thought of. My feed is a layer ration right now, which has calcium. Additionally, my girls (Derp included) have free access to crushed oyster shell and I have seen them all eat it. Derp ate some just this afternoon. I am keeping an open mind but I do not suspect this to be a problem. Thank you for your suggestion though!! It may help someone else!

 

[seminolewind]

You know, my one coop has hens that lay fragile eggs. Someone suggested that I mix in the oyster shell with the feed. I do and I see it disappear. What's nice is that a lot of powder comes off those shells in the bag, and that gets dumped in the feed as well.

I'm not sure that Virkon does the soil any good. But I do it just in case it makes a difference.

Nambroth, stop weighing Derp so much!!!!! You'll drive yourself crazy. I just do a keel check at night every week or two.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I had concerns that it would kill my lawns, but I have not seen any plants dies from the program I used.

But, saying that it is designed to kill germs, bacteria and virus's, good or bad.

 

[seminolewind]

The chickens killed my lawn in the backyard a long time ago.