Sick chicken question

[korib90]

I had an ameraucana who just died today. For the past week and a half she's been sick. Being new to the chicken thing I wasn't sure was what wrong with her. Her first symptom was she couldn't walk well she had a hobble to her walk. The next day she became completely immobile so I isolated her. She could still move and kick her legs but she couldn't stand up. She had her good days and bad days, she continued to eat and drink for the first 4-5 days, but Towards the end she started breathing roughly like she was gasping for air, and eventually I had to start syringe feeding her. I just would really like to know what she had. I have thought of things like mareks and such, but I just am not sure. Any ideas??

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. It is hard to guess what she had without a necropsy that can be done by your state vet. Some possibilities as you said are Mareks, mycoplasma synoviae, or botulism. Did she have any problem holding up her neck toward the end? You could still get a necropsy done on her body if it is refrigerated, but not frozen. Here is a link that may give you info for your state vet: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/participants.shtml

 

[korib90]

No she held up her head fine. She's all ready been burried, I was just wishing there was more I could do for her. When something goes wrong with chickens I've noticed usually there isn't a good ending, so I knew when she couldn't walk that she probably wasn't going to live much longer but she lived longer than I expected her too.