I have a Mareks-vaccinated hen who was recently placed back in her flock after a 10 month abscence. She spent 5 weeks in a basket when she over a few days became unbalanced, ending up on her side or falling backward when she would attempt to run. At first she just wobbled. She was confined to the recycling basket with bedding, but she could get up and move a little while there. She did not drink for 5 weeks, and I fed her watery feed, cooked egg, and canned catfood to coax her to eat. She got vitamins with minerals, probiotics. Suddenly, she had enough of the basket, and began trying to go outside with her flock every morning. The others, including a tiny bantam, jumped on her and pecked her comb bloody. So she spent her nights in a dog crate, and was placed in our yard to free range during the days. She could see her flock through a fence. We then moved her to her own coop in our yard. She became stronger, but continued to have a bit of being slightly wobbly. This fall we had to reintegrate her back into the flock, and it has gone fairly well. She is very low in pecking order, but has not been hurt. She cannot jump up to a roost anymore since her illness. We never found out what caused her imbalance. We have never seen a case of Mareks, so we may never know the problem.
