Sudden crouching stance and unsteady walking.

[bhawk-23]

Hello,

11 month old Easter Egger
Good body weight
Eating
Drinking
Full crop
3 good poops in 2hrs
Red comb
Laying well
I’m not great at feeling abdomens but it’s full and squishy from behind legs legs to the vent. I am not comfortable performing an internal vent check.

Flock has MG and Mareks

I gave her a calcium tablet 3 hrs ago
She is wobbly and sitting funny (see pics)
I would not describe her as lethargic, she is bright eyed and alert.

My gut says it’s mareks but can it be such a sudden onset in an otherwise healthy, laying, free ranging just yesterday, pullet?

Anything else I should examine or look for?

I'll take away food and water tonight to check crop in the morning but anything else in the meantime?

Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Marek's symptoms can come on suddenly. But the symptoms can be from heat stress if you suddenly had a hot day following a cool stretch. Mold exposure and petroleum distillates exposure can also cause these symptoms. See anything there that fits better than the others?

 

[bhawk-23]

Marek's symptoms can come on suddenly. But the symptoms can be from heat stress if you suddenly had a hot day following a cool stretch. Mold exposure and petroleum distillates exposure can also cause these symptoms. See anything there that fits better than the others?

Thank you. I do not believe those to fit. Possibly mold since it’s been really wet and they free range but no one else has these symptoms. I’ll keep a close eye on the others though.

Could it possibly be an egg issue? Should I try another calcium before bed?

 

[azygous]

Giving calcium is always a safe move if a stuck egg is suspected.

And by the way, I am one of the few who recommends NOT sticking fingers into the cloaca to try to feel for an egg. Most of the time a stuck egg is in the oviduct where it can't be felt. If the egg is in the cloaca, you will likely see it or feel it from the outside.

 

[bhawk-23]

Giving calcium is always a safe move if a stuck egg is suspected.

And by the way, I am one of the few who recommends NOT sticking fingers into the cloaca to try to feel for an egg. Most of the time a stuck egg is in the oviduct where it can't be felt. If the egg is in the cloaca, you will likely see it or feel it from the outside.

Good to know about the vent checking. I think I can do more damage than good.

I’ve chosen to kindly euthanize. She was beginning to display paralysis and open mouth breathing. It never gets better at this point and I was worried she would suffer during the night. I’ve made a promise to not allow that to happen once I am certain it is mareks.

I’m very disheartened. This was our first mareks death in a year (almost to the day). I thought we were in a good spot and figuring everything out. Painful reminder that I cannot fix this.

 

[bhawk-23]

@azygous

Any thoughts on why mareks would set in so quickly on an 11 month old vaccinated pullet? I thought the tumors would not develop when they are vaccinated. Her 3 mates are all fine as of now. I bought them as vaccinated pullets to make sure they were isolated from my flock while the vaccine had time to work before being introduced to our particular strain of Mareks. At nearly a year old I assumed we were out of the danger zone. I thought I finally had a hold on this nasty disease

 

[azygous]

It may not be Marek's, but LL can cause these symptoms at exactly this age. It goes against our innate sense of fairness, but a flock can carry both viruses.

But always treat for vitamin deficiency when lameness crops up since that's very common.

 

[bhawk-23]

It may not be Marek's, but LL can cause these symptoms at exactly this age. It goes against our innate sense of fairness, but a flock can carry both viruses.

But always treat for vitamin deficiency when lameness crops up since that's very common.

LL? I’m not sure what this is. Should I have treated her different than calcium to relieve pressure on a nerve causing the lameness?

 

[azygous]

If the lameness was due to the pressure of an egg, getting the egg out will resolve it.

I didn't mean to alarm you with the possibility of another virus. Lymphoid leucosis (LL) is even more common in flocks than Marek's. Lameness is usually one of the first signs, and first symptoms show up from age five months to a year. Most often, though, chickens develop resistance when exposed early. Most owners of flocks that carry LL never even know it's there.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss.