Sudden onset balance/mobility problem

[Nambroth]

This does look like Marek's, sadly. There are, however, other things it CAN be... if you wish to try to help her with the other possible ailments then you can attempt to do so. It's up to you how much time and energy you wish to invest. I have a list of things that look like Marek's here, if you wish to investigate: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Recovery (there is no cure) from Marek's is not common but as Rebrascora said, sometimes they do recover. They often have a suppressed immune system forevermore if they show the ataxia/paralysis and may be more prone to other illnesses such as cocci, etc. Once they go off food, or if they start laboring to breathe, though... it's usually not something they can come back from. Struggling to breathe means that the lymphomas are likely present in the lungs and/or heart and death is very likely.

 

[rebrascora]

I agree with @Nambroth. Once they lose their appetite or suffer respiratory distress, it is kindest to end it for them, but I have had some birds get back to free ranging with the flock after months of supportive care with quite severe disability. My birds are mostly broody reared though which I believe gives them a much stronger immune system and free ranging gives them the natural variety of herbs which helps to boost that further. I also believe sunlight has a significant role to play and I do my best now to get my Marek's sick birds out on grass in the sunshine whenever possible. I also encourage them to move a short distance towards a treat and gradually increase that distance as they get the hang of it. I used to put mine in a cage in a small paddock through the day and scatter scratch around the cage for the other chickens so that they were all eating together and then at dusk, open the cage door and let the bird try to make it's own way back to the coop. It is not pretty but over a period of time they seemed to gradually relearn how to control the gammy limb.
Since this bird has been vaccinated, I believe it has a better than average chance of surviving this attack if it is Marek's... assuming you are prepared to offer supportive care. In my opinion, the best that you can do is support the immune system with vitamins and herbs and feed them well. Fermented feed can help to keep the digestive tract healthy (or probiotics if you don't want to ferment..... it's dead easy though!) and treats like scrambled egg or slivers of raw liver or a bit of cottage cheese or tuna occasionally can all help keep them interested in food and well nourished. Keeping them in view of other chickens is also pretty important. They get depressed if they are on their own and appetite then diminishes and they decline.
A chicken sling may also be beneficial if it is struggling to keep itself in an upright position.... here is a very basic one made from everyday items....

You can clip little pots to the front so that they can reach their own food and water from the comfort of their hammock.
Good luck with your little girl and keep us posted. We will be rooting for her.

 

[Shepshill]

Follow-up question: Are some breeds more susceptible to Marek’s and other diseases than other breeds—perhaps because of a less diverse gene pool? Is hybrid vigor observed in chickens?

 

[Shepshill]

I agree with @Nambroth. Once they lose their appetite or suffer respiratory distress, it is kindest to end it for them, but I have had some birds get back to free ranging with the flock after months of supportive care with quite severe disability. My birds are mostly broody reared though which I believe gives them a much stronger immune system and free ranging gives them the natural variety of herbs which helps to boost that further. I also believe sunlight has a significant role to play and I do my best now to get my Marek's sick birds out on grass in the sunshine whenever possible. I also encourage them to move a short distance towards a treat and gradually increase that distance as they get the hang of it. I used to put mine in a cage in a small paddock through the day and scatter scratch around the cage for the other chickens so that they were all eating together and then at dusk, open the cage door and let the bird try to make it's own way back to the coop. It is not pretty but over a period of time they seemed to gradually relearn how to control the gammy limb.
Since this bird has been vaccinated, I believe it has a better than average chance of surviving this attack if it is Marek's... assuming you are prepared to offer supportive care. In my opinion, the best that you can do is support the immune system with vitamins and herbs and feed them well. Fermented feed can help to keep the digestive tract healthy (or probiotics if you don't want to ferment..... it's dead easy though!) and treats like scrambled egg or slivers of raw liver or a bit of cottage cheese or tuna occasionally can all help keep them interested in food and well nourished. Keeping them in view of other chickens is also pretty important. They get depressed if they are on their own and appetite then diminishes and they decline.
A chicken sling may also be beneficial if it is struggling to keep itself in an upright position.... here is a very basic one made from everyday items....
View attachment 1354506
You can clip little pots to the front so that they can reach their own food and water from the comfort of their hammock.
Good luck with your little girl and keep us posted. We will be rooting for her.

What a clever idea!

 

[rebrascora]

There are some breeds which are more susceptible to Marek's, silkies, seramas and I believe cream legbars are the main offenders. Egyptian Fayoumis are supposedly naturally resistant to it from what I have read, but most other breeds seem to be as susceptible to it as we humans are to the Herpes Virus that causes cold sores..... ie it is very widespread. They are in fact the same family of viruses and behave in a similar way in that they lie dormant for long periods, outbreak at times of stress and you cannot tell who has it unless they are having an outbreak.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is it not true that birds showing symptoms are also actively shedding the virus in their dander?

 

[Shepshill]

Another follow-up question: If my chick has Marek’s disease, should I refrain from acquiring additional chicks or chickens while all of my current flock, four yearlings and three chicks, are still on the premises? Since the vaccine doesn’t prevent the disease, wouldn’t any new arrivals be at risk?

 

[Shepshill]

Is it not true that birds showing symptoms are also actively shedding the virus in their dander?

Is it?! The answer could certainly impact my decision re: this poor chick.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is it?! The answer could certainly impact my decision re: this poor chick.

I guess we will see what @rebrascora says. I have always culled within a week to keep from spreading it more, but apparently I have some Mareks information wrong, so maybe that's wrong too.

I personally see Mareks maybe once a year or less in my batch of chicks. It doesn't seem to any bigger than that, but we have always removed the symptomatic one within a week or so after noticing them. We choose not to vaccinate, and cull as necessary. I have never seen it in birds over 4 months.

 

[rebrascora]

Is it not true that birds showing symptoms are also actively shedding the virus in their dander?

Yes it is indeed true that they shed the virus whilst they are symptomatic, just like humans with cold sores.... it is a similar Herpes virus that causes Marek's. If you are getting new chicks (I assume they will also be vaccinated), you will need to practice good biosecurity measures between your main flock and the chicks for the first few weeks to allow the vaccine become effective. This chick will have already shed the virus in dander dust in the environments that it has occupied so far and eliminating that is very difficult if not impossible and it can survive for months if not years more or less inert until it is inhaled by a chicken to infect them. So yes that chick is continuing to shed the virus, so probably increasing the risk to future chicks but the risk will still be there even if you cull it now. It's a hard decision to make.
@oldhenlikesdogs probably has the correct approach but I find it hard enough to euthanize the ones that are losing the battle to Marek's so I don't have the heart to terminate the ones that are still bright eyed and showing the spirit to fight it and I have had successes with quite a few of them. None of mine are vaccinated and I broody rear chicks within the Marek's exposed flock and I only get the occasional one or two cases each year, (I raised 56 chicks the year before last) so I don't feel that by keeping the sick ones I increase the risk significantly, otherwise I would have greater losses.