I'm not sure if anyone would be interested in this update, but I thought I'd post it.
Since my post on 2/9/12, for a while all went well with the four hens. Every now and then one of the 'healthy' ones was limping for a few days, but then would get up and be fine for a week or so. My original sick hen was doing pretty well and the flock of 4 was getting along well.
This went along until the cold snap came after the warm weather. Two of my hens became seriously ill again. The original sick droopy hen and a second one, the limping one. They went downhill fast, but didn't die. After about a week of no eating, force feeding, propping up the hen that couldn't walk at all and had her legs all splayed out underneath her, I went back to the vet again.
He confirmed Marek's disease and we traced it back to a certain farm in the area that he knows has problems with Marek's. He had to put down my two hens, one whom I've been nursing all winter. I was so sad. He didn't recommend bringing the bodies home due to the disease, since we still have 2 'healthy' ones at home.
So now I'm down from a flock of 5 to a flock of 2 in a pretty short period of time. They would have all been 3 years old in May. He said my 2 remaining ones may not ever get sick--it is hard to know. He didn't recommend introducing any new chickens to my flock for a while, so I am going to have to be satisfied with just my two lonely hens for a while. At least they are both laying at the moment.
How sad! Very sorry to hear about this, I guess I try and focus on the positive after something like this, at least you still have two left instead of losing them all. I know that probably doesn't help comfort much, it is hard to go through all that you have been through!
