Urgent Help needed - second hen to go blind in less than a week.

[Eatchison]

She now is having fits and spasms - I know there is no hope for her but does anyone know what this could have been, as i have another 5 hens who seem poorly today. I cannot understand how she seemed fit healthy and happy at 12.30 pm Friday, in 5 hours she became blind, 24 hours later she was still getting around, was alert and eating and now less than 24 hours later she's having some sort of brain seizure. Has anyone experienced this?

I realize this is a very old thread but I'm currently having a hen act in this exact manner, and am incredibly fearful as to what is happening. Have you gained any insight into what may have been wrong with her, and what happened to her? Please share if you can.

 

[Eatchison]

Thanks Tenchicks,

well Georgina died not long after my last post - she had the most terrible spams and it was truly awful. The reason I wasn't sure about Marek's disease is that both girls eyes looked absolutely perfect. To add to my woes, I noticed another of my girls had a messy bottom this evening. I gave her a bath and two terrible things happened, one I realised she is going blind, again her eyes look perfect. Two, she had a terrible wound by her vent that was crawling with maggots. I cannot believe I allowed this to happen. We washed her and I covered the wound with an antiseptic cream which made the worms crawl out and we picked them all out with tweezers - the worst job I have ever had to do. I then washed the other four girls and checked them out but thank god they were clear - I have cut the feathers around all their vents to be on the safe side. I had already checked all the things you suggested and cannot find anything obvious. I am bordering on the obsessive about my girls and spend so much time with them - with a third girl going blind I think it has to be Marek's. And your question reminded me that I was at a "petting farm" about 3 weeks ago were there lots of free range poultry - I wonder if I picked it up there? Well I'll definitely have an autopsy done as I need to know what it is I'm dealing with and won't get any more hens til I know it's safe.
Thanks again,

Again. could you elaborate eon anything you found after the fact? I currently have a hen struggling with what sounds like exactly the same thing and am terrified at the thought of putting her down. Please get back to me.