Vaccinated chick might have Marek's - she can walk!!! update post #13

[The Lisser]

When it rains it pours --

Last week, a black snake got into my brooder room and ate 3 of my chicks. I covered a large dog crate with 1/2 inch hardware cloth and moved the remaining 11 chicks to that. The day before yesterday I noticed that one of my 2 week old chicks couldn't walk. She sits upright - and gets around, but can't really walk. At first I thought it just was her left leg, but today when I took her out it seems like she can bear weight on her "hocks" but can't stand up on her feet. The feet are warm, and she can move them.

It's possible that maybe she got a foot caught in the edge of the dog crate (I put cardboard along the bottom, to try to prevent injuries but it's still possible she could have gotten caught). I cannot see any visible injury to the legs or feet, or swelling. Several of the other chicks are very rambunctious and could have bumped her. The other thing is it got colder than I had thought the other night and the chicks were all huddled under their heat lamp (the thermometer said 83).

The chicks were vaccinated for Marek's before they were shipped. Until Wednesday evening she was totally fine.

Right now I have her separated by a barrier in the crate so she can see the other chicks but they cant walk on her. She has food and water. She ate food when I held her on my lap, and although I dipped her beak a couple times she didn't go for the water.

I haven't seen her poop but her vent area is clean.

Any ideas? Thanks!
Melissa

Edited to change subject

 

[The Lisser]

Okay so here's an update, in case anyone wants to take a stab at what's wrong or what treatment might help.

My little 2 1/2 week old chick (a barred rock) is separated from the 10 other same-age chicks because she won't walk. (She is in the same brooder, so she isn't too stressed out, but separated by a barrier). She can hobble around - uses her wings to help, but mostly just sits. She is eating and drinking and her poop is normal.

I thought it might be an injury - it seems to be the left leg more than the right - she can move the foot but seems to hold that leg closer to her body. My neighbor (who also has chickens) and who is a nurse, came over last night to check on the chick and give me her opinion. She thinks the chick is just weak - and recommended that I change the food. (The chicks have been on medicated starter food). She split an order of 25 chicks with me and her chicks are about 10% bigger! Hers are on flock raiser - non medicated. I use flock raiser for my older chickens so I went ahead and switched the food.

Any thoughts? Does it sound like weakness or an injury (or something else?). The chick can sit up and move, just seems to choose to not to move a lot. I asked my vet's office if they would see the chick but they said they don't work on chickens.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Melissa

 

[The Lisser]

I talked to my vet today, he said it's possible the chick (Fennel, a barred rock) could have Marek's. He told me that if I don't see improvement in the next 3-4 days I should have her put down and take the body to the state diagnostics lab. Fennel still can't stand up, but her legs and feet can still move and are not splayed out. She is still eating and drinking fine.

The chicks were all vaccinated as day-olds.

 

[dsqard]

Have you tried giving vitamins? I have read a lot of people use Polyvisol without iron on chicks that seem "droopy" and it peps them up.

 

[Turner]

Don't give up on her..as long as she is eating and drinking etc she may make it if it is Marek's. Like any vaccine it may prevent or if contracted symptoms may be less. She may recover if given time. Good Luck!

 

[Jenski]

According to our State Veterinarian, the vaccination currently being used for Marek's does not prevent Marek's. (none currently does) It prevents the vaccinated birds from shedding so much of the virus through dander, etc. and causing nearby birds more risk of catching the disease.

Sorry about your bird. It does sound like your brooder is too cold, and cold can cause stress that leads to a myriad of possible issues. It is not clear what your % protein in the current feed is, but I use 20% chick starter crumbles and have had great luck. Your brooder size and the cleanliness of the brooder and water/feeder(s) are important, too.

Chicks using their wing/s to stand can also have infections such as staph or e.coli - - these can settle in leg and wing joints, as well as in the eyes.

Sorry to barrage you with info - - if you can swing the cost/drive, a vet could possibly rule out some of the non-Marek's possibilities if you so choose. You might check online at http://www.aav.org/search/ and see if there is an avian vet in your area.

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

 

[The Lisser]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I worked with Fennel this afternoon - seems like she is gaining some strength - maybe it's just wishful thinking but I'll keep trying for a while. My dog/cat vet says that he doesn't see chickens as patients usually but he really likes chickens (and has them himself) so I may be able to talk him into seeing Fennel. I will keep this thread updated.

Thanks again,
Melissa

 

[Ozchicken]

I think she's a bit young for mareks. Although it can occur from 4 weeks old, it usually strikes between 12 and 24 weeks or even later.

I agree with Polska. If the whole batch are small then it's cold stress or feed stress. Put the whole lot on vitamins and check your brooder arrangements. Whether you use chick starter or flock raiser shouldn't make much difference. Are your neighbours birds under lights all night so they're eating more? Check out their temperature. A cold chick won't necessarily get sick but it will eat less, and the odd one will get leg problems from eating less. The commercially prepared feed mixes include vitamins/minerals at the rate that chicks need them if they eat a normal amount per day. If the chicks eat less they are at risk of deficiency and stunted growth.

 

[The Lisser]

Quote:
My neighbor's birds are under lights all night, so that could indeed account for why they are bigger. My DH is an electrical engineer and made a thermostat controller for my chick's brooder light so it comes on and off as needed - the night that it got too cold we had a much colder overnight outside temperature (the brooder is in an unfinished room in my house) and the light should have been lowered, I think - but my dog was in the midst of an epilepsy episode and I was dealing with him so I didn't look after the chicks as often as I should have.

I hope you are right that it is not marek's.

Thanks for your input.

Melissa

 

[The Lisser]

Yesterday I was resigned to the fact that I would probably have to put Fennel down.

This morning I was THRILLED to see that she is not sitting on her hocks all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She can actually raise up on her feet a bit and her grip is stronger!!!! She cannot hold the upright position for long, but it is an improvement! And, she is still stronger on her right leg, which makes me believe that it may have been some type of injury to the left leg or foot - though nothing obvious.

I am so glad. I really hope that she continues to improve. I will continue to update this thread.

Melissa