Video: Help! Time to put chicken down??

[Bri416]

Have a 3 year old buff hen. One wing was dropping down to the ground. I wrapped it on and off for about a week and she still walked around. Past 2 days just sitting still (made sure food and water was accessible). Today she has been opening and closing her beak (no sound) as if gasping for air....? In pain? Not sure. Is it time to just put her down?

Video link, hopefully: https://photos.app.goo.gl/U7qwg2QWBXJrW6v67

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you ever had birds with Mareks disease in the past? Has she been eating or drinking recently? She does look to be close to death, unfortunately. What other symptoms has she had? Can you try to refrigerate, but not freeze her body so that you can get a necropsy and testing for Mareks disease? In what state are you located? Here is some contact info for atate vets:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Bri416]

Have you ever had birds with Mareks disease in the past? Has she been eating or drinking recently? She does look to be close to death, unfortunately. What other symptoms has she had? Can you try to refrigerate, but not freeze her body so that you can get a necropsy and testing for Mareks disease? In what state are you located? Here is some contact info for atate vets:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Thank you very much for replying. Yes she does look pretty bad. . Since she's declined so rapidly the past few days I'm thinking we should put her out of her misery- I don't really see how she could improve from here.
No other symptoms than listed in the original post; it seemed to start with an injured wing. She did eat and drink yesterday, maybe just a bite or two today. I've researched Marek's a little, it's hard to tell for sure since it sounds like symptoms can be so different! We have 9 other chickens who all seem perfectly healthy - could it possibly affect just one chicken? (We don't know whether or not she was vaccinated.) We're in CO, not too far from Colo State.

 

[Kiki]

I am sorry, she does not look good at all.

I would guess there is no coming back from this and it is time.

 

[Bri416]

I am sorry, she does not look good at all.

I would guess there is no coming back from this and it is time.

Thank you, it helps to hear your opinion too.

 

[Eggcessive]

Mareks is usually seen in younger birds, but it can really affect a bird of any any if they become exposed by new birds to the flock, or by wild birds. Mareks is only a guess, since her wing seems paralyzed. Mareks can cause paralysis in one or both legs or wings, and can have many different symptoms in each bird. That is why I would try to get a necropsy, just to find out what in the world caused this. I doubt if she lasts much longer, so I would try to keep her warm and comfortable.

 

[rebrascora]

I too would be concerned about Marek's and yes it is possible for just one bird to exhibit symptoms at any one time. The disease has dormant phases when birds can seem perfectly healthy but still be infected and become symptomatic at times of stress, which can be anything from unwanted attentions of a rampant young cockerel, to surge or decrease in hormones in spring or autumn or a predator attack or even a spell of bad weather. What stresses one bird, does not always stress another, so you may have other birds becoming symptomatic or none. Juvenile/adolescent birds are most at risk but older birds can get it if they are exposed in later life or may have been infected as youngsters and survived an initial quite minor outbreak, symptoms of which can be as subtle as being unable to keep one eyelid fully open for a day or two or as debilitating as floundering on their side in classic Marek's splits posture, unable to get up..... or any variation of severity in between.

If it helps you at all, I have Marek's in my flock and I would help end it for one of my birds if she was in that state. I have nursed them back from some pretty bad paralysis over periods of weeks and months, so I don't give up on them lightly, but once they lose interest in food and are suffering respiratory distress and are clearly very sick as she is, it is kinder to help them pass.
I'm really sorry not to be able to give you hope in this case.

 

[Bri416]

Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate all the info!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Have a 3 year old buff hen. One wing was dropping down to the ground. I wrapped it on and off for about a week and she still walked around. Past 2 days just sitting still (made sure food and water was accessible). Today she has been opening and closing her beak (no sound) as if gasping for air....? In pain? Not sure. Is it time to just put her down?

Video link, hopefully: https://photos.app.goo.gl/U7qwg2QWBXJrW6v67

Thank you very much for replying. Yes she does look pretty bad. . Since she's declined so rapidly the past few days I'm thinking we should put her out of her misery- I don't really see how she could improve from here.
No other symptoms than listed in the original post; it seemed to start with an injured wing. She did eat and drink yesterday, maybe just a bite or two today. I've researched Marek's a little, it's hard to tell for sure since it sounds like symptoms can be so different! We have 9 other chickens who all seem perfectly healthy - could it possibly affect just one chicken? (We don't know whether or not she was vaccinated.) We're in CO, not too far from Colo State.

I'm sorry about your hen
Here's a link to your state lab in case you need it
http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/vdl/Pages/default.aspx