What is wrong with my.....

megshenhut

Songster
14 Years
Jun 21, 2007
485
12
246
Central Colorado
Welsummer hen? She is seven months old and not laying. About a week ago I noticed her periodically shaking herself, more like a shudder or shiver, like she was cold. I didn't think too much about it at the time. But on the weekend, she started to sort of stumble like her motor skills to her legs aren't working quite right. Sometimes she is down on her hocks more so on the left side instead of totalling standing. She is eating, drinking and pooing OK. But she does seem underweight comparing to her hatch mates. She is a hatchery bird and was supposed to be vaccined for Marek's. I isolated her on the weekend, have put "quick chick" powder in her water. She is eating layer mash and scrambled eggs. I also gave her three drops daily of poly-vi-sol baby vitamins. So far she doesn't seem to be getting worse, but also no better. Anybody have any ideas? I've had chickens for 5 years and never had anything like this.
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If it is Mareks (vaccines have a failure rate) then there is little you can do. I would suggest you separate her (you can monitor her also better this way) and give her AviaCharge 2000 (this will take care of any possible deficiency issues)... in addition to this you can also give her three drops of POLYVISOL in the beak for a week ... often this has worked to get a bird "back on track" (deficiencies occur so easily)...
 
I do have her separated. If it is Marek's what kind of a time schedule am I looking at? I know some make it and some don't. I've had her separated since Sunday and been giving her polyvisol daily. I will add some avian charge to her water. How long is this whole thing take? She isn't getting any worse, but is in a small cage so she cannot move around a lot. If she makes it, will she always walk funny or recover? Will she always be a carrier of the disease and if so, can she give it to my other chickens only right now or a any given time? I have 60 chickens and don't want them all exposed to this if possible. I have about 10 that I've hatched two summers ago that were not vaccined for Marek's. Of course, I don't even know if it is Marek's.
 
Mareks is everywhere and they are already exposed. I have no idea on the time scale...give her a couple weeks at least to see if she is going to get better or worse.
 

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