Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chicken keepers

Meet others keeping chickens on our Mumsnet Chicken forum.

Flip

Original poster

help! mareks disease!

22 replies

Bangonthedoor · 28/09/2013 21:09

So im pretty sure my 15 week old pure light sussex has mareks disease :-(

I havent had it confirmed bit all the signs are there and it hasnt been able to stand for days. I've had to seperate it from my legbars (same age) as they were really pecking her and bullying her. So at the moment she is in a box with bedding, food and water but is struggling to move about at all.

How long will it take for her to actually die? Sounds awful i know but shes got no quality of life just sat on her own in a box all day and night.

Shes not got worse or better. Any advice? What do i do?!

OP posts:

lily06 · 28/09/2013 21:22

You really need to see a vet, and one that's knowledgeable about chickens. It might be mareks, then again it might not, there are other conditions with similar symptoms. If its treatable she needs treating ASAP, otherwise the kind thing to do is to have her put down and end her suffering as it could go on for days. It's horrible to have to see, I hope you are ok.

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 28/09/2013 21:49

Thank you for replying lily i will try and seek out a good vet for her. Its silly how attached i am after such a short time

OP posts:

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 30/09/2013 14:09

Ive found a good chicken vet and going this afternoon. Theres been a couole of times where ive found her on her back, i think where shes fallen trying to stand and then not been able to roll back over.

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 30/09/2013 14:58

You may need to treat the rest of the flock. Let us know how you get on.

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 30/09/2013 18:04

Ok so went to the poultry vet this afternoon and she told me its definitely not mareks disease as it can still move her feet but just cant weight bear or balance.

The vet suggested its lack of calcium causing her bones not being strong enough to hold her now. So we've been given drops to be given every 2 hrs and apparently should be able to see an improvement by tomorrow if not im to go back on wednesday.

Shes still at an ok weight, a little skinny but nothing to worry about says the vet.

Anyone experienced this before? Shes still been on growers so we've switched her to layers now.

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 30/09/2013 18:32

Bless her and so glad it's not bad news for the others. I routinely offer crushed oyster shell to my girls.

The only time I've had a hen with issues with walking was when one was passing a softy and it was putting pressure on the nerves at her back end.

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 30/09/2013 19:11

Thank you bramble tell me more about your hen passing an egg? How did you know that was the problem?

I hope Trudy gets better really soon for us. Thanks everyone for your help x

OP posts:

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 01/10/2013 18:37

So...Trudy hasnt got any better over night and id say shes actually got worse. Made another appt but the vet cant see her until Thursday at 5pm. To be honest id be surprised if shes made it until then.

It seems like something has changed today, she seems quite weasy and i keep finding her on her back. So i have to move her back on her front. Everytime i do 2 seconds later shes on her back again like shes trying tobe on her back. I'll try and post some pics

OP posts:

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 01/10/2013 18:57

Ive put some pics up. Hopefully you can see them?

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 01/10/2013 20:00

I can't see them, are your settings private?
Poor her, and you.
I had a legbwr pts this summer. The vet plucked a few feathers from under her wing and gave her an injection.

I've never had what you describe.

Softies normally find them off colour and separate for a day at the most, wings down, a bit hunched. Then a soft shelled egg and bouncing back to normal. I would mostly give a few fluids and corn if they can be taken. No interest in food is not good. I have nutridrops which I use when the hen is wonky - stringed down her beak.

Bramblesinforrin · 01/10/2013 20:00

Syringed

Bramblesinforrin · 01/10/2013 20:02

When mine are wonky, I put some straw in a cat box and move them into the downstairs loo overnight. This is so the others don't give them too much grief in the morning. I put them back in the morning, as long as they're sort of ok and have some cover from the others if they need to be apart.

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 01/10/2013 20:12

Try now i think ive changed my settings now.

Thanks bramble i really appreciate your help with this.

Its so strange its difficult to explain it. At the moment im thinking the vet will put her to sleep but i suppose i will have to see what tomorrow brings.

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 01/10/2013 20:42

Aw bless her little heart. She's just a baby. My light Sussex is such a madam, she thinks she lives in my house.

Well, I'm sorry but I can't offer any help. You could try the Omlet forum as many chicken keepers have more experience of difficulties than I have experienced.

If the vet does have to do anything you can be sure that it will be peaceful.

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 01/10/2013 21:00

Ah thank you bramble i suppose she and i will just have to ride it out until thursday. I think if she does survive this im sure she'll think shes become a house chicken as shes currently in our out house. I keep saying "dont get too used to this!"

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 01/10/2013 21:13

They certainly get right into those soft spots of ours!

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 02/10/2013 13:00

Im so distraught right now :-(((

I walked past Trudy in her little box and she was upright and and seemed ok and i went and sat down with DD. Then i'd say about 3 minutes later DP called me from where Trudy was.

I looked in her box and she had drowned in her water where she had flipped over on her back and not able to get up, in such a short space of time! I feel so upset like its all my fault.

If she was going to die from being ill then thats differentbut she drowned when she may have survived :-(

This happened about 20 mins ago...ive now got to ring the vet to cancel her appt.

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 02/10/2013 19:31

I am so sorry. These things happen and you tried so hard to care for her where others wouldn't. We had a random accident where one of our pekins (who hatched in my hand) was found dangling upside down from a perch by a neighbour. She needed lots of nursing and pulled through, but one hour more and she wouldn't have done. Accidents happen.

It wasnt looking good before, I'm sorry to say. At least she went very quickly in familiar surroundings rather than a trip to somewhere new. X

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 02/10/2013 19:55

Im being so silly crying so much about her. I think its worse because i had literally just walked passed her and she was ok.

Im sad because i was giving her lots of strokes and cuddles and giving her 2 hourly drops from the vet and trying so hard and then this horrible thing happens.

I havent moved her from her box yet either :-(

Thanks for all your help bramble xx

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 02/10/2013 20:46

We get so fond of them. I was very sobby for a couple of days when I lost my first. The vet is used to me standing there blubbing, as a big farm vet he is very soft with the townie lady. Tears are a mark of how much we care for them.

It sounds ike she was a poorly girl, and maybe in the longer run a quick going saved her a lot more pain.

Would it be worth popping her in a shoe box, or wrapping her in a tea cloth for burying tomorrow? We are dreadful with our pet burials, the children and myself pop flowers in and all sorts. I do make sure I put a slate or something on the grave site to stop the chickens scratching too deep, or foxes coming iyswim.

Original poster

Bangonthedoor · 04/10/2013 08:49

So Trudy was buried yesterday in a shoe box underneath DD's wooden swing so nothing can dig her up again. Will miss her lots

OP posts:

Bramblesinforrin · 04/10/2013 09:07

Xx so sad, poor thing, and you. We still talk about chickens we had a few years ago - they are so quirky.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread