My sweet hen Seems to have Marek’s Disease

[Stephymonster]

My dear hen Rudie is suspected to have Marek’s Disease (our vets opinion). She started with an impacted crop which I helped heal, and things seemed back to normal for her until one of her legs gave out. Tumors were found in her abdomen and she has days where she can get around slowly and others where she mostly lays down (she is on anti-inflammatory medicine to help bring down swelling). She is now separated from the flock as her rival for top chicken pecked her at head overnight. My sweet girl is still otherwise her cuddly self and is eating/drinking pretty well though she is thin. Does anyone have any advice on how to care for her? I realize she may not have much more time but I want to make whatever time she has left full of love. She is hanging out with me as I type this and chowing down on her feed. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[boskelli1571]

My dear hen Rudie is suspected to have Marek’s Disease (our vets opinion). She started with an impacted crop which I helped heal, and things seemed back to normal for her until one of her legs gave out. Tumors were found in her abdomen and she has days where she can get around slowly and others where she mostly lays down (she is on anti-inflammatory medicine to help bring down swelling). She is now separated from the flock as her rival for top chicken pecked her at head overnight. My sweet girl is still otherwise her cuddly self and is eating/drinking pretty well though she is thin. Does anyone have any advice on how to care for her? I realize she may not have much more time but I want to make whatever time she has left full of love. She is hanging out with me as I type this and chowing down on her feed. Thanks in advance for your help!

Lots of love and kindness and good food. I have a girl that has Mareks. She got it as a pullet and I didn't expect her to survive, but here she 1 year later.
I made her a special wet mash with 20% feed and vit/elec. in the water that I mixed it with. I also mixed in some crushed oregano. I gave her sunflower seeds, bird seed, anything to get her to eat.
Keep the other birds away from her while she is weak as they will pick on her. Good luck!

 

[Stephymonster]

So happy to hear that your sweet girl is still with you a whole year later! What do you mix into her wet mash (is it oregano, sunflower seeds & bird feed)? And do you mean adding electrolytes into her water? Thank so much for all of your help, relieved that there is hope for our feathered friends :]

 

[boskelli1571]

So happy to hear that your sweet girl is still with you a whole year later! What do you mix into her wet mash (is it oregano, sunflower seeds & bird feed)? And do you mean adding electrolytes into her water? Thank so much for all of your help, relieved that there is hope for our feathered friends :]

Mix 1/2 gall. water with something like Poultry Cell or Rooster Booster. I prefer Poultry Cell b/c I feel it is better. Use the mixture to wet down 20% protein feed into a oatmeal consistency. I did that 2x day using a fresh batch of feed each time, but would leave the leftovers for her to pick at until next feeding time. I added the oregano to the mix also.
The black oil sunflower seeds and good quality bird seed I hand fed and left some in a dish for her.
Since she was getting the Poultry Cell in her food, her regular water was just that with no additives.
You could also crumble up some meal worms to hand feed her - just a small amount each day as a treat
I fed her and her sister this mix, sadly her sister didn't make it I bought 10 chicks from a breeder, 8 succumbed to Mareks....
She is just going through her 1st molt and she looks miserable, but she is a fighter, very determined. She walks very pigeon toed and has a bit of a problem with balance but such a love.
Keep me updated please . Mareks is terrible, but some do survive

 

[Stephymonster]

Thank you so much for all of the advice on what to feed Rudie! So sorry you lost 8 out of 10 of your chicks Your hen sounds like such a special girl, and she is so lucky to have you caring for her hoping her molt finishes up soon! I’ll let you know how Rudie does with the special mix, thanks for giving me hope with this awful disease!