Marek or Vitamin Deficiency?

[Candy1977]

I went to let my chickens( almost 17 weeks old) out yesterday morning and found one of my girls on the ground and falling face forward when she tried to get up and walk. I sent the video to a friend and told me it looked like Marek disease and I needed to separate her. I did separate her and was prepared to dispatch her but I started reading about other possible causes of what she was doing. I found vitamin deficiency can cause similar symptoms.

So I have her separated and started giving her vitamins yesterday. This morning I went to check on her and she was standing straight up. One foot is completely straightened and the other is curled. I massaged her foot and opened it up and she could strand perfectly. But when she goes to walk she would fall over.

Does them seem like a vitamin issue or does it still seem like it could be marek? I have never had an issue like this with my chickens before.

This is a photo from this morning. You can see just one foot curled now instead of both. It wouldn’t let me post video from yesterday.



Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Candy1977]

This was from yesterday.

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be Mareks disease at her age. But I would treat her for B2 riboflavin deficiency for a week or two to see if that helps. Get human super B complex and give 1/4 tablet daily, or a vitamin that contains riboflavin. Curling under of the toes on the affected foot can be Mareks, riboflavin deficiency, or nerve damage from injury. Hopefully it is not Mareks, but if you lose her, getting a diagnosis with a neceopsy from your state vet would help to know what the future holds. Here is some reading about Mareks:
http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[Candy1977]

Here is the video of yesterday morning. She is not like this now. She could not stand up yesterday.

 

[Candy1977]

It could be Mareks disease at her age. But I would treat her for B2 riboflavin deficiency for a week or two to see if that helps. Get human super B complex and give 1/4 tablet daily, or a vitamin that contains riboflavin. Curling under of the toes on the affected foot can be Mareks, riboflavin deficiency, or nerve damage from injury. Hopefully it is not Mareks, but if you lose her, getting a diagnosis with a neceopsy from your state vet would help to know what the future holds. Here is some reading about Mareks:
http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Thank you so much. I really hope it is not Madel’s disease. That is what I gave her yesterday. I will continue to do it daily and hopefully she gets better.

 

[Candy1977]

I just checked on her and she was standing tall. She took 2 steps and didn’t fall over!!! She limped on that one curled foot but didn’t fall over and wasnt as wobbly.

With Mareks do they improve and get worse or do they continually decline?

 

[Eggcessive]

It is possible for a chicken with Mareks paralysis to suddenly get better, then later on have a relapse. But most chickens do not get better. It is hopeful that she is doing better today. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[coach723]

Since she has improved already it seems far more likely that the vitamins are helping and it's probably a deficiency. I would continue those until you are seeing no more symptoms and for about a week after, the B's are very safe to give. If she's low in the pecking order she may be getting kept from feeders and/or waterers, so adding one or two of each might help. Since there is no treatment for Marek's, vitamin supplements are usually the first thing to do, to see if they help. Deficiencies are not uncommon, even in older birds, particularly during molt when they may not be eating well. Fingers crossed she completely recovers.

 

[Candy1977]

It is possible for a chicken with Mareks paralysis to suddenly get better, then later on have a relapse. But most chickens do not get better. It is hopeful that she is doing better today. Let us know how she gets along.

It is possible for a chicken with Mareks paralysis to suddenly get better, then later on have a relapse. But most chickens do not get better. It is hopeful that she is doing better today. Let us know how she gets along.

thanks. I am hoping she continues to improve.

 

[Candy1977]

Since she has improved already it seems far more likely that the vitamins are helping and it's probably a deficiency. I would continue those until you are seeing no more symptoms and for about a week after, the B's are very safe to give. If she's low in the pecking order she may be getting kept from feeders and/or waterers, so adding one or two of each might help. Since there is no treatment for Marek's, vitamin supplements are usually the first thing to do, to see if they help. Deficiencies are not uncommon, even in older birds, particularly during molt when they may not be eating well. Fingers crossed she completely recovers.

I am hoping it is just vitamins. Thanks for the suggestion of adding more feeders and waterers. My Barred Rocks are usually on the top of the pecking order