Marek's disease?

[Red Mangrove]

A few months ago I found one of my free-range hens laying crippled on the ground, unable to walk or fly at all. I couldn't tell what was injured, but it appeared to be both a wing and a leg that wouldn't function properly

I then placed her into a kennel to protect and care for her until she recovered, which took about a month

Right now she's walking around slowly and has significantly recovered from the condition I found her in originally

She can move now but it's slow and she still has a sickly appearance, with patches of feathers missing and odd black feathers appearing here and there (she's a RIR). Tonight I just read about the symptoms of Marek's disease for the first time and I'm wondering if perhaps she has it. Originally I thought maybe my brahma rooster had simply been too rough with her and the thought of disease never even crossed my mind

This is the one and only sick bird I've dealt with in my life and so far no other bird has been affected. Does this look like Marek's disease? She has been recovering. Eyes are normal. One and a half years of age

 

[MysteryChicken]

A few months ago I found one of my free-range hens laying crippled on the ground, unable to walk or fly at all. I couldn't tell what was injured, but it appeared to be both a wing and a leg that wouldn't function properly

I then placed her into a kennel to protect and care for her until she recovered, which took about a month

Right now she's walking around slowly and has significantly recovered from the condition I found her in originally

She can move now but it's slow and she still has a sickly appearance, with patches of feathers missing and odd black feathers appearing here and there (she's a RIR). Tonight I just read about the symptoms of Marek's disease for the first time and I'm wondering if perhaps she has it. Originally I thought maybe my brahma rooster had simply been too rough with her and the thought of disease never even crossed my mind

This is the one and only sick bird I've dealt with in my life and so far no other bird has been affected. Does this look like Marek's disease? She has been recovering. Eyes are normal. One and a half years of age

She's pretty.

Sounds like it may have been a vitamin deficiency. What did you treat her with?

 

[Red Mangrove]

Sounds like it may have been a vitamin deficiency.

Why would one bird in a flock of 50 suddenly lose the ability to walk from a vitamin deficiency? She has the exact same diet as all the others, who are of many different breeds and ages

 

[MysteryChicken]

Why would one bird in a flock of 50 suddenly lose the ability to walk from a vitamin deficiency? She has the exact same diet as all the others, who are of many different breeds and ages

It happens. I had a hen, that apparently was deficienct in some vitamins, & minerals produce a chick with problems. The day after it hatched, it suddenly had Wry Neck, & constipation. I wasn't equipped to care for it at that time, so I put it down. It kept flipping over on it's back.
When I found the chick, that day it was cold, & half dead laying on it's back away from the heat plate.

 

[LaFleche]

A few months ago I found one of my free-range hens laying crippled on the ground, unable to walk or fly at all. I couldn't tell what was injured, but it appeared to be both a wing and a leg that wouldn't function properly

I then placed her into a kennel to protect and care for her until she recovered, which took about a month

Right now she's walking around slowly and has significantly recovered from the condition I found her in originally

She can move now but it's slow and she still has a sickly appearance, with patches of feathers missing and odd black feathers appearing here and there (she's a RIR). Tonight I just read about the symptoms of Marek's disease for the first time and I'm wondering if perhaps she has it. Originally I thought maybe my brahma rooster had simply been too rough with her and the thought of disease never even crossed my mind

This is the one and only sick bird I've dealt with in my life and so far no other bird has been affected. Does this look like Marek's disease? She has been recovering. Eyes are normal. One and a half years of age

Is her tail a little wonky to the left side? And if so, has it been before being ill or is this rather new?

It might as well have been your Brahma rooster causing a fracture of her hip which can heal on its own, but usually will leave the bird's hip/tail lopsided.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would suspect that the hen was injured. Injuries can take weeks or months to get over. Sometimes they will molt after a bad injury. What age was she at that time of her symptoms? Had you added any new chickens to the flock in recent months? Mareks tends to strike in the first 7 months of age, or at least 3 weeks after being exposed by a carrier. Paralysis in a leg or wing, tumors in the body, skin lesion tumors, and eye changes are the 4 different types of possible symptoms. If you should see similar symptoms in a bird that dies, then getting a necropsy by the state vet would be the best way to get a diagnosis.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Is her tail a little wonky to the left side? And if so, has it been before being ill or is this rather new?

It might as well have been your Brahma rooster causing a fracture of her hip which can heal on its own, but usually will leave the bird's hip/tail lopsided.

I'll have to check on her tail when I get home. It might be

I would suspect that the hen was injured. Injuries can take weeks or months to get over. Sometimes they will molt after a bad injury. What age was she at that time of her symptoms? Had you added any new chickens to the flock in recent months? Mareks tends to strike in the first 7 months of age, or at least 3 weeks after being exposed by a carrier. Paralysis in a leg or wing, tumors in the body, skin lesion tumors, and eye changes are the 4 different types of possible symptoms. If you should see similar symptoms in a bird that dies, then getting a necropsy by the state vet would be the best way to get a diagnosis.

This is good to hear. She's about a year and a half old and was an established, healthy hen previously. Hopefully it was simply an injury after all. I've switched to a smaller rooster in case it was him

 

[LaFleche]

I'll have to check on her tail when I get home. It might be

How is your hen today, did you check on her?

 

[Red Mangrove]

How is your hen today, did you check on her?

She's continuing to recover. I expect her at full health in a few months