[Missie]

Happy new year everyone,i was wondering if anyone can help shed some light on one of my leghorns.

she was fine and laying up until 2 days ago then suddenly she is very depressed sitting with her head tucked in all the time,when she sticks her head up it is always with one eye looking to the floor-other to the sky so is a very twisted neck,she is also staggering and unbalanced.he has been eating but is barely moving and laying on the floor-in the house hospital. her poop is watery plus some soft though she is not going as regular as normal,her crop also appears to be rather full and hard-impacted? i am unsure what to do to help her aside the vets next week.

any help would be so appreciated.

[Roughlee Handled]

Sounds like it could be Mareks  to me

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/90/mareks-disease

A trip tot the Vet if she is a pet.

[Missie]

In addition to my last post regards one of my leghorns,i have included pictures below.

I am at wits end with having poorly hens,i have done everything by the book so to speak,all my hens live in a palace! however,after having micoplasmosis earlier in the year-cleared up fine after going to the vets with tylan i have had a few illnesses since,all of which have come into the hospital to recoup.

This leghorn appears to have athe syptoms of a stroke,although mareks etc have been on the list,she cannot stand properly,one side of her body is out of sinc with the other side,her head now is right down and sometimes upside down,she cannot raise her head normally,she cannot get up for a poop so i bathed her today to clean her up.

I really need to know from the professional members whom know what they are talking of as i only wish to do the right thing for all my flock i just don't know how to evaluate and diagnose her completely.

I would also like to add that the last time i took some hens to a local vets whom claimed to have an avian specialist- did not,like all around here they all say they can treat birds,but i ended up telling them last time what prescrition they needed-costing me £56.00 all together-just for a weeks supply of tylan!

I live twixt Peterborough and Thrapston East Northants so if anyone call also advise of an Avain specialist in my area it would be really helpful.

Melissa

[Missie]

Sounds like it could be Mareks  to me

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/90/mareks-disease

A trip tot the Vet if she is a pet.

Thanks roughlee,i have added a new post with pictures.

[Roughlee Handled]

VET

They are professional and in your area.
If not put this bird out of its misery.

[joyfull]

give these people a call, not near you but they may be able to help (Retford is just up the A1 a bit so worth the visit if yo don't feel you can trust anyone closer):-

http://www.retfordpoultry.co.uk/

But like Roughlee said she needs a vet now A.S.A.P. or do the deed  .

[joyfull]

have responded to this on your other posting (you could have added the photos onto this one instead of opening another post so will see if a moderator can merge the two posts for you  )

[DD.]

I'll give it a go!

[DD.]

Done.

[joyfull]

Thank you 

[Foxy]

Missie sorry about your poorly hen, a few questions, how old is your flock,are the from various suppliers or breeders.

Has this hen recently come into lay? Is she a pure bred leghorn?

I think it may be Mareks, it sounds like she has the neural type which explains the slow intestinal/ crop activity. I would suspect unfortunately she has tumours along her spine, I would be inclined to have a post mortem to check for this, obviously if she has been vaccinated this is very unlikey, however, young pullets carrying Mareks often become symtomatic at point of lay due to the changes in hormonal activity and stress.

If not Mareks at her age, there are not many things it could be without a post mortem anyway as the neurological symptoms you describe are too systemic. In younger chicks or growers I would suspect a nutritional problem causing those symptoms.
Unlikely but possible is an injury but that would've have to have been a real hard blow!

Have a good look around for toxic substances, are they able to root around in a garage or shed for example?

Regarding vets how frustrating! It might be an idea to book a consult in the future with a new vet -ask if you can have 10mins, take a hen in if you like, and just ask them a few questions...

[Missie]

Missie sorry about your poorly hen, a few questions, how old is your flock,are the from various suppliers or breeders.

Has this hen recently come into lay? Is she a pure bred leghorn?

I think it may be Mareks, it sounds like she has the neural type which explains the slow intestinal/ crop activity. I would suspect unfortunately she has tumours along her spine, I would be inclined to have a post mortem to check for this, obviously if she has been vaccinated this is very unlikey, however, young pullets carrying Mareks often become symtomatic at point of lay due to the changes in hormonal activity and stress.

If not Marek
s at her age, there are not many things it could be without a post mortem anyway as the neurological symptoms you describe are too systemic. In younger chicks or growers I would suspect a nutritional problem causing those symptoms.
Unlikely but possible is an injury but that would've have to have been a real hard blow!

Have a good look around for toxic substances, are they able to root around in a garage or shed for example?

Regarding vets how frustrating! It might be an idea to book a consult in the future with a new vet -ask if you can have 10mins, take a hen in if you like, and just ask them a few questions...

Thankyou Foxy,

she was approx 30 weeks,i have called the supplier and he was very helpful,all the birds were vaccinated against mareks though he has said the symptoms are mareks and it is just bad luck and advised how to cull-my first ever.

This was difficult as she was so friendly and not a task i would like to repeat as am so sad and feel i let her down somehow,i have 26 hens,9 of which are younger in a seperate coop.

The new birds-9 of them ended up being placed with my old flock of pure breeds,angel was a  white leghorn,all my new birds came from Cambridge poultry whom i trust completely.

A local Turkey farmer whom i have just been speaking to advised to also check her crop contents after culling,it was mixed corn and a large amount of straw-40straw /60,she must have eaten it from the neighbouring farm which have huge stacks of straw looming over my paddock and dropping in through the tree's..i have also taken photos of the crop contents if any use.she was fine and laid an egg though on the floor and would not go out,i brought her in over the weekend and she had been the same since.

The run is clean with no toxic substances at all though i do allow them out to freerange the paddock,All my other hens are just fine as am getting a dozen eggs a day since a week before Christmas.

[Sarah Mitchell]

Echo the need to get to a vet if poss altho recognise your lack of faith in their chook knowlegde.  I think there is a 'moon gazing' illness which can be caused by a lack of nutrients but sorry I don't have time to research for you.  I hope it's not mareks.  Mareks is thankfully quite rare from what I understand but is soooo nasty.

Good luck :-)

[Foxy]

Echo the need to get to a vet if poss altho recognise your lack of faith in their chook knowlegde.  I think there is a 'moon gazing' illness which can be caused by a lack of nutrients but sorry I don't have time to research for you.  I hope it's not mareks.  Mareks is thankfully quite rare from what I understand but is soooo nasty.

Good luck :-)

"Star gazing" is associated with chicks, and Mareks I'm afraid is quite common, more so now with the increase in movement of stock to respond to demand.