[spaulaj]

I have noticed today that my rhode island has got a slightly droopy wing, when i picked her up to check, I noticed she has lost loads of weight.   She has pellets available all the time and I also feed her porridge, cucumber, sweetcorn, lettace and tomatoes almost every day so she can't be hungry. She is almost 1 year old and lays everyday. Does anyone have any tips.

[agapanthus]

Have you tried worming her? This may be a reason for weight los. Add some cider vinegar to her water....this does wonders!!

[Aunt Sally]

How old is she ?

[Jellyhead]

Aunty, she is nearly 1 year old :roll:

[Aunt Sally]

Was she inoculated for Marek's (done at a day old) ?

[spaulaj]

I don't think she was vaccinated against anything, I bought 4 girls from a local farmer at 20 weeks old.  :shock:

[Deano27]

one of mine got mareks, and she was a year old.  she'd been vaccinated, but that apparently just put the affects off for a while.  she started to have a droopy wing, and lost the use of one leg.  basically its nerve paralysis and it'll spread to both sides.  but when she did look perky most of the time, but couldn't move much, hence she didn't eat as much and started to lose weight.

not sure if its the same thing as yours.  but if so, there really isn't anything you can do.  ours had to be put down by the vet.

[spaulaj]

I have ordered some Flubenvet and some vitamins and will give them a try, I hope I see some improvement soon, fingers crossed!

[Aunt Sally]

Hens can sometimes recover from Marek's disease) caused by a Herpes Virus) within a few days as long as they can be keep fed and watered.

[spaulaj]

Nuggetts droopy wing is better, I have been massaging it for her and its done wonders
The weight loss is still an issue, I think she is still losing weight, I have bought some flubenvet and she has had 3 doses so far, it is quite difficult to disguise it in their food so I put it in with the sweetcorn, worked wonders  
Does anyone know of a 'healthy food' that will help her put some weight on :?:

[Aunt Sally]

Try some layers mash.  About a heaped tablesoppnfull per chook.  Add about quarter of a handful of treats each.  Mixed corn, wild bird seed, meal worms, that type of thing and add some bioling water (not too much) to moisten it without making it sticky.  

My girs love it in the mid afternoon and it has really brought them into good condition and made them feel nice and solid.  You can add some Poultry Spice (minerals) and Poultry Booster (vitamins) if you have it.

[Bodger]

Hens can sometimes recover from Marek's disease) caused by a Herpes Virus) within a few days as long as they can be keep fed and watered.

If a hen gets over Mareks, you have to query if it had Mareks in the first place.
In my experience, Mareks is a one way ticket. I've done quite a lot of reading on this subject and what i've read runs parallel with what I've experienced.  :cry:

I even went to the expense of a PM on a chicken about ten years ago and it reported A typical thickening of the nerve endings.

[Aunt Sally]

True in most cases Bodger, particularly of un-immunised birds.  

Birds which are vaccinated do not produce the tumours, but they do contract the disease.  If these birds are nursed and hand fed they may recover but will, however, be a source of infection for life shedding virus in their feather dander and feather scales.  Not a problem if all your birds are always immunised.

It is in fact a bone of contention with many breeders (particularly of silkies) who think that vaccination causes the virus to remain in flocks and culling or death from the disease of infected birds instead would aid it's reduction.

[spaulaj]

thanks aunt sally, I will give it a try. I have got the kids in the garden digging for worms and grubs, nuggett loves them, there must be a few calories in them :thumleft:

[Bodger]

I kill all Marek infected  birds as soon as any symptoms show and only keep birds that don't show any signs of the disease in the belief that in doing this, I'm keeping birds that are resistant to it.
Touch wood, I havent had a case for half a dozen years, so something is working.
This last few months, I've started to keep LS and marans, so there's a danger of me having it in the flock yet again.