Can quail catch Mareks disease?

Hi All

Ok like the title asks. I can't find any evidence online that they can.

The reason I ask is that I just incubated a clutch of 25 eggs. I was really happy as 20 hatched and all looked well. Then the troubles started. Found one dead laying on its side then a day later another. Then another. This carried on until weeks later they were still dropping off. The symptoms in the larger 2 week old birds are so Mareks disease. Loss of mobility, like drunkenness and wobbly ness. Or complete paralysis of the legs such that they can only lay down as the young chicks were found when dead. As soon as they start to show symptoms I keep them separate from the main batch in quarantine with a heat lamp and hand admister water and feed, It is in there for them to feed but they are either immobile or too wobbly to get it. I hand fed them and gave them apple cider vinegar in the water but they eventually also waste away to nothing and die.

I am now down to just 8 left at 3 weeks old and one in the quarantine that seems to be holding on but is very wobbly. They are lovely birds and it has been a tragic experience for me. One that I don't wish to repeat. There food is high protein 24% and the batch before had no such issues.

Does anyone know of this illness or how to treat it or stop it happening? Until I can find more info I won't be hatching more quail eggs.

Sincerely

Bhu

Bump

I found this, maybe help :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/180503

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1590648?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

I'm so sorry to hear about the quail

I don't have experience with Mareks but I was able to find a paper on Coturnix with Mareks, seems they can go blind early on??

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/180503/

Thanks for thew links guys. I will do some reading and get back if it sounds like what happened to me or not.

Well the posts from the links most describe the internal; organ and neurological affects of the Mareks disease not their outward physical behavior leading to death. But by the death rate it sounds like this could be the thing doing it

My partner had moved the chicks into a cage that had been used by chicken chicks before it was cleaned out without me knowing. By then it was too late!

Lesson learned just hope that it doesn't get to the rest of my adult flocks as well that are kept well away from the chickens.