Mareks or something else?

[crissy1079]

So I’m pretty sure my whole flock has upper respiratory disease and Mareks. I’ve had some chickens die from it and some recover. After research. I can only guess this is what they have. So I have a bantam not sure her age she just started layout a few months ago. She was limping last week. I thought maybe an injury because otherwise healthy. Well the limp is now gone but her health has now declined. She is very weak, hardly keeps her eyes open. I’ve moved her inside now. She was eating but just stopped. I’ve been syringe feeding her Greek yogurt and water mixed with vitamins. She feels like she has lost a lot of weight. I’m not sure if this is Mareks or something else and what else I can do for her. I also tried tylan 50 injections for 10 days once a day. And she seems to be getting worse each day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So I’m pretty sure my whole flock has upper respiratory disease and Mareks. I’ve had some chickens die from it and some recover. After research. I can only guess this is what they have. So I have a bantam not sure her age she just started layout a few months ago. She was limping last week. I thought maybe an injury because otherwise healthy. Well the limp is now gone but her health has now declined. She is very weak, hardly keeps her eyes open. I’ve moved her inside now. She was eating but just stopped. I’ve been syringe feeding her Greek yogurt and water mixed with vitamins. She feels like she has lost a lot of weight. I’m not sure if this is Mareks or something else and what else I can do for her. I also tried tylan 50 injections for 10 days once a day. And she seems to be getting worse each day.

I'm sorry your pullet is not well.

Has she been laying eggs through not feeling well? Any bloat or fluid in the abdomen?
Crop emptying overnight?
What respiratory symptoms has you seen in your flock? Is the weak one exhibiting any respiratory symptoms?

If possible, getting a fecal float to rule out worms and coccidiosis would be a good idea.

I would inspect her really well for lice/mites. Look inside the beak for any signs of canker or yellow/white cheesy material.

If you happen to lose her, sending the body to your state lab will give you some answers as to what you are dealing with.

 

[crissy1079]

I'm sorry your pullet is not well.

Has she been laying eggs through not feeling well? Any bloat or fluid in the abdomen?
Crop emptying overnight?
What respiratory symptoms has you seen in your flock? Is the weak one exhibiting any respiratory symptoms?

If possible, getting a fecal float to rule out worms and coccidiosis would be a good idea.

I would inspect her really well for lice/mites. Look inside the beak for any signs of canker or yellow/white cheesy material.

If you happen to lose her, sending the body to your state lab will give you some answers as to what you are dealing with.

No not laying since she has been sick. Inside her mouth looks fine. No mites or lice. I don’t feel any bloat, crop feels empty(she has not been eating) and last few days she had watery poo and a little green. But I guess that’s from the fact she had only been drinking water those days and eating very small amounts. Right now only 1 other chicken is showing signs of an illness. Just some bubbley eye and breathing sounds congested, snotty nose. The sick one her breathing sounds a little congested but not too much though.

When the others have gotten sick with respiratory it was very congested breathing. 1 had puss in his eye so bad it swelled shut and took months for him to recover. But he did finally recover. But I have to clean his eye out he is still snotty. And it’s been 2 years. Had another with swollen eyes and tylan 50 helped them both. And usually when I see the bubbly eye I use vet rx. Only tylan for the very sick ones. And I had one with a limp and it got worse she lost all feeling in her legs and died shortly there after. I’m guessing Mareks. This was a year ago. So I’ve haven’t had an outbreak in about a year or anything. But this one is new I got her and 2 others a few months ago So usually they catch a little something from my flock and recover. But this one is not recovering. And I’m not even sure what she has. I can only guess Mareks .

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry she is not recovering.

With your having what sounds like both Marek's and respiratory disease in your flock, like you mention any new birds that you bring in would be susceptible to becoming symptomatic as well.
Have you considered closing your flock - no new birds and keeping all you have until they die off (or cull them). Leave your housing empty for a few months, sanitize and begin anew?

 

[Kiki]

So I’m pretty sure my whole flock has upper respiratory disease and Mareks. I’ve had some chickens die from it and some recover. After research. I can only guess this is what they have. So I have a bantam not sure her age she just started layout a few months ago. She was limping last week. I thought maybe an injury because otherwise healthy. Well the limp is now gone but her health has now declined. She is very weak, hardly keeps her eyes open. I’ve moved her inside now. She was eating but just stopped. I’ve been syringe feeding her Greek yogurt and water mixed with vitamins. She feels like she has lost a lot of weight. I’m not sure if this is Mareks or something else and what else I can do for her. I also tried tylan 50 injections for 10 days once a day. And she seems to be getting worse each day.

I am sorry you are dealing with this...I just wanted to chime in about how you were giving the Tylan.
Tylan work best when given 3 times a day...8 hours apart.
It also doesn't have to be injected.
It can be given orally.

 

[crissy1079]

I won’t cull them they are our pets. And now that I’ve got the hang of it most recover from any signs of respiratory. At first I lost some because I didn’t know what to do to treat symptoms. Just this one I don’t know what to do with. I don’t plan on getting any new chickens. The problem is I have 3 roosters they all get along. But when I lose a few hens I have to replace them or the order gets out of control and my main rooster will get aggressive. So I lost 2 hens this past spring/fall. So I decided to get 3 new hens from a farmer. 1 has showed no symptoms, 1 has had some symptoms of respiratory but nothing too bad and this 3rd which is very sick. And I also love my roosters, we hatched them from eggs. So I don’t want to cull them either. But if hens die I have to replace or get rid of roosters. But I do plan on after they die off not replacing and sanitizing everything. But I’ve heard this Mareks can live in the soil for years so not sure I can ever get rid of that.

I'm sorry she is not recovering.

With your having what sounds like both Marek's and respiratory disease in your flock, like you mention any new birds that you bring in would be susceptible to becoming symptomatic as well.
Have you considered closing your flock - no new birds and keeping all you have until they die off (or cull them). Leave your housing empty for a few months, sanitize and begin anew?

 

[crissy1079]

Also my oldest member of the flock is only around 2 years old. So it will be a while till they all die off. How long do backyard chickens live anyways? I’ve read different numbers online.

I am sorry you are dealing with this...I just wanted to chime in about how you were giving the Tylan.
Tylan work best when given 3 times a day...8 hours apart.
It also doesn't have to be injected.
It can be given orally.

I'm sorry she is not recovering.

With your having what sounds like both Marek's and respiratory disease in your flock, like you mention any new birds that you bring in would be susceptible to becoming symptomatic as well.
Have you considered closing your flock - no new birds and keeping all you have until they die off (or cull them). Leave your housing empty for a few months, sanitize and begin anew?

 

[crissy1079]

I am sorry you are dealing with this...I just wanted to chime in about how you were giving the Tylan.
Tylan work best when given 3 times a day...8 hours apart.
It also doesn't have to be injected.
It can be given orally.

Thanks for the info. I’ve read so much conflicting stuff on tylan online including here on backyard chickens. Some say orally some say injection, some say both. Some say once a day for 5 days some say once a day for 7-10 days some say twice a day some say every 12 hours. I’ve saved some very sick chickens with twice a day for 10 days. And if they are sick but not critical I do once a day for 10 days and both have worked. But not with this one. But I think tylan only works for respiratory not if this is Mareks.

 

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WHY INTRODUCE HEALTHY CHICKENS INTO A GROUP KNOWING THEY CAN GET ILL FROM YOUR FLOCK . THAT IS SO NOT RIGHT. IF YOU LOVE YOUR CHICKENS WHY MAKE THEM SUFFER. SRY THATS JUST HOW I FEEL . YOU NEED TO EVALUATE YOUR SITUATION .

 

[crissy1079]

I am sorry you are dealing with this...I just wanted to chime in about how you were giving the Tylan.
Tylan work best when given 3 times a day...8 hours apart.
It also doesn't have to be injected.
It can be given orally.

Should I try another round of antibiotics? I just stoped that last round about 3 days ago. Or should I wait a week?