St. John's Wort

[seminolewind]

Thanks. Do you live outside the USA? I was thinking those tests were expensive here.
I would think, like mine did, that they were sleepy at the very end of the wasting.
I can't say I believe that SJW will save a bird with true Marek's. However, I think if some want to try, that's a good thing. Why not?

I don't know of anyone who actually had a confirmed Marek's and was saved with SJW. I've only heard of confirmed cases from necropsies. And with blood testing, it may be cost-prohibitive

I think it's very interesting what you got done. Do please update whatever you find out. I think you have some valuable information there..

 

[hlorap]

Update:
The doctors' advised that most chickens diagnosed with Marek's survive at most for 3 weeks @ which point they're euthanised because its to much for them.
Buckie is at week 3 now and doing well whist being sick and that has a lot to do with the routine I have him on:
He sleeps a lot but is up and attentive to hand feedings (until he is full).
He receives SJW every 12 hrs and I have only now begun to introduce silica (research advised that it increases macrophages, which attack illnesses such as MD and remove them as waste products)
Buckie weighs in very under weight (I have only begun measuring this)- the food content now provided is aimed at weight gain and he is being weighed in for weight changes daily.
He originally had very little strength in one of his legs and that is now getting stronger everyday.
He receives physio therapy and a walking aid has been constructed for him to relearn balance, increase mobility and boost moral.
Apart from this he receives a lot of love and affection and he no longer panics when he makes a mess or can't stand correctly.

I haven't spoken to the doctors since the report, as all they are pushing is euthanasia, which I don't see as reasonable because Buckie is getting better.

I hope this helps.... If anyone's interested in knowing the food mix I am making or anything else i have mentioned, please let me know.

 

[casportpony]

I glad to hear that Buckie is getting better. FWIW, I have several that are living with different forms of Marek's, with the ocular and neural form being the most obvious. All but one that I lost lived for months before they died. In fact, one just died about an hour ago and up until then, he was eating and drinking, but still losing weight. At one point he could hardly walk, but then he got better. He was sick for about six months.

This site has some very good pictures:
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502


Source:http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

 

[hlorap]

Thank you and I'm sorry to hear about your little ones.
I read up on this page as well.
Buckie's is only neural and where muscle deteriorated in one leg it is now redeveloping. I syringe feed him and weigh him at all meal times before and after food and bowel movements. He weighs about 1.33kg and I am aiming to get him up to 2kg as quickly as I can.
What was the colour of your little ones bowel movement and was there a little/lot of water loss?
With the ocular ones did they alternate between using one eye to look around and did they have depth perception issues and misjudge aim went trying to peck for food?

 

[hlorap]

It's always hard losing one of the chickens and even worse when you lose so many and they are distressed. Did you apply SJW to them?

 

[casportpony]

Thank you and I'm sorry to hear about your little ones.
I read up on this page as well.
Buckie's is only neural and where muscle deteriorated in one leg it is now redeveloping. I syringe feed him and weigh him at all meal times before and after food and bowel movements. He weighs about 1.33kg and I am aiming to get him up to 2kg as quickly as I can.
What was the colour of your little ones bowel movement and was there a little/lot of water loss?
With the ocular ones did they alternate between using one eye to look around and did they have depth perception issues and misjudge aim went trying to peck for food?

Towards the end, my little guy was losing a lot of water in his bowel movements, and they didn't look normal, so I'm sure that didn't help, but I didn't have the energy to tube feed him to keep him going as I have several large peafowl that I'm trying to treat for blackhead and a secondary bacterial infection.

The ones with ocular problems are very interesting... some seem like they can't see out of one eye, others seem like they have depth perception problems, it's all over the map.

 

[hlorap]

My family and I were researching the history and types of MD out there and while in general it has been stated on many sites that there are 3 types of MD (visceral, nervous & ocular) there appears to actually be sub strains of each.
Eg. We've pin pointed that our chicken actually has the acute transient nervous MD,

There are scholarly articles were its stated that some MD's are reversible and further to this under what conditions chickens get sick and what causes further deterioration and preventatives.

If anyone's interested I strongly advise researching into it because there's so much information available and help to avoid/address MD.

 

[casportpony]

My family and I were researching the history and types of MD out there and while in general it has been stated on many sites that there are 3 types of MD (visceral, nervous & ocular) there appears to actually be sub strains of each.
Eg. We've pin pointed that our chicken actually has the acute transient nervous MD,

There are scholarly articles were its stated that some MD's are reversible and further to this under what conditions chickens get sick and what causes further deterioration and preventatives.

If anyone's interested I strongly advise researching into it because there's so much information available and help to avoid/address MD.

There are actually four types, the three that you listed and cutaneous.

 

[hlorap]

What I am saying is there are further sub-groups and the research that has been done is very informative.

 

[MythicLabs]

I just got 28 Cornish Crosses and they are now about 4 weeks old. I saw one started limping the other day and now it won't get up at all. Now 2 more are starting to limp.. Can it be MD this young?? Will all the rest now get it? I also have eggs in the incubator that are due to hatch in about 5 days, is there a place to purchase the shot so I can give it to the day one chicks. Is it safe to eat them? Hoping it is something else as they are still young.