Sudden onset balance/mobility problem

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There are problems with the Marek's vaccine because it is leaky and it doesn't necessarily prevent infection, so it can actually be harbouring the disease and allowing it to mutate. It may be why more virulent strains are becoming prevalent, particularly in The States. Here in the UK we don't have the big hatcheries that you guys order from, so most people buy chickens from small breeders or auctions where they are not vaccinated and the Marek's here seems to be mostly lower grade. Personally as someone with a Marek's infected flock, the vaccine is not something that I would be interested in, but everyone has to make up their own mind on these things. I'm not anti vaccine in general, but I'm not sure this particular one is the best option.
 
For those with pet birds in Marek's confirmed flocks, it can mean the difference between watching them perish horribly, or not. That said, I, too, strongly suggest that everyone make their own decision on vaccinating for Marek's, depending on their individual situation and flock goals! :)
 
Nambroth said:
For those with pet birds in Marek's confirmed flocks, it can mean the difference between watching them perish horribly, or not. That said, I, too, strongly suggest that everyone make their own decision on vaccinating for Marek's, depending on their individual situation and flock goals! :)
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That's why it's important to cull them so they don't die a horrible death. I don't believe in the vaccine either. It doesn't cover all the strains either from my reading, so birds can still come down with Mareks even though they are vaccinated so you end up with a false sense of security.
 
With my first two chicks, the disease progressed so rapidly it was clear that they were not going to be among the ones that rally back to some sort of normal life, relapsing in times of stress. The third chick is following a different course, one that gave me hope, albeit briefly, that she might just survive. She still gets out of the coop in the morning and back in at night, managing the ramp somehow. She never roosts on the roosting bar overnight—I don’t think she has ever had the strength—but she sleeps in a nesting box most nights. She can still keep herself upright, an ability the other two lost almost by the second or third day of visible symptoms, but she rarely moves around. She often spends most of the day in the vicinity of the feeder, and until a day or do ago, she seemed to be eating almost every time I looked in on her. When I checked her crop last night, it was empty as I feared it would be. I coaxed her to drink a little water and dosed her with a nutritional supplement last night and this morning, but I suspect tomorrow she’ll be off to the vet to be euthanized. A week ago, she was a little lap chicken, climbing onto my knee when I sat in her run to check on her. If she was inside, she would come out of the coop for a visit when I called to her.
 
I am just happy that I was able to help you in some small way through what I know too well is a heart breaking process. Sharing knowledge and experience is what will eventually help us crack these diseases or at least find a way to treat them. This forum is a fantastic resource for the exchange of that knowledge and information and has helped me enormously, so it is only right that I pass it forward as I hope you will do at some stage.
 

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