UPDATE: I PUT HER DOWN THIS AFTERNOON: Sick Silver Laced Wyandotte.

[babsbag]

I am sorry you hen is not doing well.

I just lost one a short time ago that did have Marek's and I think that your hunch may be correct, but I hope not. None of my other birds are sick and it has been about a month. The wait and see part is the worst, it isn't over yet.

Check out this link.

http://extension.unh.edu/Agric/Docs/mareks.pdf

What made me think about Marek's in your hen is the red bumps and the balance problme. Mine didn't have the bumps, but she couldn't walk and had problems holding her head straight. I had a necropsy done and they were pretty sure it was Marek's, even though no other birds are sick and there have been no other birds here. She was about 8 months old. I will never know where it came from.

I hope I am wrong. It seems there are so many problems that look similar that it is hard to tell what is wrong while they are alive. I nursed mine for about 3 weeks before she died. Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

[festivefeet]

Here is an updated photo taken tonight. She has stopped drinking altogether, even with assistance.

Her leg is now extended, it seems. The one wing still stands limp and now the other wing is almost raised. She will not open her eyes. Although, when I open one to see how her eyes are doing, they look fairly normal inside.

J.

 

[festivefeet]

So if it is Marek's, what do I do for the others? Is there anything I can do? What is the incubation period? Where would she have gotten it from?

 

[babsbag]

Mine didn't eat or drink on her own once she got sick. I force fed her food and water for 3 weeks, but still had the same outcome. My vet thought I was crazy, but applauded my efforts.

According to this article you can give the Marek's vaccine at any age and it may help prevent the formation of tumors. It seems that some people right now are having problems locating the vaccine. I haven't tried yet, but should have.

http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/poultry-health/mareks-disease.html

Mine never showed the classic leg or eye issue, but did have wry neck. I suspected Marek's from the start but never could figure out where she would get it. Some say it is "in the air" it is so prevalent. The lady I bought these birds from has been raising them for awhile and has never vaccinated, or had the disease, that she knows of. I believe her, so I have no idea where this came from in my flock. The artice talks about incubatio period, I think that the incubation period is 2-6 weeks before you would start to see symptoms. Some birds will be exposed and recover, and then just be carriers, not great, but not dead either.

I don't know what state you are in, but many states have labs that will do necropsies at no charge for backyard flock owners. You might want to ask your vet or the county ag dept if there is one nearby. This way you would know what to look for and be able to decide if you should vaccinate your remaining birds and any new ones.

I hope you don't need it. I know this is hard to deal with and I'm sorry it is happening to you.

 

[festivefeet]

Is it safe to eat eggs if they have Marek's?

 

[babsbag]

They tell me that it is safe to eat the eggs and that Marek's cannot be passed through the egg or to humans.

But I will tell something that wierded (is that a word) me out a little.

While nursing mine I suspected Marek's and in reading up on it I discovered that it is a Herpe's virus of sorts. So what happens to me during this time...?? I get 2 canker sores, which are also a herpes virus. I am sure it was just a coincidence since this disease supposedly cannot be contracted by humans, but I hadn't had a canker sore in YEARS so it just made me think. I always washed my hands, but I didn't change my clothes or wear a smock when I handled her. Again, my reasonable mind says that it didn't come from my sick hen. Just strange timing.

If you do a necropsy, if it comes to that, don't put her in the freezer. In a towel, in a box, in the fridge until transport, that is what I was told.

 

[CTChickenMom]

Jefferson Livestock Supply has the Marek's vaccine . I bought it there for my chicks last year. Marek's is an airborne disease. If you add to your flock, get chicks from a hatchery and have them vaccinated. Any chicks added to your flock will be suseptible to Marek's if that's what this is.

I have yet to find a treatment for the coccidiosis.

Here is some information:
The nature of a chicken or duck's eating habits - poking and dibbling amongst the litter (and manure), makes them vulnerable to cocci infection. The cocci oocysts are shed by previously infected birds through their droppings into the litter or on the ground. Then another bird comes along and ingests the oocysts, which are then crushed by the gizzard and the sporozoites are released. To over-simplify - from there, they live, replicate, and destroy different parts of the digestive tract, depending on the strain. The entire process from ingestion to the shedding of oocysts in the droppings is between 4 and 6 days.

The damage is irreversible. It is only when a bird is infected with a relatively small quantity of oocysts, that the bird then has an opportunity to fight off the infection and build immunity to future infection. Keeping litter fairly clean helps to keep the oocyst population down, and gives your birds a better chance of surviving their infection. (She may have been infected by a wild bird.)

And the rest of the article is here .

I'm sorry....it doesn't look good for your girl. It looks like the beginning stages of paralysis with the leg sticking out. You will have it in your flock because it was in her droppings. Find out from a vet about getting the liquid Amprolium and get your whole flock treated. Jefferson Livestock supply also sells this but they market it for cattle. Call Jeffersons first thing in the AM, they are very helpful. If they can't help you save her, they can likely help you save/vaccinate the rest of your flock.

 

[PeepsInc]

Sulmet treats coccidiosis. That hen needs a shot of Tylan 50. It wouldn't hurt to fallow up with sulmet & electrolytes in the water for a week. Personally I would put her down at this point. Sorry

 

[IN-farmgirl]

I'm so sorry about your hen. There are many viruses and liver diseases that make chickens ill. There is a virus called Lymphoid Leukosis...symtoms are similar to Marek's. You are doing all you can. Continue to keep her warm and comfortable. Best wishes.

 

[seminolewind]

My silkie roo, who was 2 years old like the rest of my chickens, seemed to have gotten marek's. Classic symptoms. I did take him to the vet and have him euthanized. The vet did a necropsy and didn't find any tumors, so his opinion was that it was Equine encephalitis. It could have been because over a hundred sentinel chickens in Florida have died of it. But he did have the classic marek symptoms. And the tumors may have not been there or couldn't be seen, as it effected his nervous system. And one eye.

I have no idea where he could have gotten it from. He was cooped with 4 other silkies. I hatched them all, and they were all 2 years old. Maybe my neighbor's feed store chickens carried it. But I think that either stress or a poor immune system can be a factor. A 2 year old chicken normally would not get marek's.