What is wrong with my chickens?

[Tonyroo]

Both form of disease leads to the same problem. And since you have the diagnosis from a previous bird. You have to assume there all infected.

So the conclusion is to nurse them as there health fails or cull the flock and restart with vaccinated chicks.

I would not introduce anymore birds while you have your existing flock. It has to be one or the other.

 

[GabePryor]

A vet could do a rudimentory necropsy and may be able to determine which avian virus it is if they see an enlarged liver, which would point to avian leucosis or if they find an inflamed sciatic nerve, which would point to Marek's.

Yes, you whole flock is carrying the virus now. The farm you got it from should not be selling chickens from their flocks, and you also must not rehome or sell chickens or hatching eggs from your flock.

My guess is you have avian leucosis as the age of the afflicted is more consistent with that virus. Marek's usually turns up in much younger chickens around eight weeks old. Leucosis is generally symptomatic around six to eleven months.

Yes, the laboratory that diagnosed the bird with lymphoma said it had an extremely enlarged spleen and an enlarged liver.

If I re-start the flock, how do I make sure that my coop and run are not going to contaminate a new flock? I am planning to switch to sand for my coop and run because I have read that it is more sanitary. Currently I use mulch and peat moss.

 

[Tonyroo]

When you have no more birds is when to sterilize the coop and surrounding area.

 

[azygous]

Viruses are different from bacteria, a bit more difficult to eradicate. But good cleaning with a bleach solution or Oxine can remove viruses from hard surfaces. But they are not as effective on soil and mulch.

Everything points to your flock carrying the leucosis virus. It lives in the soil for about two months max. Therefore, scrubbing down the coop and waiting two months before introducing new chicks should allow you to begin again with a clean slate.

However, it is not mandatory you cull all your flock, especially if you've become attached to these chickens. With the leucosis virus, chickens do develop resistance and may live normal lives with it. There are limitations with this approach. You must maintain a closed flock. No chickens or hatching eggs must leave your flock as it spreads the virus to other flocks.

I have the leucosis virus in my flock for nearly two decades, and most of my chickens have full, healthy lives for the most part.

 

[GabePryor]

Viruses are different from bacteria, a bit more difficult to eradicate. But good cleaning with a bleach solution or Oxine can remove viruses from hard surfaces. But they are not as effective on soil and mulch.

Everything points to your flock carrying the leucosis virus. It lives in the soil for about two months max. Therefore, scrubbing down the coop and waiting two months before introducing new chicks should allow you to begin again with a clean slate.

However, it is not mandatory you cull all your flock, especially if you've become attached to these chickens. With the leucosis virus, chickens do develop resistance and may live normal lives with it. There are limitations with this approach. You must maintain a closed flock. No chickens or hatching eggs must leave your flock as it spreads the virus to other flocks.

I have the leucosis virus in my flock for nearly two decades, and most of my chickens have full, healthy lives for the most part.

I have no plans to hatch eggs (no rooster) or to pass on chickens to others. But if I cull my sick chickens, I do want to replace them with new ones. Is this not advisable?

 

[coach723]

If it's a Marek's positive flock, and it sounds like that is not really decided, the Marek's virus can survive in the environment for years. You can clean surfaces, but you can't eradicate it from the soil, it's spread in dander, which is everywhere. Even after all birds are gone, it will still be there for a long time. And it can travel on the wind for up to 3 miles from the source. So Marek's can actually show up unexpectedly even if no new birds are brought in.
It might be best to have one of your sick birds necropsied to try to determine for sure which you are dealing with, for sure. I would indicate that in your paperwork, that you are looking for a definite answer between the two. Both illnesses can leave your birds immune systems weaker and make them susceptible to other illnesses. I don't have leukosis in my flock, but I do have Marek's. My experience has been somewhat different than what is 'common' and I know others have that experience too. There are different strains, with different virulence. My birds are not commonly affected early on, they tend to develop symptoms after 20 weeks and most of mine are occular. At least so far. Neither of the diseases means you cannot have chickens successfully. Your losses may be more than average and management may be a bit different, but it's not the end of things. It makes it a little easier if you know for sure what you are dealing with.

 

[azygous]

To get rid of the virus, it involves culling all chickens, not just the sick ones. As long as any chickens are alive that carry the virus, Marek's or leucosis, the virus remains in your flock no matter how well you try to disinfect the premises.

As @coach723 points out, it would be a tremendous help to get another necropsy and nail it down to one virus or the other so you know which one you're dealing with since one is easier to eradicate than the other. That will enable you to make the best decision.

To get the most accurate findings from a necropsy, the best thing to do is to take a sick chicken to the lab and let them euthanize the chicken. That gives them the freshest specimen to work on and the most accurate findings.