marek's disease

  1. Canidae

    Marek's symptoms or birth defect?

    So I have 5 new ~4 month old pullets and the cream legbar is showing concerning symptoms. My chicks were all vaccinated for Marek's at hatch, and this chick has always been sickly. From day 1 she had labored breathing and was slower than the rest. I assumed she had some sort of respiratory...
  2. Quarantine: how I kept the hens safe from Marek's

    Quarantine: how I kept the hens safe from Marek's

    This article relates the story of the hens' encounter with Marek's disease and it shares an apparently successful approach to quarantine. The time between exposure to Marek's and breaking quarantine was two months. If your flock is going through Marek's, maybe this article will help you work out...
  3. C

    Tested Negative for Marek's Disease - what else could it be?

    Apologies in advance for the long post. I'm hoping that someone can give me advice on how to proceed with my flock. I purchased 5 barred rock chicks that were 2 weeks old on May 4th, 2025. They seemed healthy and we didn't have any problems until 2 weeks ago. I was cleaning their coop on May...
  4. lillykew

    Can I vaccinate chicks after 24 hours?

    Hello all! Please let me know if this is better posted elsewhere. I'm ordering chicks from a small farm that doesn't vaccinate their birds. They go to great lengths to keep their flocks isolated and free of disease, including making sure they don't come in contact with wild birds. However, the...
  5. C

    Marek's disease or injury?

    Recently one of our hens was attacked by what we assumed was an animal, and it ripped up her back (it could have been the rooster too, but I doubt it.) She was able to get up to the nesting box at first, but now she's unable to move one of her legs. She had a lot of poop caked into her feathers...
  6. chicknlittl

    sick rooster

    My speckled sussex rooster, Oleander, is about 1.5 years old and has been sick for the last 9 days. The first day I noticed he was walking almost like he was drunk, so I initially thought dehydration and gave him hydrating food like corn, watermelon, etc, and electrolytes. He looked like he was...
  7. RainbowEggsBasket

    Mycoplasma, Marek or Vitamin Deficiency?

    I believe I am dealing with Mycoplasma and Marek or Vitamin Definitely at the same time. I have had two types of sicknesses going on. Type A (Mycoplasma?): Bubbly or swollen eyes. Mostly bubbly. Respiratory issues. Most of them recovered when given Tiaguard (Tiamulin). Some have caught it...
  8. Navigator73

    Chicken Died, Marek’s Disease Suspected. Rest of flock probably exposed. What do I do? What can I do?

    I had a chicken die today, and we are suspecting Marek’s. She’s been limping for a couple weeks. Thought it was an injury. Took to avian vet, just gave us Meloxicam. Chicken when down hill over weekend. Isolated her to a her own cage, but not sure if we isolated her soon enough to have prevented...
  9. E

    Marek’s in the flock

    I got my small flock of 5 backyard chickens back in 2021, all vaccinated against Marek’s. Now at almost 3 years old, I had to euthanize one of them as she was becoming paralyzed, and the necropsy points to Marek’s. All other chickens seem fine but now I noticed one of them is developing a grey...
  10. Winchikn

    Suspected Mareks

    Hello - I think I'm dealing with Mareks and need advice. I was dealing with crop and reproductive issues and lost 3 hens in spring/summer. Things had been calm and quiet for a few months until my flock went into molt and some issues started showing up. I'm not very experienced with online...
  11. Lechugapicante

    Older hen with neurological symptoms

    Hi BC friends! I’ve got a 7 yo Copper Maran having neurological symptoms. Over a couple weeks I’ve noticed her standing off by herself more and being a little clumsy. Yesterday I noticed an odd head bobbing behavior, like she’s caught in a loop. She’s uncoordinated and seems like she can’t see...
  12. PankakeZillA

    Thoughts on what this could be?? Need help please

    Hi there, long time follower of the forum and first time posting. I have been searching and searching for similar situations to what's going on with our chicks but seem to be getting all kinds of results. Some background, we have 2 older hens that are around 5 years old and aren't displaying any...
  13. E

    Possible Merek’s in my flock

    Hello! I have had chickens for almost 5 years now. In this time I have introduced a few chicks each spring without issue. This year, I had 4 chicks that I got from FFH as I typically do. I kept them in my basement also I normally do, away from my older girls. I came home from vacation (had a pet...
  14. M

    Marek's Disease or...?

    We have a hen that had chicks recently we started noticing that she would stay in the shed more and not walk around in the yard as much. She started limping and we initially thought she had sprained or broken a bone. Yet the next day she developed blisters around her toes. They were filled with...
  15. Wacky Workshop

    Marek's Disease or Something Else? Chick Walking Backwards

    Hello! I recently bought 20 Americaunas, and two appear to have some sort of disease. The first one has full paralysis in her legs, but she's still chipper and eats/drinks/poops normally. The second one is the same, but instead of having fully paralysed legs, he... walks backwards?? Video...
  16. Mayhaps Moss

    Two hens left- one sick with likely Marek's

    Apologies for the lengthy post. For the past three weeks, one of my two 3 year-old bantams has been sick. She has become lethargic, very skinny, and her comb has shrunk due to dehydration (but she is still drinking water). I took her to the vets a week ago, and she was prescribed some...
  17. madsnbot

    chickens are getting sick and dying randomly. please help me diagnose :(

    Hi everyone today i’m absolutely devastated. Another one of my hens is acting sick and lethargic and I have no idea what’s wrong with my flock. For some backstory, two months ago I had two chickens die from an unknown illness. They were both acting lethargic and got worse as the days passed...
  18. HensAndFriends

    Laying Hens Marek's Vaccinated: Safe to Butcher?

    My laying hens were Marek's vaccinated as chicks, so is it safe to butcher them? Aren't some commercial broilers vaccinated against Marek's?
  19. U

    mareks or vitamin deficiency?

    I have a hen who is about 9ish months old. First she had coccidiosis, all chickens was treated with corid. Right after that she had a impacted crop which I did take her to the vet for and she was given metoclopramide 5 ml. While still dealing with the crop issue I took her back to the vet 2...
  20. Killer in the Shadows. How My Flock and I Learned to Deal With Marek's Disease

    Killer in the Shadows. How My Flock and I Learned to Deal With Marek's Disease

    There are few words in the world of keeping chickens that strikes fear into our hearts more than the two words, Marek's Disease. It seems that with surprising frequency the topic will pop up on Back Yard Chickens. Sometimes the poster has already gotten the diagnosis through a necropsy of a bird...
    • microchick
    • Article
    • 29 min read
    • flocks with marek's disease managing marek's disease marek's disease
    • Comments: 41
    • Category: Learning Center
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