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[Jenessa_096]

I am so so sorry for your loss!

 

[B_Chickle01]

I am so so sorry for your loss!

I appreciate it. Xoxo

 

[azygous]

You must be in an emotional storm, losing your hen and finding out you now are dealing with Marek's on top of it.

This will present some challenges, but all your chickens aren't doomed. They may carry the virus, but only some will become symptomatic. Knowing you have Marek's in the flock is not the end of the world. There are ways to live with it. There are many good tutorials here on how to deal with Marek's. Here's one. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[Eggcessive]

Very sorry for your loss and about the diagnosis of possible Mareks. It is good that your hen is no longer suffering. I hope that you won’t lose other birds, but Mareks is something that some BYCers deal with in their flocks. Some birds in the flocks may be resistant to Mareks.

 

[B_Chickle01]

You must be in an emotional storm, losing your hen and finding out you now are dealing with Marek's on top of it.

This will present some challenges, but all your chickens aren't doomed. They may carry the virus, but only some will become symptomatic. Knowing you have Marek's in the flock is not the end of the world. There are ways to live with it. There are many good tutorials here on how to deal with Marek's. Here's one. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Thank you so much! You’ve been so helpful as well as few others and I can’t even begin to tell everyone how much it means to me to have the support and help through this! I’m glad you said this I needed the reassurance I’ve been crying my eyes out afraid I’m going to be left with no birds to laugh at and hang out with come warmer weather. They’re my main squeezes even more so when it’s warm and free ranging. I’m so anxious waiting and worrying who’s next I think everything is wrong when I see anything off with one of them in slightest. I know this is unrelated(I freaking hope so anyways)but two of my chickens with single combs have whitish pale tips a little..is this frost bite starting? If so I grabbed them up and I lubed up their Combs with Medihoney I can’t find my Neosporin that doesn’t have pain reliever that I use for them and until I could get to store to get Vaseline hope it’ll do. Attached photos. First and last are of same bird middle two are same bird..the leghorn

 

[azygous]

Those combs just appear dry. Once hormones begin flowing again, the combs will become red and moist. If a comb has frostbite, you would also see white blisters and swelling of the damaged tissue.

Getting bad news as you have has probably triggered a little PTSD, and you can expect to feel alarm and experience dread when a chicken acts a little "off". This is normal. As time passes, you'll be reassured by your chickens going about life as usual and behaving normally. This should be an example for you to follow. Life is still normal and so are your chickens.

I also have an avian virus in my flock. Most of the time, everything goes along normally. Once in a while a chicken gets sick, and I wonder if it's from the leucosis virus. In the end, it really doesn't matter. I will still treat the chicken as I would any sick chicken, treat it as best I can. In other words, you and I both have normal flocks that just happen to carry a virus. Everything else is the same as any flock.

The one thing people with regular flocks are able to do that you and I can't is to rehome chickens from our flocks as we do not want to export the virus to another flock. I also discourage friends with flocks from visiting my chickens unless they understand that they need to disinfect foot wear after their visit to my flock and put their clothes in the washer before heading out to their flock.

 

[B_Chickle01]

Those combs just appear dry. Once hormones begin flowing again, the combs will become red and moist. If a comb has frostbite, you would also see white blisters and swelling of the damaged tissue.

Getting bad news as you have has probably triggered a little PTSD, and you can expect to feel alarm and experience dread when a chicken acts a little "off". This is normal. As time passes, you'll be reassured by your chickens going about life as usual and behaving normally. This should be an example for you to follow. Life is still normal and so are your chickens.

I also have an avian virus in my flock. Most of the time, everything goes along normally. Once in a while a chicken gets sick, and I wonder if it's from the leucosis virus. In the end, it really doesn't matter. I will still treat the chicken as I would any sick chicken, treat it as best I can. In other words, you and I both have normal flocks that just happen to carry a virus. Everything else is the same as any flock.

The one thing people with regular flocks are able to do that you and I can't is to rehome chickens from our flocks as we do not want to export the virus to another flock. I also discourage friends with flocks from visiting my chickens unless they understand that they need to disinfect foot wear after their visit to my flock and put their clothes in the washer before heading out to their flock.

Ok! I’ve never seen them pale at tips like that they look a lot more white then pic. But don’t have swelling or blisters so whew Don’t have to worry about moistening it with Vaseline or anything? But I noticed it seems like recently a lot of people are losing chickens to Marek’s? Not sure why that is. A friend of mines friend she lives around area as well lost her silkies to Marek’s. I’m sorry you’re dealing with kind of similar issue! It’s scary for sure but still always worth having chickens in my opinion! I seriously was so upset I was considering never getting any more chickens again because of how hard I was being on myself for losing them. But my family talked sense into me and told me I can’t not do something I love out of fear. Now though I know it’s Marek’s it makes sense nothing I did was saving them. Did you lose alot of your flock from Avian Flu? And isn’t that one of the many diseases that you need to report to your state right? That seems a lot scarier! I’m sorry you’re going through that and your birds. I did let everyone know it was possible Marek’s diagnosis I wanted to try to get second opinion waiting to hear back from vet about at least any test he could do to confirm it instead of him just basing it off of just visual exam. I reached out to my friend who’s a breeder as well to let her know too. It does stink cause I won’t go around her birds or anything until i know for sure I can’t jeopardize it. She is taking on a new project too she’s breeding Ayam Cemani chickens which are my absolute fav and I wanted to watch her and learn more about it.

 

[azygous]

No, you don't need to report these two avian viruses to your state. Some such as Newcastle and avian flu do need to be reported as they can decimate the commercial poultry industry if they were to get out of control.

I've been keeping chickens for fifteen years, and I'm pretty sure the leucosis virus has been in my flock from the start. I had adopted two adult hens from a friend's flock to start my flock, and one died the day after I got her. They gave me another hen, and she was fine until a bobcat ate her, but the other hen developed classic symptoms of leucosis after I'd had her for two years. She became paralyzed, and eventually couldn't move at all. My friend wasn't very fastidious about raking up poop and changing bedding. I think their chickens were not the healthiest.

Over the years, I've lost a chicken perhaps every two years or so, but probably not any more than any flock keeper would experience. The key is to maximize the health of your flock and keep the premises clean so the chickens don't need to cope with a lot of bacteria. A healthy flock can remain resistant to these viruses and many never develop symptoms and live long normal lives.

 

[B_Chickle01]

No, you don't need to report these two avian viruses to your state. Some such as Newcastle and avian flu do need to be reported as they can decimate the commercial poultry industry if they were to get out of control.

I've been keeping chickens for fifteen years, and I'm pretty sure the leucosis virus has been in my flock from the start. I had adopted two adult hens from a friend's flock to start my flock, and one died the day after I got her. They gave me another hen, and she was fine until a bobcat ate her, but the other hen developed classic symptoms of leucosis after I'd had her for two years. She became paralyzed, and eventually couldn't move at all. My friend wasn't very fastidious about raking up poop and changing bedding. I think their chickens were not the healthiest.

Over the years, I've lost a chicken perhaps every two years or so, but probably not any more than any flock keeper would experience. The key is to maximize the health of your flock and keep the premises clean so the chickens don't need to cope with a lot of bacteria. A healthy flock can remain resistant to these viruses and many never develop symptoms and live long normal lives.

ohh ok got cha. That’s sad I don’t understand that. No disrespect towards your friend I just personally look at it like any other regular house pet.. you wouldn’t let them live in their own filth should be same for chickens. It makes a huge difference when all the ladies are happy. I have freaking Piñatas, chicken swings, chicken marry go rounds(made out of kids old bike tires) disco balls in there for them. I mean yes some may say that’s a little much but lol If I can’t even open up their glass windows to retrieve eggs from nest box without holding my breath they can’t be feeling too good about it.

I wanted to ask you! So I called the vet I got my girl into other day asked if they would be able to please test one of other lives birds that were in her coop so I would have results right there based off testing as opposed to trusting 100% in a hunch he’s having. Asked if we could do blood work he told me he was going to look into blood and other tests and get back to me with price. What else should I have him test for besides Avian Flu and Marek’s just to get things ruled out and I can know for sure? I will spend the money to be able to know 100% what I’m dealing with and knowing for sure it’s something that is completely out of my control or not. With in reason though!

 

[azygous]

Yes, they can do a blood serum test to examine for DNA for Marek's and another one is avian leucosis.

Those two viruses are the most common and "hide" in flocks with little in the way of symptoms most of the time. Other pathogens make a chicken so sick that they often die before you can treat them. So just those two viruses are what I would have them test for.