14-week-old possible leg injury?

[Bkaye]

Thank you for your response and support. I never suspected owning chickens would be so confusing and heartbreaking! I do love them, tho... They make me smile. I will be prepared, and hopefully it will be unnecessary.

If you decide to test her let us know what the results are. We are all hoping it’s not Mareks!

 

[Chopper923]

I’ll also mention this, not saying you have Mareks or not but I can only tell you what I experienced and have noticed.

When we started the vitamins with ours she seems to get better some. She was trying to stand up but never could fully stand. She got to where she would stand on her hocks. She had good days and bad days though. Some days she couldn’t even do that.

The only birds I’ve had that have been effected by Mareks so far I hatched our in September. We hatched out 13. Currently we have 2 left out of that hatch. Not all died from Mareks tho, Mareks makes them susceptible to many diseases and even parasites. We lost 3 due to coccidosis, we had one that got an eye infection that would never clear up even after a strong coarse of antibiotics and removing puss daily. We had one go off food and pretty much waste away and the rest started off walking like they were drunk and very unsteady in their feet and waste away.

It has been a very emotional rollercoaster. I am not saying any of this to try to scare you, IF what you are dealing with your not alone, there are a number of us on here dealing with it. Some will only purchase vaccinated chicks some are trying to breed for resistance.

Thank you for telling me about your experience with mareks. THAT IS DEFINITELY AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER! Especially within your first year. I don't know if I can handle that. I know you aren't trying to scare me, and I do appreciate knowing ahead of time what might come if my chickens have mareks. Question... If you hatched them, how did they get mareks? Oh, geez... Just thinking about how hard this must be on you, hatching these babies and then losing them. I am sorry for YOUR losses!

 

[Bkaye]

Thank you for telling me about your experience with mareks. THAT IS DEFINITELY AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER! Especially within your first year. I don't know if I can handle that. I know you aren't trying to scare me, and I do appreciate knowing ahead of time what might come if my chickens have mareks. Question... If you hatched them, how did they get mareks? Oh, geez... Just thinking about how hard this must be on you, hatching these babies and then losing them. I am sorry for YOUR losses!

I’m not really sure where it came from. From what I’ve read it can travel for miles on the wind so anyone in my area that has Mareks could of exposed my birds to it. I’ve always been careful on not wearing shoes/clothes that I wear to the store in my coops.

Here is another article that may answer a lot of your questions. It’s a long read but we’ll worth it. I read and reread both the post I’ve linked as well as the other article that was linked previously over and over.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

I’ve recently hatched out some more babies this past April that are suppose to be bred for resistance to Mareks. We are keeping our fingers crossed that that’s the case.

I’ll also tell you from our experience symptoms seem to show up as the birds hit pol. Times of high stress can cause them become symptomatic.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for the loss of your chicken. I would get a necropsy if you lose another. It is itthe best way to get a diagnosis. Testing of live birds through RAL is okay, but a necropsy would be the best.

 

[Chopper923]

I’m not really sure where it came from. From what I’ve read it can travel for miles on the wind so anyone in my area that has Mareks could of exposed my birds to it. I’ve always been careful on not wearing shoes/clothes that I wear to the store in my coops.

Here is another article that may answer a lot of your questions. It’s a long read but we’ll worth it. I read and reread both the post I’ve linked as well as the other article that was linked previously over and over.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

I’ve recently hatched out some more babies this past April that are suppose to be bred for resistance to Mareks. We are keeping our fingers crossed that that’s the case.

I’ll also tell you from our experience symptoms seem to show up as the birds hit pol. Times of high stress can cause them become symptomatic.

After reading many articles these past few weeks, I told my husband that it's amazing that all chickens don't have mareks with how easy it is to spread! And after all of those articles, I'm still sooo confused about it, lol. How are the last 2 of your 13 doing? What does 'hit pol" mean?

 

[Chopper923]

Sorry for the loss of your chicken. I would get a necropsy if you lose another. It is itthe best way to get a diagnosis. Testing of live birds through RAL is okay, but a necropsy would be the best.

Thank you. If RAL is just ok, and the other one has best results with birds that are symptomatic, looks like I will be waiting for the next crisis. I swear, every time I go out to the coops, I am holding my breath, hoping that all are alive and well.

 

[Bkaye]

After reading many articles these past few weeks, I told my husband that it's amazing that all chickens don't have mareks with how easy it is to spread! And after all of those articles, I'm still sooo confused about it, lol. How are the last 2 of your 13 doing? What does 'hit pol" mean?

The last 2 from that hatch are both doing good. I have a Pullet that’s been laying since February and I have a cockerel. So far neither of those have developed any issues.

Pol is point of lay.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you. If RAL is just ok, and the other one has best results with birds that are symptomatic, looks like I will be waiting for the next crisis. I swear, every time I go out to the coops, I am holding my breath, hoping that all are alive and well.

I just mean that your money would be well spent on a necropsy. Many have done the home do it yourself testing that RAL deals with, by collecting a blood sample on a trimmed toenail, and then sent it in. Some have been relieved it if was negative, and got an answer if it was positive. But a necropsy will give info on any tumors found, what the pathologist thinks is going on, and they will test for other diseases. Some states are very reasonable, some not.

 

[Chopper923]

I just mean that your money would be well spent on a necropsy. Many have done the home do it yourself testing that RAL deals with, by collecting a blood sample on a trimmed toenail, and then sent it in. Some have been relieved it if was negative, and got an answer if it was positive. But a necropsy will give info on any tumors found, what the pathologist thinks is going on, and they will test for other diseases. Some states are very reasonable, some not.

Oh, thank you for explaining that! I will talk to my husband and figure out which route to go. If it's best to get a sample from a symptomatic bird or a dead bird, then I guess I sit and wait. I hate not knowing. I hate wondering if the next time I check on them, I'm going to find another one....

 

[Chopper923]

The last 2 from that hatch are both doing good. I have a Pullet that’s been laying since February and I have a cockerel. So far neither of those have developed any issues.

Pol is point of lay.

So, it's inevitable that they will eventually be affected by Marek's? Or if they do reach the age of 3 or 4, they might be resistant to the disease? Thank you for explaining POL.) I read the article you suggested... Beautifully written and explained. And heartbreaking... I bawled. Lol.