8 week old pullet limping for past 5 days

[Pandang81]

Yes, it's possible. I'm sorry about this, and I understand completely how it feels to get this type of news. It can feel a lot like a meteor crashing though your roof.

The Marek's diagnosis is more troubling than the leucosis because Marek's is more likely to become symptomatic. Leucosis can strike at any age, but unless a pullet has had direct exposure to a symptomatic chicken, it's not that likely they will become symptomatic. I'm going by personal experience. Leucosis more often strikes older chickens whose immune systems are becoming less vigorous.

As far as dealing with these two viruses, educate yourself so you understand what you're dealing with. LL isn't the end of the world, and flocks live mostly normally with LL all the time. Marek's is the one that is going to be tough. This virus is much harder to deal with, and you might consider removing this particular chicken from your flock before others become infected because eventually they will.

I still think they are mistaken. How could the sick paralyzed pullet not have Mareks and only have LL. Makes no sense. She isn’t old enough to be presenting LL symptoms & her symptoms were neurological anyway.

 

[Pandang81]

Yes, it's possible. I'm sorry about this, and I understand completely how it feels to get this type of news. It can feel a lot like a meteor crashing though your roof.

The Marek's diagnosis is more troubling than the leucosis because Marek's is more likely to become symptomatic. Leucosis can strike at any age, but unless a pullet has had direct exposure to a symptomatic chicken, it's not that likely they will become symptomatic. I'm going by personal experience. Leucosis more often strikes older chickens whose immune systems are becoming less vigorous.

As far as dealing with these two viruses, educate yourself so you understand what you're dealing with. LL isn't the end of the world, and flocks live mostly normally with LL all the time. Marek's is the one that is going to be tough. This virus is much harder to deal with, and you might consider removing this particular chicken from your flock before others become infected because eventually they will.

If my healthy pullet truly does have both Mareks and Avian Leukosis I won’t be keeping her or her flockmates. They probably have it then as well? I’m considering retesting them all to ensure there was no mixup. It just seems odd to me that she would have Mareks & not my sick pullet. It could be that they did mix up the results which means only the sick Silkie pullet had both Mareks & Avian Leukosis & the other pullets only have Avian Leukosis….in that case you are saying it’s not as serious or life threatening to the other chickens?

 

[azygous]

Leucosis is the more manageable of the two avian viruses. Even though Marek's has a vaccine and leucosis does not, leucosis is more easily resisted by healthy chickens, even though they carry it for life.

They are two completely different viruses, although the symptoms can resemble each other. My flock has been living with leucosis for fifteen years. Most are healthy and live long normal lives. Of the two viruses, I'd much rather deal with leucosis.

 

[Pandang81]

I decided to get completely rid of the pullets in my garage so as not to contaminate my existing outdoor flock. I will start over with newly hatched chicks and will not be keeping them in the garage. I know from talking to the TX A&M avian pathologist that it’s difficult to prevent illnesses when it comes to chickens (he said almost all are eventually exposed) but I would rather not knowingly mix when I know my outdoor flock is negative. Thanks all for your experience & insight! Definitely helpful.