10 months ago we had a hen that developed what we were pretty sure was Marek's. I posted the pictures back then. She had the skin lesions/postules and looked horrible! Fast forward to a couple of days ago. My son (he's 14) brought in a hen that is at least 5 years old. Our last EE hen. One of her ears was terribly swollen. Upon further inspection he found the skin lesions and other signs of Marek's and made the decision to cull her immediately in hopes it doesn't spread to the rest of the flock. She was from the same batch as the last chicken (ordered from a reputable breeder) and at this point I have no idea if they were vaccinated. Knowing that at the time we were new to this whole thing, I probably didn't order the vaccines. So, here are a couple of questions: He will be showing his chickens at the fair in August. Should this keep him from showing? I mean, as I understand it, Marek's is everywhere and pretty much can't be avoided. If it shows up again and the chicken seems otherwise healthy, should we cull it right away or attempt to treat it? Thanks!
I've taken the answers to your questions from my big Marek's FAQ. There is a lot more info in the FAQ, too... if you think you have Marek's, it is probably worth your time to read it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq In short, if you think you have Marek's, it would be irresponsible in most people's eyes to take carrier birds to a show. Birds that have been exposed to the virus shed it for their entire lives. If you really want to show and to know what is going on, it might be worth the money to have your bird tested. It would let you know if it's safe or not. Without testing, all we could ever do all day is guess, which is hardly a guarantee.
