Anyone have experience dealing with Marek's?

[centrarchid]

See following threads. I have battled something that sure looks like what you and your rooster are up against.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mareks-long-term-prognosis.625129/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-in-mareks-infected-hen.733001/#post-10184149

 

[shannon84]

In my experience, Marek's does not kill that quickly, but complications can be involved. I have a couple threads from a few years back dealing with what showed clinical signs of Marek's.

So can he start walking again and eating?, Like is it spells he will go through till it kills him eventually?

 

[centrarchid]

I'm the worse person to not get worked up, I don't take animal sickness or death well at all. I probably shouldn't own animals it's that bad. Did your sick chickens die? Does it happen fast or will be be like this for a while? I'll do whatever I can for him. He hates people he always spurs me, but seems to trust me just bullies me . I wish he wasn't difficult to handle

I used to get worked up when animals got sick. I have had far more animals than most. Had to learn how to go into doctor mode where emotion is put on the back burner. What I do is get sick animal into quite, thermally neutral environment and check on them every couple of hours. Make so if a heat source is used, the bird can control how close to source is. Keep it dry by changing bedding frequently and keep water and food close. I also baby birds with extremely palatable foods. Wet feed and provide variety with greens. My sickest birds will at least attempt to eat live meal worms with other items do not stimulate appetite. Follow @Eggcessive 's suggestions concerning live.

Worry about his bad behaviors later.

 

[centrarchid]

So can he start walking again and eating?, Like is it spells he will go through till it kills him eventually?

The condition strikes like polio where signs are hard for many to catch for a couple days followed by a rapid loss of mobility, almost overnight. Most birds when they loose ability to walk then stabilize and can hang on for a long time, as in weeks to months. Outcome is not good when weight keeps going down.

Birds that regained ability to walk usually did so within about 2 weeks. Full physical ability never fully returns. The bad part is I have never had a bird live beyond a year past original signs. Females typically had greatly reduced ability to produce eggs and one died during incubation which I have never had occur due to any other reason. Male side recall bird was taken by predator, but was never self again.

 

[ChickNanny13]

What's a keel bone? He feels big to me not thin, but he is a buff Orpington, so he feels like all feathers. But he he has been eating up till today, he wants to eat but can't seem to do so. I feed them all flock or feather fixer, right now he is eating layer feed. I put parsley flaks, flax seed, DE , other herbs mixed in. Garlic juice in there too. I'm a newbie so I got that recipe off this chicken book called "fresh eggs daily" they get apple cider vinegar in their water or one day I'll use a probiotic. I only have 3 chickens (including him) I keep their small coop spotless too. He rarely free rages. Only on nice days I'm home. Maybe 3 hours max. Is it a rare condition in older birds? I've only had chickens for 3 years and I don't know any chicken people. Can a bad injury mimic Marek's? He just flops and wings come out and legs are lame. He started that last night!

Why is he eating layer? Have read it shouldnt be fed to Roos/chicks due to the calcium increase possibly causing liver/kidney damage Feed him All Flock or the Feather Fixer, put out a separate dish of Oyster Shells for the hens.

Also agree about the Riboflavin deficiency possibility due to the "curled toes". Keep us updated to any changes.

 

[Eggcessive]

My roosters eat layer most of the time with no problems. Since all my chickens have stopped laying, I have them all on flock raiser.

I agree that I wouldn’t panic. Yes he is sick, and and he needs warmth and fluids plus food. He just needs nursing care right now in case he recovers. @rebrascora deals with Mareks in her flock, and she has a mild strain where she sees some chickens become lame and recover. But that is not the usual outcome. Remember that Mareks is best diagnosed with a necropsy where they test feather shafts and tumor tissue. In Mareks tumors can grow along nerves, inside the body on organs, on the skin, and along eye nerves causing eye color and pupil changes.

In botulism, a disease caused by eating a tiny amount of toxin from dead animals or plants in an environment without oxygen (such as underwater or buried under ground,) chickens and other fowl may become paralyzed. That paralysis starts in the toes, feet, legs and works up the spinal nerves to the neck eventually suffocating them. This is sometimes confused with Mareks.

 

[shannon84]

I used to get worked up when animals got sick. I have had far more animals than most. Had to learn how to go into doctor mode where emotion is put on the back burner. What I do is get sick animal into quite, thermally neutral environment and check on them every couple of hours. Make so if a heat source is used, the bird can control how close to source is. Keep it dry by changing bedding frequently and keep water and food close. I also baby birds with extremely palatable foods. Wet feed and provide variety with greens. My sickest birds will at least attempt to eat live meal worms with other items do not stimulate appetite. Follow @Eggcessive 's suggestions concerning live.

Worry about his bad behaviors later.

I'm going to make myself go into Dr mode, it's terrible and sucks the life and emotionally well being out of you but I can do it, I did it for two of my dogs that had cancer and it took a toll on my mental health like depression. But I'm not going to give up on him. I adore him even though he probably can't stand me. Do I need to hold water up to him while holding him? I just don't want him to drown in his water. What supplies should I get tomorrow for him? He has a chicken heating pad in his house. Not sure if that's warm enough? It's mild here as of now, mid 40s.

 

[shannon84]

The condition strikes like polio where signs are hard for many to catch for a couple days followed by a rapid loss of mobility, almost overnight. Most birds when they loose ability to walk then stabilize and can hang on for a long time, as in weeks to months. Outcome is not good when weight keeps going down.

Birds that regained ability to walk usually did so within about 2 weeks. Full physical ability never fully returns. The bad part is I have never had a bird live beyond a year past original signs. Females typically had greatly reduced ability to produce eggs and one died during incubation which I have never had occur due to any other reason. Male side recall bird was taken by predator, but was never self again.

this is a strange confusing illness. So my hens very well may not get it, just depending on their immune system possibly? See he had this spell over a year ago but not no where this bad and it took a few months to become normal again. I just assumed he injured himself , because he actually did get an injury. It's almost like when he hurts himself it sends him into this Marek's spells.

 

[shannon84]

The condition strikes like polio where signs are hard for many to catch for a couple days followed by a rapid loss of mobility, almost overnight. Most birds when they loose ability to walk then stabilize and can hang on for a long time, as in weeks to months. Outcome is not good when weight keeps going down.

Birds that regained ability to walk usually did so within about 2 weeks. Full physical ability never fully returns. The bad part is I have never had a bird live beyond a year past original signs. Females typically had greatly reduced ability to produce eggs and one died during incubation which I have never had occur due to any other reason. Male side recall bird was taken by predator, but was never self again.

this is a strange confusing illness. So my hens very well may not get it, just depending on their immune system possibly? See he had this spell over a year ago but not no where this bad and it took a few months to become normal again. I just assumed he injured himself , because he actually did get an injury. It's almost like when he hurts himself it sends him into this Marek's spells.

 

[centrarchid]

I put mine in the garage attached to house. Others like @casportpony are better with methods on how to hydrate a weak bird.