BCM and Java pullets?

[ArchersMom]

I purchased 2 pullets today at a swap. I'm questioning if the BCM is actually a BCM. I wasn't able to really get a good look at them before I bought them. The BCM is supposed to be about 16 weeks old and the Java is 8 weeks. The BCM has white tips on the ends of her wings and her eyes are unusual looking. It's like the pupils are I'll definitely. The poor Java, mottled I think, has no feathers on her tail and intense blue eyes.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I am so sorry to have to tell you, but from your photos and descriptions, your new birds appear to have occular Marek's.

Bird eyes should never be silver-grey, blue, or irregular pupil sizes.

The most common cause of that is Marek's in the occular form.

I will link the BYC Marek's article.

With this marked severity, in occular form, you may want to consider culling them, though birds with the occular form have been known to survive for several years. They definitely should not be near the rest of your flock. You'll have to sanitize where they have been and be very careful not to contaminate the rest of your flock....though it floats on the dander in the wind.

I hope I am wrong...but that sure looks like occular Marek's to me.

I'm so sorry.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

http://extension.umd.edu/sites/exte...Preventing Mareks Disease in Small Flocks.pdf

LofMc

 

[ArchersMom]

Thank you for sharing that information. I'm so disappointed in people. The seller had probably 40 chicks and pullets being sold today. This will be my first and last outing. I guess I'll be hatching eggs from now on.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you for sharing that information. I'm so disappointed in people. The seller had probably 40 chicks and pullets being sold today. This will be my first and last outing. I guess I'll be hatching eggs from now on.

Hatching your own eggs is always the safest (though not 100% fault free).

I'm so sorry. The owner should be notified if possible. Hopefully they simply were not aware rather than passing off sick birds.

LofMc

 

[ArchersMom]

I'm not sure. These two were in different pens and as far as I could tell, all of the Java's had light eyes. I guess if they didn't know about the disease, they wouldn't know what to look for, like me.

Hatching your own eggs is always the safest (though not 100% fault free).

I'm so sorry. The owner should be notified if possible. Hopefully they simply were not aware rather than passing off sick birds.

LofMc

 

[ArchersMom]

Whomever responded to my complaint from the swap suggested that Marek's is rare and that they may be in shock. I won't be culling for now. They're quarantined in the garage now, but I'm having a hard time believing that shock would cause eye color changes.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Did you reach out to ops or the seller themselves?

 

[ArchersMom]

Did you reach out to ops or the seller themselves?

The OPS, yes. They had to give me contact information for the seller.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Shock does not change eye color.
You can have pale combs and dilated pupils, but not blue eyes with uneven iris....that is occular Mareks.

Besides, who would be happy with birds in shock. Transition stress is not systemic shock. Only sick birds would be in shock.

Mareks is common. The swap management is in error.

I'd use a different swap next time. Someone should have noted that entrant.

 

[ArchersMom]

Looks like I'll have to have a necropsy done to prove anything to them. I'm sure that's expensive.