Can an Ocular Marek's hen ever return to the flock?

[coach723]

No, they've all acted fairly normally. Some head tilting, trying to see, but that's about it.

 

[khind]

No, they've all acted fairly normally. Some head tilting, trying to see, but that's about it.

Oh wow. That really makes me wonder, then... It is hot right now, so during the hottest time of the day, the whole flock is generally either remaining still or dirt bathing. But they're still not closing their eyes and dozing off as much as she.

 

[khind]

I'll be watching her closely. If it seems her body is too tired to go on, I won't prolong the inevitable.

 

[microchick]

I have to go back and read page two but I'm going to speak from personal experience with Ocular Marek's disease.

I had three hens and a rooster that I lost to it. Two buff Orpington hens, a mixed bantam hen and a rooster. Beautiful birds. Sassy was my first and with her the cat was out of the bag. My husband, a retired eye doctor gave me my diagnosis. The symptoms chickens exhibit are the same as humans do with Ocular Herpes infections.

My Sassy lived to be 2 and a half years old before she began to have seizures, then a stroke as the disease invaded her brain. I put her down at that point.

Each one of my birds with Ocular Marek's disease progressed the same way. They will let you know when it is time. Until it was their time for their spirit to fly free they lived out their lives as normally as possible. In spite of sun light being painful for ocular herpes, Sassy would be outside, keeping to the shade and bossing the other hens around. The others stayed inside and I didn't push them to be outside. And in spite of Sassy's vision being dramatically reduced by the infection in both eyes she still had some degree of vision and got up and down on the roost bars without problems and always found the food bowls.

Most of all, don't give up. Yes, your flock is carrying Marek's disease and yes, you may lose more birds but you won't lose them all. I knock on wood, haven't had a MD related death in almost two years now and I lost my last bird with OMD three years ago. It does get better. Just hang in there.

 

[khind]

I have to go back and read page two but I'm going to speak from personal experience with Ocular Marek's disease.

I had three hens and a rooster that I lost to it. Two buff Orpington hens, a mixed bantam hen and a rooster. Beautiful birds. Sassy was my first and with her the cat was out of the bag. My husband, a retired eye doctor gave me my diagnosis. The symptoms chickens exhibit are the same as humans do with Ocular Herpes infections.

My Sassy lived to be 2 and a half years old before she began to have seizures, then a stroke as the disease invaded her brain. I put her down at that point.

Each one of my birds with Ocular Marek's disease progressed the same way. They will let you know when it is time. Until it was their time for their spirit to fly free they lived out their lives as normally as possible. In spite of sun light being painful for ocular herpes, Sassy would be outside, keeping to the shade and bossing the other hens around. The others stayed inside and I didn't push them to be outside. And in spite of Sassy's vision being dramatically reduced by the infection in both eyes she still had some degree of vision and got up and down on the roost bars without problems and always found the food bowls.

Most of all, don't give up. Yes, your flock is carrying Marek's disease and yes, you may lose more birds but you won't lose them all. I knock on wood, haven't had a MD related death in almost two years now and I lost my last bird with OMD three years ago. It does get better. Just hang in there.

Wow, thank you for the encouragement. And thank you for sharing about your sweet, beautiful birds.

 

[microchick]

Thank you. Marek's is a horrible disease that I have been dealing with since I started keeping chickens 6+ years ago now.

I lost 2/3rds of my flock at one time and have had all three forms of the disease show up in my birds. Finding out that you have lost birds to MD is a devastating piece of news to get. But it isn't the end of the world nor is it the end of your ability to keep chickens and enjoy them.

Things just become 'Different' and you learn to deal with that difference.

Coming soon will be an article that I have written about my experience dealing with Marek's Disease and how I learned to enjoy my birds in spite of a potential killer hanging around our farm.

It's the same as any other predator. You know they are out there. It's how you learn to deal with them that counts.

I also wanted to add that I have a picture of my Sassy showing her distinctive 'gray eye' on one of the other threads about MD. Lot's off good reading and advice here on BYC.

 

[Lida7]

Thank you. Marek's is a horrible disease that I have been dealing with since I started keeping chickens 6+ years ago now.

I lost 2/3rds of my flock at one time and have had all three forms of the disease show up in my birds. Finding out that you have lost birds to MD is a devastating piece of news to get. But it isn't the end of the world nor is it the end of your ability to keep chickens and enjoy them.

Things just become 'Different' and you learn to deal with that difference.

Coming soon will be an article that I have written about my experience dealing with Marek's Disease and how I learned to enjoy my birds in spite of a potential killer hanging around our farm.

It's the same as any other predator. You know they are out there. It's how you learn to deal with them that counts.

I also wanted to add that I have a picture of my Sassy showing her distinctive 'gray eye' on one of the other threads about MD. Lot's off good reading and advice here on BYC.

Could you please post a link to your other post with the pictures?

 

[microchick]

I can do better than that. Here is the picture. I found it this morning.

Both of Sassy's eyes looked like this. Usually one eye will be affected first and the worse eye of the two will be a lighter color.

Note the irregular shaped constricted pupil that does not respond to light, the grey/green color with the darker ring around the exterior.

 

[Lida7]

I can do better than that. Here is the picture. I found it this morning.

View attachment 2794961
Both of Sassy's eyes looked like this. Usually one eye will be affected first and the worse eye of the two will be a lighter color.

Note the irregular shaped constricted pupil that does not respond to light, the grey/green color with the darker ring around the exterior.

Thanks. What color were her eyes originally? And how long from the eye color change to having to put her to sleep?

 

[microchick]

Her eyes were regular dark brick brown seen in chickens.

Sassy lived longer than average like this. Most of my birds didn't make it to two years, she was three when she finally had to be put down. Most of my birds with ocular Marek's developed neurological problems, seizures/strokes. they became emaciated. When I found them either having seizures or experiencing other neurological problems I called it for them.

I am very lucky that my dear husband is a retired eye doctor and was able to diagnose the ocular Marek's disease for me. He said that the iritis (iridocyclitis) presented the same in my birds as it does in people who are suffering from herpes infections in their eyes.