CHICKEN EYE

[SnowballTheChicken]

Im pretty sure my hen i have just rescued has omd (ocular marek disease) and i have a small flock so i dont know what to do they might all get it now

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It's hard to tell in the photo if it is omd or not. It looks suspicious.

Is the pupil uneven? Omd creates an uneven pupil and odd iris color usually termed fish eye. I'll give a photo below of an example.

Her eye looks swollen to me, and she looks like she has pecking injuries. She might benefit from some eye antibiotic ointment.

If she does have OMD, yes, you've exposed your flock to this particular Marek's strain, which is the risk of taking in any adult bird, rescue or not. (And the main reason I keep a closed flock...I brought in Infectious Bronchitis with purchased adult birds that blew through my flock causing several losses one year, and I've not taken in adult birds since).

However, Marek's is everywhere, and your flock likely has been exposed already. So those that are resistant won't show symptoms. But again, it's a risk of bringing in adult birds. (You should always quarantine the new bird for at least 2 weeks to help prevent parasite and bacterial transmission...viral is almost impossible to stop as it floats on the air. Most people don't quarantine properly even when they quarantine).

But...could you post another photo of the eye? Is the pupil uneven or iris discolored. She's looking down, so I can't tell if the pupil is round or oval.

My thoughts.

LofMc

 

[SnowballTheChicken]

It's hard to tell in the photo if it is omd or not. It looks suspicious.

Is the pupil uneven? Omd creates an uneven pupil and odd iris color usually termed fish eye. I'll give a photo below of an example.

Her eye looks swollen to me, and she looks like she has pecking injuries. She might benefit from some eye antibiotic ointment.

If she does have OMD, yes, you've exposed your flock to this particular Marek's strain, which is the risk of taking in any adult bird, rescue or not. (And the main reason I keep a closed flock...I brought in Infectious Bronchitis with purchased adult birds that blew through my flock causing several losses one year, and I've not taken in adult birds since).

However, Marek's is everywhere, and your flock likely has been exposed already. So those that are resistant won't show symptoms. But again, it's a risk of bringing in adult birds. (You should always quarantine the new bird for at least 2 weeks to help prevent parasite and bacterial transmission...viral is almost impossible to stop as it floats on the air. Most people don't quarantine properly even when they quarantine).

But...could you post another photo of the eye? Is the pupil uneven or iris discolored. She's looking down, so I can't tell if the pupil is round or oval.

My thoughts.

LofMc

View attachment 3097371

The pupil is an oval shape

 

[SnowballTheChicken]

The pupil is an oval shape

And the left eye is a circle

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be ocular Mareks from the eye characteristics. Only lab confirmation with testing or a necropsy after death could confirm that. Rescuing chickens is very admirable, but it can be a way of bringing in a contagious disease that can hang around for years. I will only get chicks from a hatchery or maybe a good feed store from now on. Respiratory diseases are also brought into the flock this way. Mareks has 4 types of symptoms. The eye, nerve, skin, and visceral types can occur alone or a chicken may have more than one type. Here are some good links to read for more info:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

 

[SnowballTheChicken]

It could be ocular Mareks from the eye characteristics. Only lab confirmation with testing or a necropsy after death could confirm that. Rescuing chickens is very admirable, but it can be a way of bringing in a contagious disease that can hang around for years. I will only get chicks from a hatchery or maybe a good feed store from now on. Respiratory diseases are also brought into the flock this way. Mareks has 4 types of symptoms. The eye, nerve, skin, and visceral types can occur alone or a chicken may have more than one type. Here are some good links to read for more info:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/vdl-mareks-disease-fact-sheet.pdf

Thank you!!!

 

[SnowballTheChicken]

It's hard to tell in the photo if it is omd or not. It looks suspicious.

Is the pupil uneven? Omd creates an uneven pupil and odd iris color usually termed fish eye. I'll give a photo below of an example.

Her eye looks swollen to me, and she looks like she has pecking injuries. She might benefit from some eye antibiotic ointment.

If she does have OMD, yes, you've exposed your flock to this particular Marek's strain, which is the risk of taking in any adult bird, rescue or not. (And the main reason I keep a closed flock...I brought in Infectious Bronchitis with purchased adult birds that blew through my flock causing several losses one year, and I've not taken in adult birds since).

However, Marek's is everywhere, and your flock likely has been exposed already. So those that are resistant won't show symptoms. But again, it's a risk of bringing in adult birds. (You should always quarantine the new bird for at least 2 weeks to help prevent parasite and bacterial transmission...viral is almost impossible to stop as it floats on the air. Most people don't quarantine properly even when they quarantine).

But...could you post another photo of the eye? Is the pupil uneven or iris discolored. She's looking down, so I can't tell if the pupil is round or oval.

My thoughts.

LofMc

View attachment 3097371

 

[SnowballTheChicken]

Please reply soon

 

[Eggcessive]

In TX there is a lab that will test live birds for Mareks, a PCR test on blood obtained from trimming a toenail too close. Here is a link where you can request how to get a Mareks pcr test to do at home, and send back in:
https://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf

You also can have a necropsy done by your state vet if you cull the chicken or if she or another one dies. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[SnowballTheChicken]

In TX there is a lab that will test live birds for Mareks, a PCR test on blood obtained from trimming a toenail too close. Here is a link where you can request how to get a Mareks pcr test to do at home, and send back in:
https://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf

You also can have a necropsy done by your state vet if you cull the chicken or if she or another one dies. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

so dows it look like it has it??