Does she have Marek's disease?

tomik261

Chirping
May 9, 2023
57
44
61
She's had these really small pupils for more than a year and just recently she started sneezing and rattling . She is a bit underweight otherwise she's doing fine.
 

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Can you get clearer photos of her eyes?

Sneezing and rattling can be from a number of things. Have you added any new birds within the last 30 days?

See that the coop has adequate ventilation. Look her over for lice/mites on the body. The scales on her legs look raised indicate that she has Scaly Leg Mites, rub some vaseline or Nustock cream up and under the scales of the legs at least once weekly for several weeks to help get rid of them.

Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight.
 
Can you get clearer photos of her eyes?

Sneezing and rattling can be from a number of things. Have you added any new birds within the last 30 days?

See that the coop has adequate ventilation. Look her over for lice/mites on the body. The scales on her legs look raised indicate that she has Scaly Leg Mites, rub some vaseline or Nustock cream up and under the scales of the legs at least once weekly for several weeks to help get rid of them.

Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight.
Here they are. It does seem she has mites and the scaly leg is more a problem with this leghorn variety. The whole coop except our mixed and Araucanas have them. Tried the vaseline once but didn't seem to have an effect. Any tips for mites we have plenty dust baths on the ready and the other chickens don't seem weak.

The rooster is irrelevant I just thought he stared funny
 

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Here they are. It does seem she has mites and the scaly leg is more a problem with this leghorn variety. The whole coop except our mixed and Araucanas have them. Tried the vaseline once but didn't seem to have an effect. Any tips for mites we have plenty dust baths on the ready and the other chickens don't seem weak.
Hard to tell anything about the eyes, but if she has mites on the body, they will affect her health and the health of the others eventually.

You can find Permethrin based poultry spray or dust at feed stores. I prefer dust for the birds and spray for housing, so I keep both on hand. Put the dust in an old sock and use it like a powder puff, work the dust into the feathers all the way down to the skin. Be sure to get around the vent, underneath the wings, etc. I would dust the whole flock. Repeat dusting in 5-7 day intervals. Clean out your coop and treat is a well. Make sure the treat all nooks/crannies of the coop, nesting boxes and roosting bars. Repeat every 5-7 days. It will be a battle to get rid of them.

One treatment of Vaseline for SLM won't do it. You will have to be consistent in treatment, working the vaseline up and under the scales of the legs weekly.
 
Hard to tell anything about the eyes, but if she has mites on the body, they will affect her health and the health of the others eventually.

You can find Permethrin based poultry spray or dust at feed stores. I prefer dust for the birds and spray for housing, so I keep both on hand. Put the dust in an old sock and use it like a powder puff, work the dust into the feathers all the way down to the skin. Be sure to get around the vent, underneath the wings, etc. I would dust the whole flock. Repeat dusting in 5-7 day intervals. Clean out your coop and treat is a well. Make sure the treat all nooks/crannies of the coop, nesting boxes and roosting bars. Repeat every 5-7 days. It will be a battle to get rid of them.

One treatment of Vaseline for SLM won't do it. You will have to be consistent in treatment, working the vaseline up and under the scales of the legs weekly.
Would Diatomaceous earth work instead of the spray?
 
DE will not treat an outbreak of lice or mites. Permethrin dust or the ready mix horse spray are the best treatments, once and again in 10 days. All bedding should be removed and replaced, since the lice and eggs would be found there too. Scaly leg mites require application of the vaseline or oil to the legs 1-2 times a week for many weeks.
 
Would Diatomaceous earth work instead of the spray?
No. DE won't work instead.

👇
You can find Permethrin based poultry spray or dust at feed stores. I prefer dust for the birds and spray for housing, so I keep both on hand. Put the dust in an old sock and use it like a powder puff, work the dust into the feathers all the way down to the skin. Be sure to get around the vent, underneath the wings, etc. I would dust the whole flock. Repeat dusting in 5-7 day intervals. Clean out your coop and treat is a well. Make sure the treat all nooks/crannies of the coop, nesting boxes and roosting bars. Repeat every 5-7 days. It will be a battle to get rid of them.

One treatment of Vaseline for SLM won't do it. You will have to be consistent in treatment, working the vaseline up and under the scales of the legs weekly.
 

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