- Apr 11, 2009
- 1,436
- 55
- 171
Well, my experience with Mareks is that it is spread
by the infected dander of the infected bird. The only
experience I ever had was once when a man brought some
8 month old Cochin Cockerels over to be butchered.
Well, I did not take them into my chicken buildings
but did store them in rabbit hutches for two days
while butchering them. They all had been vaccinated
for mareks when babies.
As I felt the dander flying
off the birds got into my pens as some of my old birds
soon afterwards got the paralysis of the wings, legs
and neck. But as each one became infected and signs
became evident I killed them. Also it was at time in
August when Iowa weather is very hot. That added to
the stress of Mareks. I had no need to try and save
them as to my thinking there is no cure but death for
mareks infected birds. Most birds of this type become
paralized and lay on their side and cannot eat or
drink without you putting them up to the water or
feed. So not much need to infect the rest of the
birds.
This type of Mareks is a neutral type, loss of body
weight, anemia, labored resporation and diarrhea are
all common symtoms. Many birds that are pre laying age
will come down with it.
Mareks is a virus belonging to the Herpes virus
group.
The virus is concentrated on the feather folicles and
shed in dander, being sloughed from skin and feather
cells.
The virus has a long survival time in dander and can
be found in chicken houses that have been isolated for
long periods of time.
Young birds are the most suseptible as the virus has a
short period of incubation time.
Mareks also has a visceral type,with lesions seen in
the gonads, liver, spleen, kidney,and heart, lungs and
muscles. Most birds dying rapidly with massive tumors
inside the body.
Then there is the Leukosis type Mareks disease,
usually called gray eye. Which mortality is not as
fast, but the blinding of the eye and gray iris in the
eye. Then the emaciation diarrhea and death will
follow.
The skin leukosis is in the feather folicles and
causes skin lesions, this being the most infectious as
it is in the dander and feathers.
Most all hatcheries today vaccinate day old chicks for
mareks and will only sell chicks non vaccinated if you
order plenty ahead of time.It is a subcutaneous
injection in a sterile environment. 90% effective
vaccine.My reference material is from a Texas A&M Vet
book on diseases. Also you can catch information at
the web site of Mississippi University at
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disviral.html
Also my web site at http://www.gkpet.com
has articles one of which is Mareks.
If one does get this disease I would suggest burning
the bodies as the feather dander would then be
destroyed.
Also may I suggest that you feed your birds
electrolytes and vitamins and good mash with fresh
oyster shell and grit either boughten or can obtain
river sand, most birds do not succumb to this disease.
Feeding greens such as swiss chard, kale, turnip
greens, mustard greens, chick weed, lambs quarters,
and the like.
Now regular head lettuce is a waste of
time and energy as it is mostly water and no food
value to the birds. Makes such a mess in the bird pen
or house. I always raked up the greens if they were
old and tossed them out, so as not to have spoiled
feed for the birds.
The vitamins and minerals from the greens is great for
the birds.
Also another item that can be fed to the birds is
soaked whole oats with buttermilk and yoguart
Take a gallon of whole dry oats and in a stainless
steel or crock container
put the oats and use a 1/2
gallon of buttermilk and a quart of yoguart, any
flavor, and soak over night and then stir and feed the
birds in a clean trough. When they have eaten them
wash the trough and dry for another days usage. This
gives the birds a good source of stomach lactobicilus
and stablizes the birds to not take on sickness so
easily.
As you know clean water daily is very important to
your birds health. Sanitize the waterers every week
with a solution of 1 cup clorox in a 5 gallon bucket
of water, let the wateres sit submerged in the water
for at least three hours and then scrub with a bottle
brush in clean water.
As to the mareks situation I would take one of the
birds perferably a live sick bird to a diagnostic
laboratory and see what they say. If you have a
agricultural lab around this is great. Call a Vet and
ask where in your area there is one.
Also if you start to vaccinate you will have to
continue to vaccinate all hatches of birds.
by the infected dander of the infected bird. The only
experience I ever had was once when a man brought some
8 month old Cochin Cockerels over to be butchered.
Well, I did not take them into my chicken buildings
but did store them in rabbit hutches for two days
while butchering them. They all had been vaccinated
for mareks when babies.
As I felt the dander flying
off the birds got into my pens as some of my old birds
soon afterwards got the paralysis of the wings, legs
and neck. But as each one became infected and signs
became evident I killed them. Also it was at time in
August when Iowa weather is very hot. That added to
the stress of Mareks. I had no need to try and save
them as to my thinking there is no cure but death for
mareks infected birds. Most birds of this type become
paralized and lay on their side and cannot eat or
drink without you putting them up to the water or
feed. So not much need to infect the rest of the
birds.
This type of Mareks is a neutral type, loss of body
weight, anemia, labored resporation and diarrhea are
all common symtoms. Many birds that are pre laying age
will come down with it.
Mareks is a virus belonging to the Herpes virus
group.
The virus is concentrated on the feather folicles and
shed in dander, being sloughed from skin and feather
cells.
The virus has a long survival time in dander and can
be found in chicken houses that have been isolated for
long periods of time.
Young birds are the most suseptible as the virus has a
short period of incubation time.
Mareks also has a visceral type,with lesions seen in
the gonads, liver, spleen, kidney,and heart, lungs and
muscles. Most birds dying rapidly with massive tumors
inside the body.
Then there is the Leukosis type Mareks disease,
usually called gray eye. Which mortality is not as
fast, but the blinding of the eye and gray iris in the
eye. Then the emaciation diarrhea and death will
follow.
The skin leukosis is in the feather folicles and
causes skin lesions, this being the most infectious as
it is in the dander and feathers.
Most all hatcheries today vaccinate day old chicks for
mareks and will only sell chicks non vaccinated if you
order plenty ahead of time.It is a subcutaneous
injection in a sterile environment. 90% effective
vaccine.My reference material is from a Texas A&M Vet
book on diseases. Also you can catch information at
the web site of Mississippi University at
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disviral.html
Also my web site at http://www.gkpet.com
has articles one of which is Mareks.
If one does get this disease I would suggest burning
the bodies as the feather dander would then be
destroyed.
Also may I suggest that you feed your birds
electrolytes and vitamins and good mash with fresh
oyster shell and grit either boughten or can obtain
river sand, most birds do not succumb to this disease.
Feeding greens such as swiss chard, kale, turnip
greens, mustard greens, chick weed, lambs quarters,
and the like.
Now regular head lettuce is a waste of
time and energy as it is mostly water and no food
value to the birds. Makes such a mess in the bird pen
or house. I always raked up the greens if they were
old and tossed them out, so as not to have spoiled
feed for the birds.
The vitamins and minerals from the greens is great for
the birds.
Also another item that can be fed to the birds is
soaked whole oats with buttermilk and yoguart
Take a gallon of whole dry oats and in a stainless
steel or crock container
put the oats and use a 1/2
gallon of buttermilk and a quart of yoguart, any
flavor, and soak over night and then stir and feed the
birds in a clean trough. When they have eaten them
wash the trough and dry for another days usage. This
gives the birds a good source of stomach lactobicilus
and stablizes the birds to not take on sickness so
easily.
As you know clean water daily is very important to
your birds health. Sanitize the waterers every week
with a solution of 1 cup clorox in a 5 gallon bucket
of water, let the wateres sit submerged in the water
for at least three hours and then scrub with a bottle
brush in clean water.
As to the mareks situation I would take one of the
birds perferably a live sick bird to a diagnostic
laboratory and see what they say. If you have a
agricultural lab around this is great. Call a Vet and
ask where in your area there is one.
Also if you start to vaccinate you will have to
continue to vaccinate all hatches of birds.
