I believe I have Marek's in my flock, and to preface this - there is not a good chicken vet where I live. I am considering sending the next body to a lab in another state for testing, but my chickens are beloved pets and I just have a hard time with that idea.
What I'd like advice on here is #1.. does this definitely sound like Marek's to you? and #2 could I have prevented chicken #5 and #6's deaths? And #3 is there anything else that could be going on here? All the chickens mentioned below were supposed to be vaccinated for Mareks except the two Cochins.
It began with chicken #1, Easter, at 5 months she developed the classic Marek's symptoms with one leg back and one forward, one leg totally paralyzed, stopped wanting to eat.. unbelievably after 2 months of hand feeding, St. John's Wort, and other remedies she made a full recovery (albeit from then on she was easily addled for lack of a better word) for the rest of her life (almost 3 years). Chickens #2 & #3, Hazel and Fanny, both Cochins, died at a little under a year both with paralyzed legs and stopped eating. A year passed with few problems, until Chickens #4 & #5, Buttercup and Sapphire, died of salpingitis (did an autopsy and found a huge, hard, "lash" egg inside). From what I researched Marek's compromises immune system so maybe these two hens could have fought it off otherwise? Then a few months ago Easter quits eating and acts lethargic. Same thing happened this week to my rooster, Maggie. I had a fecal test done for the rooster by a dog vet and he said negative on cocci or worms.
Here's where it gets bad... although I spent months hand feeding and giving water to chickens #1 - 4, I think I accidentally killed Easter and Maggie trying to treat them. I know there is a huge chance they would have died anyway.. but both were not wanting solid food, yet eating soft food.. in both after a session of giving them soft food, I tried giving them water (and I know how to do it without getting it down the wrong hole).. but somehow I think it happened anyhow because after being fed, and then giving water both died choking to death (aspiration? there was food dribbling out their mouths). It was absolutely terrible. I don't think I'll ever want to hand feed water to a chicken ever again. Is this completely my fault? Neither had over full crops to start with, both practically empty if anything.. did they have heart attacks or did I totally block their breathing? Could they have had a tumor or something in their throats making it so the food just didn't go down fast, and backed up, so when I gave them water it overflowed into that hole it wasn't supposed to go down.. could this have happened? Does anyone have any insight on this? I'm totally devasted that I accidentally killed two of my chickens trying to save them. For anyone having to hand feed and water chickens, I think maybe the biggest thing I learned is to not hand feed food, then water.. maybe leave a good amount of time between one and the other... and go super slow.. how many ml of water does a sick chicken need? maybe I was overdoing it.. this last only had about 9-12ml when it started choking.
If none of the above was due to cocci or worms, could EColi have caused any of this? Or Mycoplasma Gallispeticum (MG)? Trying to leave no stone unturned to figure out what is going on. I just can't help feeling like if I can figure out the trigger that makes Marek's come out, and I could treat that quicker.. there would be a chance to save them. Saving Easter the first time around makes me feel this way, but then maybe that was a 1 in 1,000 stroke of luck with her : (
What I'd like advice on here is #1.. does this definitely sound like Marek's to you? and #2 could I have prevented chicken #5 and #6's deaths? And #3 is there anything else that could be going on here? All the chickens mentioned below were supposed to be vaccinated for Mareks except the two Cochins.
It began with chicken #1, Easter, at 5 months she developed the classic Marek's symptoms with one leg back and one forward, one leg totally paralyzed, stopped wanting to eat.. unbelievably after 2 months of hand feeding, St. John's Wort, and other remedies she made a full recovery (albeit from then on she was easily addled for lack of a better word) for the rest of her life (almost 3 years). Chickens #2 & #3, Hazel and Fanny, both Cochins, died at a little under a year both with paralyzed legs and stopped eating. A year passed with few problems, until Chickens #4 & #5, Buttercup and Sapphire, died of salpingitis (did an autopsy and found a huge, hard, "lash" egg inside). From what I researched Marek's compromises immune system so maybe these two hens could have fought it off otherwise? Then a few months ago Easter quits eating and acts lethargic. Same thing happened this week to my rooster, Maggie. I had a fecal test done for the rooster by a dog vet and he said negative on cocci or worms.
Here's where it gets bad... although I spent months hand feeding and giving water to chickens #1 - 4, I think I accidentally killed Easter and Maggie trying to treat them. I know there is a huge chance they would have died anyway.. but both were not wanting solid food, yet eating soft food.. in both after a session of giving them soft food, I tried giving them water (and I know how to do it without getting it down the wrong hole).. but somehow I think it happened anyhow because after being fed, and then giving water both died choking to death (aspiration? there was food dribbling out their mouths). It was absolutely terrible. I don't think I'll ever want to hand feed water to a chicken ever again. Is this completely my fault? Neither had over full crops to start with, both practically empty if anything.. did they have heart attacks or did I totally block their breathing? Could they have had a tumor or something in their throats making it so the food just didn't go down fast, and backed up, so when I gave them water it overflowed into that hole it wasn't supposed to go down.. could this have happened? Does anyone have any insight on this? I'm totally devasted that I accidentally killed two of my chickens trying to save them. For anyone having to hand feed and water chickens, I think maybe the biggest thing I learned is to not hand feed food, then water.. maybe leave a good amount of time between one and the other... and go super slow.. how many ml of water does a sick chicken need? maybe I was overdoing it.. this last only had about 9-12ml when it started choking.
If none of the above was due to cocci or worms, could EColi have caused any of this? Or Mycoplasma Gallispeticum (MG)? Trying to leave no stone unturned to figure out what is going on. I just can't help feeling like if I can figure out the trigger that makes Marek's come out, and I could treat that quicker.. there would be a chance to save them. Saving Easter the first time around makes me feel this way, but then maybe that was a 1 in 1,000 stroke of luck with her : (
. It's so heartbreaking every time. 
Sending warm hugs to you! While I don't have experience with Marek's I read a post here of a woman that had a similar experience. She started sourcing her chicks from farms in a five mile radius around her and now has a flourishing flock. If I knew how to find posts on this site I would link it here.
