Help!! Marek's Disease??

[seminolewind]

Yes Em. I would send her. Did you ever treat her for coccidiosis?

 

[seminolewind]

Realsis, in a nutshell, vaccinate day olds or get vaccinated day olds from a hatchery. Keep them quarantined for 2+ weeks, I do 6.
The protects them 90% of the time from dying from Marek's. I've had 100% so far. The vaccine does NOT do much else and does not protect them from Marek's, and they can still carry it, but not from the vaccine.

Medicated feed helps prevent coccidiosis. It increases the chance that they won't get cocci. Mine still got it anyway, no symptoms, just killed them over night. They were all vaccinated for Marek's. The both illnesses go hand in hand. The best prevention of cocci is to rake up the pen every day.

Hatcheries have better vaccine. Aside from that, that's all we can do.

 

[realsis]

thank you for your reply.what a devastating disease that's absolutely everywhere! its just heartbreaking! I wish someone could find a cure! maybe someday...do you think its so prolific because of the fact its airborne and can travel for miles?? its very sad. I suppose all we can do is vaccinate and pray...its soo heartbreaking!

 

[Nambroth]

Well i had hoped i would have hood news to, share with everyone here on this thread, but my hen is still getting worse, one of her eyelids is closing again and she is really really skinny, this may be the end of the road for her weel see what tomorrow brings.

So sorry to hear this. I understand your heartbreak... we are hoping for the best, and for it not to be Marek's or LL. You're in my thoughts!

Nambroth, ya done good! If I may add a couple of things to what you said....Never put birds from one vaccinated group from this hatchery with another vaccinated group from another hatchery, when they are still chicks. "The" Marek's vaccine most widely used is the Turkey vaccine. This is the one available to us at home and all the hatcheries use this as well. There are a couple of the hatcheries that also use the other 2 vaccines during peak season as well. Here's where it can get interesting, if you want to call it that. The vaccines take between 2 weeks to 6 weeks to fully develop immunity in the birds. Some can take even longer to get to that point. Depends on the bird and their general health. If during this time frame you add another form of the Marek's into the equation, such as that from the other 2 vaccines......yup, I told you it gets interesting...you can have total melt down. You now have such a mutated strain of Marek's going on, that mortality is through the roof.

Going back to your hens and their possible shedding of the virus, I'm not so sure about that. I've been told it's possible but not likely. Same as the vaccinated chicks, they could be contagious during the 2-6 week time frame while the vaccine builds the immunities in their bodies, but after that, after all I've learned, I would say no. This is just my belief and experience so far. Does that mean it would be the same for you and your flock? Who knows, to be honest. There are just too many variables with this disease.

Thank you for your insight. Even if my hens are not carrying it, I know it is in my environment, and I must always treat my yard and birds as if there is active Marek's virus, and act accordingly.
The things I think my hens have going for them: They are all nearly 2 years old, I bought them from a hatchery that I have been told uses the "mix" of three vaccines during peak hatching times (May), and they are healthy and I keep stress to a minimum.

I am still looking for a few answers from the testing I had done (waiting on results of the LL test and such) but I eventually hope to have a few more birds... and another roo, so I am trying my best to understand how to keep any new birds healthy. The problem is that I don't care for hatcheries now that I've experienced a well bred bird, but it might be my only option as they have the best vaccine. Losing my sweet roo was so heartbreaking.

 

[Haunted55]

So sorry to hear this. I understand your heartbreak... we are hoping for the best, and for it not to be Marek's or LL. You're in my thoughts!


Thank you for your insight. Even if my hens are not carrying it, I know it is in my environment, and I must always treat my yard and birds as if there is active Marek's virus, and act accordingly.
The things I think my hens have going for them: They are all nearly 2 years old, I bought them from a hatchery that I have been told uses the "mix" of three vaccines during peak hatching times (May), and they are healthy and I keep stress to a minimum.

I am still looking for a few answers from the testing I had done (waiting on results of the LL test and such) but I eventually hope to have a few more birds... and another roo, so I am trying my best to understand how to keep any new birds healthy. The problem is that I don't care for hatcheries now that I've experienced a well bred bird, but it might be my only option as they have the best vaccine. Losing my sweet roo was so heartbreaking.

I hear you on the loss, just went through it myself. Time is your friend if you are going to introduce new birds. Seclusion and small exposures that happen no matter how good our biosecurity, will allow them to build resistance to what you have there. And the breeding of your own. Which if you don't have a roo is kind of hard. I truly hate this disease. Really. You chase this info and it leads you to more. You follow that and you call and you talk to experts and you read until your eyes are crossed. At the end of the day....you find out you still know nothing. Hearing about new people finding this in their flock is the worst though. You having it, me having it, and all the others we have talked to on BYC...well, we deal. Luck of the draw and some bad luck, but still we're doing it. How do you explain to someone new to chickens they have what looks like Marek's and even though they are just starting out, they're done. Sorry, needed to vent a bit. I'll crawl back into my corner now, lol.

 

[ems chicks]

Well she is still alive, at this point i wish she would either get better or die i dont like seeing her die, i have not contacted the state vet yet, i will i have been very busy this week, crazy hours at work, plus 6 week old baby plus chores and errands, thanks everyone for your concern, i will keep you posted of any change.

 

[TweetyNPetey]

Okay, please do.
I have been watching this thread. I hope she gets better. I will pray for your hen.

 

[casportpony]

Well she is still alive, at this point i wish she would either get better or die i dont like seeing her die, i have not contacted the state vet yet, i will i have been very busy this week, crazy hours at work, plus 6 week old baby plus chores and errands, thanks everyone for your concern, i will keep you posted of any change.

If she's not eating/drinking, you could try tube feeding, it's much easier than people think.

 

[ems chicks]

Well she is eating i have not seen her drink much i got her to eat a bit this morning, weel see how it turns out, i cant jump the gun just yet and say its merricks allthough the symptoms seem to point tward that,if i do i guess its just bad luck i get ma fair share of bad luck as im sure all of you do and have also, and i cant say it enough thanks again for everyones help and support, i would have no idea how to verify or how to handle it without your help.

 

[pigcoon]

I haven't read the entire thread, but I've had Marek's in my flock and have had 3 die. I did finally have 2 put down as it can take weeks to die. I am sorry.