**HELP ME!!!** MAREKS?!?!?!?! ;( !!Ocular Mareks Questions!!

[ChickenOwner]

I have a small flock of chickens, which I have had for over 4 years. Tonight I noticed a couple of my chicks (one in particular) has a weird pupil. It is like it spread into part of his iris....

I havent lost any bird in more than 5 months, and all are acting fine...
(He is the biggest of that age that I have..)

I believe he is about 3 - 4 months old...

None are showing any parylisis or anything like that.... all are acting COMPLETELY normal....


What is going on?!?!?!?!??!


Thanks in advance,
ChickenOwner

 

[ChickenOwner]

Any ideas?

 

[ChickenOwner]

ANYONE?!?!?!

 

[NotTheMomma]

I have never seen Mareks. From what I have read though, your chicks are prime age for it, and the eye sounds like a symptom.

I hope with others with more knowledge will post soon.

 

[ChickenOwner]

Someone Reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please Help Me Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ChickenOwner]

Did I do something wrong?

Why does everyone refuse to help me?!?!?

 

[lilchick]

Mereks usually clouds the eye and is commonly called "fish eye". gray and cloudy pupil.
People on here are really helpful. It might be the holiday has people doing other things.
A picture would really help us out here!

 

[threehorses]

It's optical mareks. It's the form that distorts the shape of the pupil. There are two forms of the symptoms. The other is the cloudiness.

I've had two cases of it over the years. Mine both had clear eyes, but distortion of the pupile. The bird has actual active Mareks and thus will shed the disease. However, Mareks is spread by poultry dander and they really can get it from just about anywhere. It can float on the air, be carried by sparrows nesting with feathers from other birds, can be in the ground, on your shoes from the feedstore, etc.

The best thing to do from this point forward is just buy vaccinated chicks or vaccinate your own from day one. Don't show the bird, sell him, or mix him in other flocks other than your own.

My own birds lost their sight in that eye but lived to very very ripe old ages! I just lost my last rooster at the age of 9 this year to old age (or possible predation).

It's scary sounding, but not as big a deal as other disease like MG/CRD or pullorum. They can live a long happy life. You never know - he might actually have gotten it from another bird who has the active disease ebut you can't see the symptoms.

This is one great reason for vaccinating though. The vaccine won't keep a bird from developing the disease if there's a very heavy risk, but it will lessen then chances of them developing the lesions that cause the problems with the disease (the tumors on the inside).

Please feel free to email me with any questions on this, or ask here.

 

[ChickenOwner]

So can I sell other birds besides this one?

I have an older batch of chicks in my flock that are vaccinated, but for some reason Ideal Hatchery didnt vaccinate my replacement birds...

(Even after I told them too..)

But with the older layers, can I sell them, and the younger vaccinated ones, can I sell them? Can I sell the ones without symptoms of mareks?!

SOOO MANY QUESTIONS!!

 

[pips&peeps]

If they are not vaccinated I would not sell them.

You probably have an active outbreak on your farm, the vaccinated birds can still be carriers of marek's, they just won't get tumors.

I wouldn't sell anything off your farm at this point in time.