I tried to raise my chickens right, and now a hen has a pin point eye-maybe Mareks.😭

[mamajos]

My hens are 5 years old, and 1.5 years old. They have been a joy to raise. I had them since they were a day old. My husband built a wonderful coop and pen (going off the recommended numbers here for ventilation and size) for them, I check them over often, recently wormed them, and feed them All Flock, oyster shell on the side, with treats rarely. Trying to do right by all the advice on BYC. As I was checking on them last night, my Wyandotte (1.5 years old) has one eye with the pin point iris. What I’ve read indicates Mareks. I’m in a suburb, and cannot have roosters, so I cannot breed for resistance. Ugh. All the fun just disappeared.
But as I read about it and think about it, if there is Mareks in my coop, what would I change? I don’t sell eggs, I don’t breed them, I buy some chicks once every 4 years or so. I can only have so many anyway. We cull them if they don’t lay anymore, or if they get very sick. None leave here alive, so I would not spread it.
What would change for me?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My hens are 5 years old, and 1.5 years old.

Can you please get a clearer photo of the eye?

Does she seem to have any issues seeing or with balance?

 

[mamajos]

No balance problems. She laid and egg this morning

 

[mamajos]

I added 2 ducklings 6 months ago—they were in a brooder in the house for 4 weeks, before they went in the chicken pen. Would this be the problem?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It does look a little strange - are you sure this is a new development?

I'll tag in @Eggcessive for her to take a look as well.

If she's acting normal, having no trouble seeing, eating/drinking well - then I would be inclined to just monitor the eye and see if it stays the same or worsens. Document it with photos.
Here's the thing...even if it is Marek's or a genetic/developmental issue - there's not a lot that can be done. There's no cure for Marek's disease. Supportive care with vitamins are often offered when a bird is showing symptoms of decline.

You keep a closed flock, so nothing should change for you. Enjoy your birds! Life is fleeting, she's beautiful, so love her and when it's time, let her go.

Marek's is mainly seen in chickens. Sometimes game birds (quail, pheasant, etc.) may develop infection from Marek's disease. I've never seen any info about Marek's disease in Ducks.

 

[mamajos]

Thank you for your input!!! It means a lot to me.
When you asked if it’s a new development, I can say I never noticed it before yesterday. But then I went to my photos, and the last clear picture I have of that eye, is 5 months ago and her eye was totally fine in that pic. I have less clear photos of that eye, that may show changes in July/August. (Hard to tell with zooming in on a tiny eye)
I will follow your advice, and watch her for any changes. She seems just fine at this time, doing all things chicken, except for her funny eye. I won’t fret about Mareks. Like you say, life is fleeting, and I will enjoy her and take good care of her. Thank you again.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think the pupil could be signs of a coloboma, a birth defect and sometimes called keyhole pupil. But the pupil is small in the picture, and in your picture of the other eye, the pupil is larger. When there is a lot of light the pupil should be smaller, and then larger in low light. Watch for signs of the colored chestnut iris becoming more dull grey. That would be a sign of ocular Mareks. I am not an expert on anything, but have seen colobomas in chickens and other birds. It can be genetic as well. Hopefully, your hen does not have ocular Mareks. Some people on BYC have had chicken with just ocular Mareks and no other symptoms. Keep us posted on this thread what happenz.

 

[mamajos]

Thank you @Eggcessive. I will keep an “eye” on her!

 

[mamajos]

@microchick, when you have time, could you give me thoughts on this thread on my hen? Her eye still looks the same as it did when I started the thread, and she acts totally normal. What should I be looking for? All my hens were vaccinated for Mareks. I got them in April, 2020 as new chicks. (I do have 2 older hens, 5.5 yrs old that are fine and healthy).

 

[microchick]

@microchick, when you have time, could you give me thoughts on this thread on my hen? Her eye still looks the same as it did when I started the thread, and she acts totally normal. What should I be looking for? All my hens were vaccinated for Mareks. I got them in April, 2020 as new chicks. (I do have 2 older hens, 5.5 yrs old that are fine and healthy).

That sure looks like ocular Marek's disease to me, mamajos. I always hate like poison to tell people that.

OKay, so where to from here. Your best bet is to get a necropsy done when you lose a bird. I was lucky in that my husband is a retired eye doctor and has the equipment on hand to examine my bird's eye's. Hard to get them to sit in the chair and cover one eye and then the other with a wing tip but they will let him use his hand held microscope while I hold them. Doing that he was able to give me my flock's diagnosis of MD.

Till that happens, my best advice is to close your flock nobody in nobody out till you know what is going on. I have to admit that I don't know if the vaccine they give chicks covers ocular Marek's. I do know that it prevents the vaccinated bird from developing the visceral tumors that hallmark the disease. The bird is still a carrier and is able to pass on the disease but it won't die from it, itself.

IF my suspicions are right and it is OMD, then you still have some time with your girl. I lost three birds to OMD. One rooster and three hens. They all went the same way. All functioned normally, ate like little piggies. The hens laid pretty normally if memory serves me right then their laying dropped off. I had trouble after a while keeping weight on them. They were all thin. Mostly they stayed in the coop or shade. The herpes virus that causes the optical MD is very painful so they are light sensitive.

I started to notice that their affected eyes seemed to start to 'bulge' a bit more. Slowly happened. They all became skinnier. Finally they began to show neurological problems. Seizures and the like. One suffered seizures. The rest suffered stroke like symptoms. I had to euthanize all of them when they reached the seizure/stroke phase.

How long did they last? 2-3 years. The rooster lasted to 18 months of age. The hens succumbed between 2-3 years of age.

You will know when it is time. They will tell you. Till then, enjoy your days with them but please do consider having a necropsy done when that day does come.