Is it marecks disease??

[Nambroth]

When our hen had mareks (or that's what we think she had) she was the only one in the flock who had it. she started out with a slight limp, it got worse over a week or so and she ended up not being able to walk at all, and was flopping onto her back.She was not eating well, and had a little loose droppings. We put her in a rabbit cage, and started her on the Hypericum ( SJW.) She showed slight improvement within a few days, then there was none for a few days, then a huge improvement, and she continued to steadily improve. That was last summer. She's still with us, and she's acting normal. Hopefully my talking about it won't jinx anything.

It helps with many neuro issues, but you do have to make sure that it is a neuro issue, because it can backfire on you if it isn't. If you are pretty sure it's marek's you can try it and see. The thing with Hypericum is, that when they start showing signiificant improvement, you have to stop with the Hypericum, or it can go the other way. But lots of people have used it with great results.

So yeah, just keep an eye on the others. I'd keep your hen to herself, in a pen, but just near to the others. I wouldn't necessarily let her mingle with them until she is well again.

Alternatively, if one is dealing with solely neurological Marek's, Vitamin B supplementation is proven to help aid in nerve repair, albeit slowly, and has none of the negative problems that Hypericum can have.
Of course, if a bird is dying from Marek's, it does not hurt to try, but if one is NOT sure what is ailing the bird, it's better not to experiment too much with things that can 'backfire'...

 

[Nambroth]

We had a bantam silkie a few years ago that suddenly became uncoordinated with a neck twist, she recovered once but not the second time. Do u think this could have been mareks too? You guys have made me feel better about it. None of my other girls seem stressed or affected so I guess carry on regardless and fingers crossed they don't show symptoms?

I'm sorry you had trouble with your siklie! Silkies seem especially prone to wry neck (twisted neck). Generally, I don't think wry neck alone is indicative of Marek's disease, though of course it is not outside of the realm of possibility. Instead, I would investigate treating it as wry neck alone, and look to injury (silkies with domed/vaulted skulls seem particularly prone to head injury), vitamin deficiency, or other issues (some other diseases can cause it) before I would look at Marek's.
Unless you have had other Marek's-like symptoms?

 

[Nambroth]

I know these chickens have become my feathery children. I love having them more than I ever thought I would...I'm worried now about the new chicks I have now. Pretty sure they were not vaccinated and now they are almost 3 weeks old. Seems like its too late to do it now. They won't be going out to coop for a while but if it is marecks making my Edith sick then these new babies are bound to get it...even though I cleaned and sanitized my coop that you could eat off of it. I could still smell bleach when I went out there this morning. Very disheartening that seems nothing can kill this virus and my take years to clear from the area...I'm an rn

I think maybe I misunderstood you-- exactly how old are your chickens?
If the are genuinely only three weeks old, then the chances that you are seeing Marek's symptoms are next to zero. Marek's takes a minimum of three weeks to develop signs.
If they are truly this young, I would be looking at other diseases... possibly Avian Encephalomyelitis. http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...itis/overview_of_avian_encephalomyelitis.html

What exactly are they eating, may I ask?

Also just for the record, please be aware that bleach does not kill Marek's virus on porous surfaces.

 

[MissG90]

Thanks, we supposed it was wry neck back then, we treated her with carrots and vitamin e capsules. That seemed to work well so must have been a deficiency! It was just because of this hen showing signs of mareks at the moment, that made me wonder if we'd had it all along since the silkies! My silkie cockerel got very scabby and scaley, his skin started sloughing before we lost him I wondered if this was the skin type of mareks.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have her in my garage so she's away from my other 2 girls. I have only 3 hens including her and a very small coop and pen. I'm maticulous about keeping it clean...don't understand how she got sick. I bought her at about 3 weeks from a livestock auction with 2 others that were killed by a hawk. My other hens I've had since day-old chicks from a hatchery. My older girls never accepted her and picked on her. I'm regretting getting birds from the auction and not the hatchery I normally use. She always seemed healthy till now and she's about 6-7 months. Ughh. I'm gonna totally inspect her again now that I know how to find her crop...learning new stuff about chickens everyday....

I think maybe I misunderstood you-- exactly how old are your chickens?
If the are genuinely only three weeks old, then the chances that you are seeing Marek's symptoms are next to zero. Marek's takes a minimum of three weeks to develop signs.
If they are truly this young, I would be looking at other diseases... possibly Avian Encephalomyelitis. http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...itis/overview_of_avian_encephalomyelitis.html

What exactly are they eating, may I ask?

Also just for the record, please be aware that bleach does not kill Marek's virus on porous surfaces.

Nambroth, I believe her chicken with symptoms of Mareks is 6 months old, but she has 3 week old chicks in a brooder.

 

[Nambroth]

Thanks, we supposed it was wry neck back then, we treated her with carrots and vitamin e capsules. That seemed to work well so must have been a deficiency! It was just because of this hen showing signs of mareks at the moment, that made me wonder if we'd had it all along since the silkies! My silkie cockerel got very scabby and scaley, his skin started sloughing before we lost him

I wondered if this was the skin type of mareks.

Oh dear. It's really hard to say without photos. While I certainly hope that you don't lose anyone else, if you do, maybe you can have a necropsy done. They can also do blood tests on live birds without harming them.

 

[LorenMcHugh]

Thanks everyone for your advice and input but she is looking worse today..she can not even walk and falls to the side scratching to get up. It's heartbreaking to watch. She will eat starter crumbles and sunflower seeds but will not drink on her own. I may have to have my husband put her out of her misery. I can't watch her waste away

 

[MissG90]

Bless her you know when the time is right Loren. You have done your best xxx

 

[JeanR]

Marek's Disease is such an insidious infection. The "limp" with no injury, is the most commont first symptom--then wing droops on same side--then both legs and wings, going down and unable to manuver, and usually death. There is no pain, just a gradual paralysis. If they can reach food and water, they will continue to eat/drink. Paralysis of throat means starving or from lack of water. Poor birds have no idea what is wrong and can quietly, painlessly die.

Other "sudden death" from Marek's, may show tumors in the nervious tissue with necropsy, sometimes external tumors. There are lots of websites giving information. It is a worldwide long-lived virus. There is no treatment and no cure. Most birds die--just days, sometimes weeks. Your treatment is not a cure. Some recover (few) from symptoms and can walk, roost, breed, lay eggs, and appear "cured" , back to normal.....WARNING, they are forever carriers of the virus, which is spread by dander of the infected birds. So all birds are exposed in the pen/house/even by your dusty clothing. Marek's is not carried in the eggs, so eggs hatched from infected or "recovered" birds is not spread to those new chicks, but they are not immune. You can purchase chicks vaccinated against Marek's Disease from most Hatcheries (well worth the extra $.15, if for layers or breeding birds, not necessary for Fryers or short term cockerels.) Or, as I do, you can purchase the vaccine from Poultry supplier catalogs and do it yourself. But it must be done at "day old" and chicks should be quarantined for at least 2 weeks while developing immunity. Otherwise it "could" be assumed that they are already exposed. The vaccine is NOT made with the Marek's virus, so impossible to give the disease. It is from Turkey Herpes Virus, which stimulates an immunity to Marek's in chickens. If you raise Turkeys with your chickens, you are unlikely to ever experience Marek's Disease. (Some breeders obtain Turkey poop in sacks and distribute it in coop bedding, scatter in poultry runs, even some dried bits into the feeders. ) They have no Marek's outbreaks in their flocks. Immunity, like "people" vaccines may not be 100%. It is what we can do to protect our birds. Being a long lived virus, once you have experienced it, you will always have the risk. If you have never seen or exerienced Marek's, I hope it stays that way!! But if you have had it-take precautions and protect your birds. GOOD LUCK

 

[chicknmania]

Alternatively, if one is dealing with solely neurological Marek's, Vitamin B supplementation is proven to help aid in nerve repair, albeit slowly, and has none of the negative problems that Hypericum can have.
Of course, if a bird is dying from Marek's, it does not hurt to try, but if one is NOT sure what is ailing the bird, it's better not to experiment too much with things that can 'backfire'...

That's true but I've seen a lot of experimenting with Hypericum on here, lots more than I would have dared, and it seemed to work out ok. I have to disagree when whoever it was posted that there is no treatment and no cure for Marek's, because Hypericum has many many many testimonial, including from me. You MUST use Hypericum for best results, plain SJW does not work well from what I've seen. I've never had any luck at all with supplements, though some have, I guess.

OP, I'm sorry your hen is not doing well. I hope she does not suffer and (hopefully) improves.