Is this Mereck's? (Video)

[Sazbaby]

This is a columbian wyandotte cockerel, from a group I got out of McMurray hatchery from a June 3 hatch. Just over 9 weeks old. Isolated with the rest of the group in a brooder tractor, away from direct contact with our other chickens. It's currently a group of 12 cockerels in there, and I noticed last night that this one wasn't quite right. It was having a hard time getting around and was getting run over by the others occasionally. I initially thought it had injured it's right leg due to the way it was walking, so I brought it and a buddy out of the brooder tractor and into a chain-link dog kennel so it could rest/heal. This morning when I checked on them, the one in question just looks overall unsteady/wobbly and stumbles/falls over a bit. Everyone else in the group is normal still. I put the buddy back out with the group again (figuring they've all already been exposed if it's something contagious anyway) and moved the one in question to a more remote location to isolate him. I've read a lot about Mereck's disease, but haven't ever seen it. We've never had any Mereck's on the farm here, and have never vaccinated chicks. We have not acquired any older chickens, only chicks- day old to 3-4 weeks max, only a few of the 3-4 weekers. Aside from buying day old chicks and the few 3-4 week old chicks, we've previously hatched our own eggs. This bunch from McMurray has not been in contact with any of our other birds, except for what I could possibly transmit on clothing/boots/etc. These particular chicks will be butchered in a few months for the freezer, and I was hoping to put them out with the rest of my meat growers who will also be freezer bound in a short while. I'm hoping the videos will work... does this look like Mereck's? Should I euthanize him now? I can do a necropsy on him or take him to the local vet school for more detailed investigation. I know that if it IS Mereck's my flock is already exposed and I'll just have to deal with what comes down the pike, but am hoping that I can salvage the situation a bit... Please let me know any thoughts on how this boy looks. Thanks.

 

[mithious]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/741957/not-an-emergency-mareks-in-the-flock

You might want to check out this thread. Lots of info, lots of professionals and people that are going through mareks. The newer posts are at the end. If you post, please be patient. Someone WILL answer you, they are going through lots and dealing with their own flocks and such.

I suggest reading some posts, like I said, starting at the end and going backwards...while waiting for someone to get back to you....tons of info and spot on too! You might find, like I did, that the symptoms you have are either not what you think or are...since marek's birds get tons of secondary infections, there is a lot on other diseases and things also...so much can be learned from all these wonderfully kind people have written! I caught cocci in my flock wayyy early from reading this thread!!! Not one bird lost!!! All thanks to the time everyone put in to write their experiences and the research, and experiments they have tried!

Best of luck

 

[Sazbaby]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out! If this little guy persists like this much longer, I'm planning on taking him to the vet school or state lab for euth/necropsy. I'd rather sacrifice one youngster and know what I'm dealing with than wait and see... I don't think it's coccidia, but might drop off a fecal sample just to be sure. These youngsters have lived in the mobile brooder for the last 5 weeks, on grass, moving it 3 times a day to a fresh spot, until about 10 days ago when I fashioned a pen around the brooder and now move it every 2-3 days since they have more space. Not knowing is what bugs me the most... :/ Thanks again for your reply.

 

[mithious]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out! If this little guy persists like this much longer, I'm planning on taking him to the vet school or state lab for euth/necropsy. I'd rather sacrifice one youngster and know what I'm dealing with than wait and see... I don't think it's coccidia, but might drop off a fecal sample just to be sure. These youngsters have lived in the mobile brooder for the last 5 weeks, on grass, moving it 3 times a day to a fresh spot, until about 10 days ago when I fashioned a pen around the brooder and now move it every 2-3 days since they have more space. Not knowing is what bugs me the most... :/ Thanks again for your reply.

I wasn't suggesting it was cocci, sorry for the misunderstanding, just using it as a point that you can learn about other things on that thread, not just mareks...for all your sakes I hope it is not...as you know, if it is, you now have it everywhere and all birds have been exposed...and it doesn't go away nor is there a cure. The only way to know for sure, as you seem to know, is having a necropsy...sure hope it's not and so sorry!!! But the link I gave you, they can really help, in many ways!!! Best of luck

 

[Sazbaby]

No misunderstanding, just thinking as I type... Thanks again for the link, I've started reading through the posts!

 

[MadAsh]

Wondering how your chicken is doing? I have a rooster doing the same thing and was researching Marek's. Is your rooster all right now? Thanks

 

[Sazbaby]

Well, he stayed exactly the same for almost a week, and we decided to cull him... none of my other birds have shown any signs so far. We just didn't want him sitting there suffering, as well as being an ongoing source of potential infection for other birds, so we let him go... fingers crossed for your roo!

 

[mebuff daisy]

Sorry you had to cull him