It's Marek's. How long does she have?

[Sandy2003]

@krissyweso How is your bird?

Still falling, she sorta balances herself on the side of the cage. I don’t want to make her a sling because I feel like that would stress her out. When I’m not supporting her when she’s outside of the cage she flaps around and falls. Her toes where never curled, idk if that means anything. I’m going to talk to the vet tmr morning. Her legs can move up and down when I hold her in the air, she’s not 100% paralyze.

Edit: The women was giving her some B12 for a while. She said she was getting better but got busy and stopped giving her the vitamins, so she hasn’t regularly been taking them for a while.

 

[Sandy2003]

The vet confirmed it is Mareks and now one of my older hens has a pin shape eye

 

[microchick]

The vet confirmed it is Mareks and now one of my older hens has a pin shape eye

I'm so sorry.

Please remember two things. You are not alone, and things will get better.

 

[Sandy2003]

I'm so sorry.

Please remember two things. You are not alone, and things will get better.

Will they all die?

 

[coach723]

Not necessarily. Some strains are more virulent than others, some birds won't show symptoms, particularly with the ocular form it can be slow progressing and birds can live for quite a while sometimes. Often a flock with Marek's will have higher losses than one without it, but it can be managable and not all will die. It's very hard to predict and only time will tell you how it will be in your flock.
A few good threads/articles:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ding-for-resistance-to-mareks-disease.894589/
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/marek’s-disease-backyard-chickens

 

[microchick]

I invite you to read my article about my experiences with Marek's disease:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

And the answer is no. They won't all die.

 

[coach723]

@microchick, I had not read your article before, it's now on my list to recommend to people. Very well done! I felt like I was reading my own story at times, I have also shed many tears. I'm about 2.5 years into dealing with Marek's, had chickens for about 10 years before it got in my flock. None of mine have presented with the leg paralysis and the forward/backward splits. Still looking for a local source for Egyptian Fayoumi's, hopefully eventually I will get the chance to add some to my flock. Right now my EE's seem to be the most resistant birds in my flock, so am mostly breeding them, but the boys do seem to be less resistant.
@Sandy2003 I know how you feel right now also. Try not to panic, it will be OK. It is not hopeless. It just takes some time to learn about it, process it all, and then figure out how you want to move forward.

 

[microchick]

@coach723 I got my Fayoumis from Murray McMurray hatchery, sexed. Right now I have 7 EF eggs in my incubator. They aren't cuddly fluffy butts, the hens can scream like banshees but they are survivors. And yes I had them vaccinated just as a back up. So far the only problem I've had with them is coccidia.

My roosters really suffered. Yes, I lost a lot of hens, mainly second generation but roosters? I lost all but one rooster from my original flock. I still think that the problem is the hormonal rush from sexual maturity and breeding stress that cause them to succumb to the disease.

I'm glad you liked my article. I wanted to approach it from the angle that okay, there are tons of medical articles and data out there here's what I went through personally.

I didn't want people to feel like they were alone and that is so easy to do when your flock is struck down with Marek's.

Hang in there it will get better.

 

[coach723]

I have been very reluctant to ship chicks, my postal distribution center tends to be a black hole where mail of any kind gets lost or very delayed. I can't in good conscience put birds through that. So, for now, I will continue to search for something close I can drive to. Time will tell.

 

[microchick]

I have been very reluctant to ship chicks, my postal distribution center tends to be a black hole where mail of any kind gets lost or very delayed. I can't in good conscience put birds through that. So, for now, I will continue to search for something close I can drive to. Time will tell.

You might want to hunt up the on line version of your states poultry handbook on your USDA site. It will have a listing of all the NPIP breeders in Florida and what they are hatching. You might also try searching for hatcheries near by that you could drive to and find one that is hatching Fayoumi chicks.

I wish you the best of luck and blessings for you and your flock. I actually have a St Brigid Cross hanging on my flock door. (patron saint of chickens and farm animals) I imagine she gets really tired of listening to me asking for her to protect my flock. But I will gladly add yours to my prayer list.