Last chance hen. Mareks? Cocci? Help!

[seminolewind]

Gypsy, see if you can find a Lab thru your FDACS, I think. They charge 1/10 of what others charge. A lab would have to do the necropsy because many times the tumors or nerve damage is microscopic. Sometimes universities do it.

Marek's is very depressing. But not the end of the world. It's thought that most flocks have it, and you don't know it till some young stressed unvaccinated chicken dies.

You can cull your whole flock but it will still be on your property, possibly, for years. I've decided that I can hatch eggs in an incubator and vaccinate or buy vaccinated chicks. Or hatch my own eggs under my own chickens and not have a problem. Or sell hatching eggs, it does not spread thru eggs.

Coccidiosis can lower their resistance to Marek's.
I have ordered a gallon of Oxine and a sprayer and figure spraying everything down on a schedule can't hurt. A member named Nonsuch made sense by posting that concentration of the virus plays a big part as well. So spraying, disinfecting, cleaning frequently may help my chickens by having a very mild exposure rather than overwhelming virus everywhere.
But I'm still very sad about my losses.

 

[mysweetgypsy]

I just can't figure out where it came from. Supposedly she was vaccinated, but I really do wonder now. I'm just so dissapointed. We had to move from a great farm years ago, new job, closer to town... I had to rehome all my old birds and was SO looking forward to chickens again. This is a lousy way to get back into it. Now, in theory, I could buy vaccinated birds, but not sell any. So once they move in, it would be like the "Hotel California". Not to seem awful

Or am I incorrect?

I called the state Ag lab yesterday, so we'll see what they say today. Either way I'll post the results. I know others have had similar issues, so at least some knowledge will come from all this. Thanks to all

 

[seminolewind]

"If" its Marek's, at least one of your chickens was exposed to another chicken before you got them. Vaccinated chicks that are exposed to carriers can carry the disease, just not die from it themselves.

Did you buy them all from a hatchery and get them all at the same time? To me, that's pretty safe.

However, it could be severe damage from coccidiosis. It can do alot of damage. Let's just hope that it's something that's not contagious. If you had a cocci. breakout, there's a good possibility that that's it.

 

[mysweetgypsy]

All my babies were from reliable sources, save for one "rescued" silkie. My first batch was from a hatchery, I added a few chicks from very respected, state certified breeders, and one silkie I got at a swap. So the only ones I know for sure were vaccinated would be the hatchery chicks, (the one that died). The one suspect would be the little silkie hen, but she looks healthy and gorgeous! She has been one of my strongest, never showed signs of Cocci when the rest were sick either

Wouldn't she be the first to go if it were Mareks?

She's about 18 weeks now and just a hefty ball of fluff.

Could she just be a carrier? If the cocci compromised my BO could that have been an "overriding" factor for the Mareks? If it was Mareks. I guess I could be jumping the gun, but the thought really scares me.

I've gotten way more attached than I thought I would.

 

[seminolewind]

I would say that if it was cocci., your hen would look really sick by now, standing in a corner hunched over.

My carrier looked cheerful and happy when I got her. My silkie roo died from it 4 months before she did. My carrier was a white silkie from a very reputable dealer.

I can't really blame a dealer, if they vaccinate all their chicks, the chicks can be exposed and carry it and shed it. If dealers get in new chickens to breed, even if those breeding chickens are vaccinated, they can still carry and shed the virus. If you kept all your chickens vaccinated, and only bought vaccinated chickens, you would have no idea that you have Marek's, there's no test, and no one would die at your home so you would think that you don't have it. Then sell a bird to someone, and that bird ends up killing most of their flock. And if the flock dies without paralysis, you tell yourself "well I guess it's not Marek's because none had paralysis" So you the flock owner with the dead birds never thinks his flock has Marek's because no one died with paralysis, and sells some of his birds to someone else. It goes on and on.

Vaccinating does not prevent Marek's from spreading. It's something that will never go away, no cure, no test. We should all be vaccinating.

I will get off my soapbox now!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Did you ever get the lab results?

 

[seminolewind]

Out of the 10 Polish chicks I started with, 7 are dead. 3 are alive, they are eating and starving. And they all have tumors over their faces. I know they need to go. I feel bad that I couldn't save at least 1. They all got Marek's.

 

[mysweetgypsy]

That's terrible!! No I still have this poor dead hen. I have called and talked with so many people at the state vets office and no one seems to think I need to test her. I'm still calling, and I'll still insist they test her, or at least refer me. At this point I may just go to my local vet, but she already said she does not handle birds and wouldn't be much help. But something is better than nothing? I don't know. I guess it's all pretty futile from the sounds of it.

 

[DanyyChicken]

I am so sorry for all your losses. Very sad!
I can feel your frustration. It's not a good feeling when you so desperately are searching for medical help and now in your case some answers and their is no one knowledgeable in your area to turn too.
Last night I saw a posting from someone on the forum who's chicken had surgery at a vet for an impacted crop and thought wouldn't it be great if we could all find skilled veterinary services when we need it. Unfortunately, I think that is few and far between.

 

[mysweetgypsy]

Talked to a vet. No one will do the necropsy now, but the vet didn't think it was Mareks. So at least I can bury her now. Someone needs to invent a test for this.