Limping, sneezing, wet tail feathers?

[Barredhen]

Shoot. I think so too. This is something the other two likely have also from what i read? I wonder if i should just watch and see on the other two or let go of all 3 and move on. Hm.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is a hard decision to make. I would be curious to know whether ir not it is Mareks though.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It looks like Mareks, since he leg seems to be numb or “asleep.” Hopefully, I’m wrong. Since Mareks can affect the sciatic nerve in the, leg movements can be uncoordinated. Injuries can sometimes affect the nerves as well.

@Barredhen Thank you for taking the time to make the videos. What a bunch of sweeties.

I do agree with @Eggcessive I think it probably is Marek's, but of course there is no way to know for sure without testing.
I would try offering supportive care to see if that helps. A poultry vitamin that contains E, B1 and B2 would be good.

There are people here that have Marek's positive flocks and have learned to manage symptoms as they arise - mostly with supportive care - nutrition, keeping stress to a minimum, etc. Not all birds survive unfortunately and sometimes birds with Marek's can be more susceptible to secondary illness or infection.

I would like for @rebrascora to chime in with her thoughts as well.

Here's a very good article on Marek's

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[Barredhen]

They are sweet friendly girls. I will look into options. Unfortunately i was hoping to raise many Javas, not just keep a few possibly Mareks + even kept seprate I could carry the disease, to say new chicks here, correct? We have looked into a necropsy before and were told over $500? So that isnt overly an option. And no local vets treat chickens so I am not abounding in options to have them tested. Thankyou all.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They are sweet friendly girls. I will look into options. Unfortunately i was hoping to raise many Javas, not just keep a few possibly Mareks + even kept seprate I could carry the disease, to say new chicks here, correct? We have looked into a necropsy before and were told over $500? So that isnt overly an option. And no local vets treat chickens so I am not abounding in options to have them tested. Thankyou all.

Wow! What state do you live in? I can help you look up your state lab, sometimes testing is expensive though. $500 is way too much!

So you were wanting to breed your Javas?

 

[Eggcessive]

Be sure to call the state lab personally and ask about how a backyard chicken would cost. It makes a difference here in OH. Necropsy is only $23 versus $100 for a commercial bird.

 

[Barredhen]

Wow $23 or even 100 is doable! Were in Michigan. We called a bird specializing vet who said 160 to exam the bird alive and see whats going on or quoted the 500. Everything and option he quoted me seemed nuts! Ill call msu directly and see...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Wow $23 or even 100 is doable! Were in Michigan. We called a bird specializing vet who said 160 to exam the bird alive and see whats going on or quoted the 500. Everything and option he quoted me seemed nuts! Ill call msu directly and see...

I would call the lab directly and see what can be done. Sometimes there has to be a referral by a vet, each state is different, but if you can talk to the lab and explain your situation, a lot of times that is much better.

MSU Vet Diagnostic Lab is the place to call 517-353-1683
https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/

Let us know what you find out.

 

[Barredhen]

OK so, I've read a lot about Mareks but... Does it ever get better? I know that it doesn't go away, but can a birds symptoms improve?
We dewormed our three with Ivermec, gave B complex via syringe, added a vitamin to their water and started regularly getting yogurt and meal worms out there which are the only two "treats" they'll touch. I feed these kind of in excess to see if we could fatten them up and the bird in question looks like her symptoms are at 50% of what the video shows (and maintaining, not continuing to improve)

Can Mareks improve? Or could she just be getting better at coping with a numb leg. Im just curious what your experiences are. We haven't decided what to do. We would really like to ad 10 birds to the flock, but are unsure what to do considering, if it is Mareks they've "infected" the coop area. So meanwhile, not knowing their fate I've pumped them full of vitamins and protein to see if they shape up.

 

[Eggcessive]

My chickens love chopped scrambled eggs, tuna, salmon, and liver. Some chickens will get better, but may get sick again later.

If you buy vaccinated birds who are kept away from a Mareks infected flock for the first 2-3 weeks after the vaccine is given, they can have a good chance to not get the serious symptoms of Mareks. But they will always be carriers even if they do not get the symptoms. Some do report that some chickens will still get the disease even with the vaccine. Here is some reading about Mareks:
https://extension.psu.edu/mareks-disease-in-chickens

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/