Listless, dying hen

[Abriana]

Awww I am so sorry. I lost my favorite snuggly hen a few weeks ago and the pain is still there, but it gets better.

 

[srcarucci]

Thanks. It'll be a few weeks but I will share the results. This was a first for me too. :-(

 

[srcarucci]

I got the results on Red today

Final report on 6-month-old Americana pullet:
presumptive Marek's disease with lymphocytic infiltrates in the brain and peripheral nerves, pleocellular infiltrates in heart and. liver.
There were no remarkable gross lesions seen. The histologic changes in the brain and peripheral nerves are suggestive of Marek's herpes virus infection (Marek's disease) and this is the presumptive diagnosis.

My vet said Marek's is common in our area and that with backyard chickens it's not as devastating as with a commercial flock. She said I may just lose 1 or 2 chickens a year. I've had occasional losses but never with these symptoms. No treatment for Marek's and the vet said that the vaccine can be helpful but it's only for one strain of Marek's and there are 5-6 strains so she didn't think it would make much of a difference.

The good news is that the rest of my flock has been fine.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I got the results on Red today

Final report on 6-month-old Americana pullet:
presumptive Marek's disease with lymphocytic infiltrates in the brain and peripheral nerves, pleocellular infiltrates in heart and. liver.
There were no remarkable gross lesions seen. The histologic changes in the brain and peripheral nerves are suggestive of Marek's herpes virus infection (Marek's disease) and this is the presumptive diagnosis.

My vet said Marek's is common in our area and that with backyard chickens it's not as devastating as with a commercial flock. She said I may just lose 1 or 2 chickens a year. I've had occasional losses but never with these symptoms. No treatment for Marek's and the vet said that the vaccine can be helpful but it's only for one strain of Marek's and there are 5-6 strains so she didn't think it would make much of a difference.

The good news is that the rest of my flock has been fine.

I'm so sorry

Thank you for sharing this information with us.

 

[azygous]

Thanks for posting those results. It's helpful to all of us here. And your thread will be a valuable reference for many chicken keepers in the future.

These avian viruses are totally manageable. Chickens who are well kept and fed good diets can build up resistance to these viruses, and you may not see another sick chicken for quite some time.

About the only impact it will have is that you won't be able to rehome any chickens or sell any chicks. You will need to keep a closed flock. In the event you want to add to your flock, it's entirely doable. Just be aware that they will carry the virus once exposed to your other chickens.

 

[srcarucci]

Thanks! That's good info.

 

[casportpony]

very sorry for your loss, but thanks so much for posting your necropsy results.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for the update with necropsy results and relating what your vet has said about the disease.

 

[srcarucci]

Thanks. It's always hard to lose a chicken. But I wanted to share the info. At least I know now if this happens again.