Lost 6 to Marek's so far. Am I going to lose all 20 to it too?

[dizzychicken]

I just had to cull six 3 week old chicks because of Marek's. Are all my baby chicks going to die for this?

I am so upset. I worked so hard on incubating, feeding and caring for these chicks and now they are dying off from this stupid disease. I can't win for losing.

 

[Chickenfortress]

You might need to give more info here. Have they all been in contact with each other?

 

[AHappychick]

I am right there with you

what is going on maybe I can help

it is rare to effect chicks so young are you sure it is mareks?

 

[dizzychicken]

Yes, all are in the same brooder. I wash their feeders and water in hot soap water daily. I change their shavings every other day.

They will be fine one minute and then be stumbling around like drunkards. Then they eventually turn on their backs and just cheep. They can still eat and drink for awhile until they get to where they can't walk.

 

[AHappychick]

that does not sound like mareks to me I think you are fighting something else, edited to say, does one leg become paralized or both? please tell us more, how are their eyes? hows their poop?

 

[dizzychicken]

Their poops are normal and their eyes look clear. When they start to stumble around they alernate legs. Like it will get up to walk, take a couple of steps and fall onto it's wing. It will get back up take a few more hurried steps and fall over on the other side. I have one right now that isn't walking drunk right now but he is sitting back on his legs with his legs out in front of him?

 

[Judy]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=135247

Have you read this thread?

I have no experience with Marek's.

 

[AHappychick]

both legs are out in front? usually it effects one leg but could effect both I assume. Look in their eyes are any dialated, grey or mishapen you are not just looking for them to be clear, my ee's left eye is dialated but you would not notice unless you compared it to the other eye. Put a light on them and see if the they react

 

[Momo]

Neither the age of the chicks nor the symptoms sounds like Marek's. It could be something as simple as a vitamin deficiency; I had some at 4 weeks that grew weak, stumbly, sometimes crouched down on their hocks and unable to stand properly upright (in one case unable to stand up at all, just lying on her side like an old dishrag). Thanks to advice I received here, they all recovered after I gave them a few drops of Poly- Vi-Sol (without iron) each day, along with scrambled eggs. Just be careful with the drops as it is easy for them to aspirate. Hold their heads up at an angle and dribble it a little at a time along their beaks so they can swallow it in a controlled manner. Good luck!

 

[shay20]

Wow i had the same promblem, i figured out mine was to hot at night, and also i try not to use shaving any more on my babys becouse when they eat and kick the food into the shaveings they can swallow the shaveing.