Managing a flock with likely Mareks?

[Sseckel]

Has anyone kept their flock after a Marek's outbreak?

Signs right now are pointing towards an outbreak in my flock and I am unsure if I should cull the entire flock or not. It once was about 40 strong with beautiful healthy birds. Now one by one they are becoming paralyzed in their legs, losing excessive weight, combs are turning dark purple, struggling to breath. They look miserable.
Out of those 10 have died (mostly from the younger age groups) and 4 more are showing symptoms.

I have read several article on Marek's disease on this site and elsewhere. I think I understand the disease fairly well and I know it cant be cured. I also realize that some birds will likely survive it but will be carriers for the rest of their lives. I don't want to keep watching them get sick or any new birds I would add to the flock a few years from now.

I am becoming emotionally drained watching them get sick and then having to cull them or find them dead in the morning. I am also running out of places to quarantine sick birds, which doesn't seem to be helping anyway. At what point is it not worth it anymore? The thought of manually culling the rest of the flock is too daunting to me and hubs won't even pretend that he will do it. I don't want them to suffer either. Ugh... Any sincere advice is welcome.

 

[Wil781]

I have Mareks in my flock lost my beautiful Bantam rooster 2 weeks ago. Not all will come down with this disease but they have all been exposed. Rutherford lived for 8 weeks after presenting symptoms before he passed. It is a horrible disease but I wont cull, I just try to keep my girls as healthy as I can and pray that they don't come down with it. When adding to your flock you may want to vaccinate new chicks for Mareks, it won't stop them from getting it but will keep them from having as bad a case. There is no such thing as culling and starting over because the disease gets in the ground and can stay in the ground for up to 7 years I have read. They won't all come down with it so hopefully you are soon to be getting past this outbreak

RIP Rutherford the Rooster. This was taken not long before he died. He had a mild case but even with mild cases it weakens their immune system and something else will kill them. I'm sorry!!

 

[Sseckel]

I

I have Mareks in my flock lost my beautiful Bantam rooster 2 weeks ago. Not all will come down with this disease but they have all been exposed. Rutherford lived for 8 weeks after presenting symptoms before he passed. It is a horrible disease but I wont cull, I just try to keep my girls as healthy as I can and pray that they don't come down with it. When adding to your flock you may want to vaccinate new chicks for Mareks, it won't stop them from getting it but will keep them from having as bad a case. There is no such thing as culling and starting over because the disease gets in the ground and can stay in the ground for up to 7 years I have read. They won't all come down with it so hopefully you are soon to be getting past this outbreakView attachment 1523898
RIP Rutherford the Rooster. This was taken not long before he died. He had a mild case but even with mild cases it weakens their immune system and something else will kill them. I'm sorry!!

I read the same thing about it getting into the soil. I guess I am wondering how long it take to move past this wave of death. It has been wet and rainy here and I noticed this afternoon that even my hens that weren't symptomatic are sneezing a lot. Wondering if respiratory virus will spread like wildfire now with compromised immune systems.

When you add vaccinated chick to your flock do you end up with any mortalities from it?

 

[Sseckel]

Rutherford was beautiful by the way. I'm sorry you lost him.
My BCM rooster has it now. I picked him up this morning and was shocked at how much weight he has lost in week. I strongly doubt he will recover.

 

[Folly's place]

Depopulating your birds won't get rid of the virus on your property, so you will have two choices. One is to manage your sick birds, because some may survive, and euthanize those who are really ill. Then, if you still want to continue with chickens, get vaccinated chicks, raise them ELSEWHERE for two weeks so the vaccine can take effect, and repopulate. You will still loose some birds too soon, but things should get better.
Another choice could be to have ducks instead; they are very nice birds too.
I'd have necropsies done and have a definite diagnosis, and advice from your state poultry experts, to have a plan moving forward.
Meanwhile, keep your group isolated, and don't spread anything to anyone else!
Mary

 

[Wil781]

Rutherford was beautiful by the way. I'm sorry you lost him.
My BCM rooster has it now. I picked him up this morning and was shocked at how much weight he has lost in week. I strongly doubt he will recover.

. Thank you, he was my first chicken. I know how helpless you feel and how shocking this can be, but after this outbreak hopefully it will stop. Birds under stress are more prone to have symptoms appear, I went on vacation and Rutherford came down with symptoms in a few days of me being gone. So what I try to do now is feed my hens healthy fermented feed with Oregano oil (one drop daily), dry crumbles always available, I sprout seeds to feed them because mine can't free range because of neighborhood dogs, so at least they do get greens. I give them garlic twice a week, just two cloves at a time. Keep your head up and keep loving your babies, Good Luck!

 

[Wil781]

I


I read the same thing about it getting into the soil. I guess I am wondering how long it take to move past this wave of death. It has been wet and rainy here and I noticed this afternoon that even my hens that weren't symptomatic are sneezing a lot. Wondering if respiratory virus will spread like wildfire now with compromised immune systems.

When you add vaccinated chick to your flock do you end up with any mortalities from it?

Those that are vaccinated and do develop Mareks has a much milder case and don't develop the tumors.

Rutherford was beautiful by the way. I'm sorry you lost him.
My BCM rooster has it now. I picked him up this morning and was shocked at how much weight he has lost in week. I strongly doubt he will recover.

 

[centrarchid]

If you hatch and rear all of your own replacements, then cull even those that show health issues. My worst outbreak was in second year with flock in this location with each each getting less with last outbreak 4 years ago. Source for disease here I am pretty sure from migrating songbirds. I have already captured one songbird a few days ago with Mareks like signs.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd also avoid trying to have breeds that tend to have more problems with Marek's disease, like Silkies.
Mary

 

[Sseckel]

If you hatch and rear all of your own replacements, then cull even those that show health issues. My worst outbreak was in second year with flock in this location with each each getting less with last outbreak 4 years ago. Source for disease here I am pretty sure from migrating songbirds. I have already captured one songbird a few days ago with Mareks like signs.

If I go this route and continue to hatch my own. There will always be the chance my flock could spread it to other flocks around me right? I have a friend not to far away that breeds less common breeds and I would feel awful if this somehow showed up in her flock. * We are great friends but we don't go I to each other's coops to protect them. So contamination wouldnt be direct but possible right?