Marek’s Disease possible?

[Canine and Co]

Hi all,

I’d be grateful for any advice. I recently rehomed some hens. After a short period of separation I have merged them with my existing flick. Two of the four rehomers keep to themselves, they don’t look in the best shape - feel light, pale comb/wattle and one has no tail feathers and missing feathers underneath. They are eating well. They are not laying but then I’m not sure if their age.
I have an existing young cockerel 4 months old and I noticed he has started to get frisky with one of these two hens!
Today I found him lying in his side trying to move but unable to get up or sit up. He has no marks/obvious signs of injury. He is not wanting to eat or drink. So I’ve moved him to a safe place and syringed some water with electrolytes into him.
This has literally happened overnight. I’m now wondering if the rehomed hens may be carriers or indeed have it and my young boy has caught it - which makes me feel incredibly foolish for accepting hens (marriage split up is the reason she needed her hens re homing as the house is being sold) and not keeping them separate for longer. I’m going to isolate the two that I mentioned above. The other two I rehomed are laying and hang around with my existing flock.
What advice can you give me?
Thank you.

 

[azygous]

How recently? A few days? Weeks? Months? For a chicken to become symptomatic from an avian virus, and Marek's is just one of them, the virus needs time to invade the body's cells. It doesn't happen over just a few days.

What could have happened is the new chickens may have brought parasites with them that your other chickens have no resistance to. I'm thinking of coccidiosis in particular. These intestinal parasites are everywhere in the world, but animals become resistant to the strains that are local. But if an animal is introduced into a new location that carries these parasites, exposure to their feces can infect and sicken the other chickens. Coccisiosis can cause death if not treated.

If you're in the US, the coccisiostat we use is Corid. If you're in another country, you will need to ask for the coccidiostat that is sold in your country. Usually feed stores carry this. You can also order online.

 

[Canine and Co]

I rehomed them about 3 weeks ago. They’ve been together about 2 weeks.

I sincerely hope it isn’t Coccidiosis. We’re in the Uk. So unsure of the treatment available.

The reason I suggested Mareks as a possibility is the way he seems to have a form of paralysis.

 

[coach723]

In the UK common ones are Coxoid and Coxiprol (amprolium) and Baycox (toltrazuril). Treatment is generally very safe and will do no harm, even if it's something else. Coccidiosis can sometimes present with odd symptoms, due to the damage being done to their gut. The timing would be about right for it to be that.
Mareks disease on the other hand typically would take at least 4 - 6 weeks for symptoms to show up.

 

[azygous]

This is what's available to you.
Coccidiostats available in the UK for poultry include prescription medicines like Toltrazuril and Amprolium (e.g., Coxoid), as well as feed-incorporated products like Decoquinate (Deccox)

You may need to go through a vet. But ask around. You should always treat for this if there is only a small chance your chickens are affected because it can cause permanent damage to the intestines if not death. A coccidiostat merely blocks thiamine, a B-vitamin that this parasite lives on. Often, an antibiotic is also included since secondary infection can set in rapidly which can cause bleeding. You do not need a confirmation diagnosis to treat.

It's possible you do have an avian virus that is causing this sudden onset of symptoms. But it would more likely to have already been present in your flock before bringing in new chickens, and it's merely coicidental that you're seeing symptoms now. But even still, there is no treatment for these avian viruses. But you can treat for coccidiosis. Play it safe.