Marek’s Disease

[Opal8]

If I have a couple chickens showing signs of Marek’s, will all of my chickens die? Can chickens live with Marek’s?

 

[Eggcessive]

What symptoms are you seeing? How old are your chickens? There can be sometimes other reasons for symptoms that look like Mareks. Here is some reading about Mareks disease:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext...Preventing Mareks Disease in Small Flocks.pdf

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

 

[Opal8]

What symptoms are you seeing? How old are your chickens? There can be sometimes other reasons for symptoms that look like Mareks. Here is some reading about Mareks disease:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/poultry/FS-1007 Recognizing and Preventing Mareks Disease in Small Flocks.pdf

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

I am having chickens dying left and right over here. I’m worrying! I am seeing mostly paralysis of the wings and leg. I even saw paralysis of the neck in a week old chick. I have a lot of underweight birds also. My one girl have been underweight for maybe two months. She’s still hanging in there. Does mareks cause sour crop? The ones who are underweight seem to have sour crop.

 

[Folly's place]

Have necropsies done! Actually get a diagnosis soon as possible.
How's their diet, any issues there?
So sorry, hope things get better.
Mary

 

[Opal8]

Have necropsies done! Actually get a diagnosis soon as possible.
How's their diet, any issues there?
So sorry, hope things get better.
Mary

Nope. Everyone eats great! I actually have a chicken who is 9.9 pounds. Trust me, they eat!

 

[Folly's place]

What are they eating, and how are the mill dates on each bag of feed?
Have fecals been run at the vet's?
Any mites or lice?
Mary

 

[Eggcessive]

Mareks is best diagnosed with a necropsy performed by your state vet on a chicken that has died and taken in.
Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Usually Mareks shows up in chickens a few months old and older. The very earliest it shows is over 3rd weeks old. A newly hatched chick can be affected by wry neck, from a vitamin E or B1 thiamine deficiency. That can also happen in chickens with Mareks.

Look at and smell your feed for mold. Make sure that you are feeding a good fresh dated chick starter or an all flock/flock raiser feed. Look around for any dead animal remains or compost beds where they could be eating a toxin.

 

[Opal8]

What are they eating, and how are the mill dates on each bag of feed?
Have fecals been run at the vet's?
Any mites or lice?
Mary

What will decals determine? And some did have lice. I treated them.

 

[Opal8]

Mareks is best diagnosed with a necropsy performed by your state vet on a chicken that has died and taken in.
Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Usually Mareks shows up in chickens a few months old and older. The very earliest it shows is over 3rd weeks old. A newly hatched chick can be affected by wry neck, from a vitamin E or B1 thiamine deficiency. That can also happen in chickens with Mareks.

Look at and smell your feed for mold. Make sure that you are feeding a good fresh dated chick starter or an all flock/flock raiser feed. Look around for any dead animal remains or compost beds where they could be eating a toxin.

The only problem with a necropsy is if it is Newcastle. I will have to put all of my chickens down because the state will make me

 

[Folly's place]

If it's foreign Newcastle, they will all die anyway, and infect others. That's usually a speedy disaster, faster than what's happening in your flock.