Marek’s in my flock??

[FlarryEyeGrey]

Well, I’m freaked out as all hell. I have ONE pullet completely unable to walk or stand. For a couple of days she looked a bit limp and hunched, and I was in denial about it. The following day she was on her side with the other birds attacking her, bleeding. I've now had her separated for three days. She's eating hungrily and drinking well, but I have to prop her up in my hands or place the dish near her head. No sign of decreased appetite; she lunges for food immediately.

I got her and the rest of her flock from a Cackle hatchery surprise, for which Marek’s vaccination is NOT offered. No other birds showing symptoms yet. Am I about to see this take over my flock??

I have a TON of chicks hatching out in the next couple of weeks. I’m going to do my best to totally sterilize the hatching room and avoid bringing this to my chicks, but it’s going to be a MASSIVE pain to vaccinate since they’ve got a staggered hatching schedule (new batch every 3-4 days for the next month or so). I already have some Bielefelder chicks in the hatching room that I have to assume are exposed (if indeed this is Marek's), and I have no idea where to put them.

Am I overreacting? Should I look for other symptoms? Should I kill the pullet and attempt a necropsy (or try to find a vet who can do this)? My plan was to sell about 2/3rds of the chicks I'm hatching, but there's no way I can risk introducing Marek's to anyone else's flock and I'm stumped on how to rule it out.

If anyone has any advice at all, it would be very much appreciated!

 

[FlarryEyeGrey]

I should add: the pullet is 22-23 weeks old.

I had a rooster die mysteriously a couple of months ago — didn't look into it too closely; he had seemed perfectly healthy and was just dead and cold on the ground in the run one morning.

A great horned owl found its way into the run several weeks ago (long after the roo passed), took several pullets and I suppose may have infected the rest with something.

 

[oellian]

Well, I’m freaked out as all hell. I have ONE pullet completely unable to walk or stand. For a couple of days she looked a bit limp and hunched, and I was in denial about it. The following day she was on her side with the other birds attacking her, bleeding. I've now had her separated for three days. She's eating hungrily and drinking well, but I have to prop her up in my hands or place the dish near her head. No sign of decreased appetite; she lunges for food immediately.

I got her and the rest of her flock from a Cackle hatchery surprise, for which Marek’s vaccination is NOT offered. No other birds showing symptoms yet. Am I about to see this take over my flock??

I have a TON of chicks hatching out in the next couple of weeks. I’m going to do my best to totally sterilize the hatching room and avoid bringing this to my chicks, but it’s going to be a MASSIVE pain to vaccinate since they’ve got a staggered hatching schedule (new batch every 3-4 days for the next month or so). I already have some Bielefelder chicks in the hatching room that I have to assume are exposed (if indeed this is Marek's), and I have no idea where to put them.

Am I overreacting? Should I look for other symptoms? Should I kill the pullet and attempt a necropsy (or try to find a vet who can do this)? My plan was to sell about 2/3rds of the chicks I'm hatching, but there's no way I can risk introducing Marek's to anyone else's flock and I'm stumped on how to rule it out.

If anyone has any advice at all, it would be very much appreciated!

How did this story pan out, Flarry?