MAREK disease.. Please help.

[Chicken poppy]

I’m utterly terrified. I got the rest of my chickens results back. She had Mareks, nematodes, and lymphoproliferative disease. (Something that causes tumors, apparently.)

What do i do? She was a broody hen and i have her 4 week old chicks with me now. Everybody has been intermingled and one chick is acting off, and two hens are acting off. They have been walking on the same grass, i just put the sick ones in the coop, i’m terrified. I hear the only way to get rid of this is to humanely destroy them but there has to be something i can do? I know one of the hens had worms (pretty obvious it must have spread.) but i’m mostly worried about Mareks. And the lymphoproliferative disease, does that spread to? This is a mess, are all the babies gonna die?


The exact words on the test were “she has lymphoid cells proliferation consistent with mareks disease with a chicken this age.“ Does this mean it is Mareks, or possibility? Am i overthinking this? (PLEASE say that i am.)

 

[microchick]

I’m utterly terrified. I got the rest of my chickens results back. She had Mareks, nematodes, and lymphoproliferative disease. (Something that causes tumors, apparently.)

What do i do? She was a broody hen and i have her 4 week old chicks with me now. Everybody has been intermingled and one chick is acting off, and two hens are acting off. They have been walking on the same grass, i just put the sick ones in the coop, i’m terrified. I hear the only way to get rid of this is to humanely destroy them but there has to be something i can do? I know one of the hens had worms (pretty obvious it must have spread.) but i’m mostly worried about Mareks. And the lymphoproliferative disease, does that spread to? This is a mess, are all the babies gonna die?


The exact words on the test were “she has lymphoid cells proliferation consistent with mareks disease with a chicken this age.“ Does this mean it is Mareks, or possibility? Am i overthinking this? (PLEASE say that i am.)

Hi Poppy, I'm back.

I know how devastating it is to be told that you have Marek's Disease (MD) in your flock. I lost approximately 2/3rds of my flock to the disease before it burned itself through and out of my flock of 40+ birds.

Yes the tumors are associated with MD. I lost every rooster to tumors before the age of 18 months. One lived to be 20 months old but he was the exception. Others died from ocular Marek's and neurological Marek's Disease. All survived the initial infection with the exception of one which succumbed at 9 weeks to scissor paralysis/MD. But they survived the initial infection only to die of secondary MD before the age of 2yrs.

I have no idea where it came from but rest assured, you did nothing wrong. It's just there and it is everywhere and it is a killer you cannot fight or win the fight that you are having with it.

Seriously. I wish I could give you good news but you will lose more birds before it is done with your flock but as it gets worse, it will get better. In my case the deaths/culling of suffering birds, ended suddenly and without warning.

I was so glad when it did. I lost one hen who was brooding chicks when they were just 4 weeks old also about 5 years ago. She was my last suspicious death as she was fine when I locked her and her chicks up and I found her dead in the nesting box the next morning. Her single chick, a little Old English Game Bantam cockerel was bereft with grief and I became his surrogate mom. He still greets me at the coop door and will occasionally bring me gifts of a blade of grass, a piece of food, a piece of plastic he found in the run. he's a doll and I love him to pieces.

The best advice I can give you other than what was in my article is dig your heels in, hang on and wait for it to end. It will end and the birds you are left with will be your truly resistant birds that you can breed resistant chicks from. I won't lie to you. You may still lose chicks you hatch, ones' that aren't resistant. I decided to breed for resistance by adding Egyptian Fayoumis which are genetically resistant to Marek's disease along with vaccinated bantams because frankly I love bantams, wanted some and this was the only way I knew to bring new birds into my flock without them curling up their little toes and dying on me.

I do know what you are feeling right now. I have one little hen who has cancer in her belly, probably reproductive organs who is three years old now and I'm expecting her to pass over the summer if not before. Is it MD? I don't know honestly. She is the only bantam who is having problems right now so I'm going to think that she just is at the age where hens have reproductive cancers/infections pop up.

But you and your flock can survive MD. It won't be easy. You will be tempted to throw in the towel but don't unless that is what your heart is telling you to do. Because every time my brain told me to quit, my heart and my husband (interchangeable ) told me not to.

I tell members that I have posted to about MD that they are not alone. Lots of people here are dealing with it. It's a club of sorts that nobody wants to belong to, yet unfortunately they find themselves members. Please if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I may not have all the answers but by golly I do have the expert experience.

Blessings,
Becky

 

[coach723]

Disinfecting will really not do you much good. Just practice good husbandry, keep feeders and waterers clean, keep droppings from building up. Chickens are messy and you can make yourself crazy trying to be clean. Marek's is unfortunately very stubborn and persists in the environment via dander and feather dust. There is just no way to get rid of all that. It's heart breaking to find yourself dealing with this, but it does get better. As previously said, don't panic, breathe, take it day by day. Different strains have different virulence, some are much more virulent than others, some strains are fairly mild. Some birds may never show any signs despite being exposed. Once the initial phase passes, you will have more idea how it's going to go in your flock. It isn't the end of the world, I've been dealing with it for about 3 years now. I know what the panic feels like, I thought I would not be able to have chickens any more. I still hate losing birds to it, but it's manageable. Every flock is a little different, some breeds are more susceptible than others (Silkies for one), so that can be a deciding factor in choosing what kind to have, or to try. I'm getting some Egyptian Fayoumi's this year to breed with mine, to hopefully help build some resistance in my flock. It will be years before I know if it makes a difference.
@microchick 's article is really good.
This is another thread, when you have the time (it's a long thread!), about breeding for resistance: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ding-for-resistance-to-mareks-disease.894589/
We all have to find our own way forward that are dealing with this, based on your own belief system and values and what works for you and your flock. But, just read as much as you can, learn as much as you can about it, and give yourself time to see how it goes in your flock. The sad fact is that Marek's is much more common than most people realize.
So sorry, and best of luck.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about the diagnosis.
I would say with the wording, that yes, the hen had Marek's.

Imho, culling all and starting over is not a practical solution for those that have Marek's in their flock. Marek's can live in the environment for a long time. Most folks learn to manage symptoms as they arise. For very sick birds in a state of decline that do not respond to supportive care, culling should be considered.

You're flock and the chicks have already been exposed. Breath. Read, but don't panic. You will get through this!

Read the articles below. I'll tag in @microchick since she's still an active member and may be able to give you some tips and walk you through some things. Do read her article below though, it's very good.

As for you having a sick chick, I'll look for the thread on that one if you have one. Not sure what's going on there. At 4wks, it's possible that Marek's could affect a chick that age, but there's also other things as well. I'll see what you have written.

Nematodes. Have you dewormed your flock? If you haven't, then deworming them is a good idea. Parasites can put extra stress on the overall health of birds and if you are dealing with Marek's in your flock, then keeping them under control is going to keep them healthier.



https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[microchick]

Thank you for the tag, @Wyorp Rock.

@Chicken poppy I am so sorry you are facing this but you are not alone.

It's late here and I've had a very long day so for now I'm just going to repeat what Wyorp said and please read my article for starts concerning my personal and ongoing challenges of keeping a flock with Marek's hiding in the corner. Trust me it's not the end of the world.

You can find my article here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

I promise to be back in the morning with a better response and I hope encouraging advice.

Till later. Hang in there and I am so sorry about the loss of your hen and the diagnosis.

 

[microchick]

You are so sweet, thank you for taking the time to write this. It’s very heartbreaking to know that theres so little i can do about it but i hope that they survive through it. Do i need to go crazy disinfecting everything now or is it useless because everyone probably has it?

No, like @coach723 said it won't do a lick of good. Somebody once asked me about removing it from their property and my response was they had to remove the top 7 inches of top soil from their land, dispose of it safely then totally disinfect every inch of every building they own. Once done....oops a sparrow carrying MD dander just flew through need to start over again.

Yep, it's that prevalent.

@coach723 great response and thank you for the kind words. I think you will be pleased with the results from the E. Fayoumis. They aren't cuddle bugs but they are tough birds. So far I have only bred rooster crosses from mine breeding with my Amish barnyard birds but they are nice birds. Well tempered with one exception and they seem to get the 'meaty breasts' that the pure bred birds are lacking. The main thing is that I haven't lost a rooster to MD in over 5 years now. Which is why I have a lot of roosters, HA!

@Chicken poppy , one thing I wanted to add. Close your flock for the time being until you see which way the wind blows with bird losses and get a plan in mind. You don't want to infect another flock with a strain that they may not have around them. Part of good animal husbandry.

And thank you also for the kind words. We are here to help one another and if my experiences with Marek's can help another chicken owner through the initial crisis and look ahead, then I am happy.

 

[RoyalChick]

There is a disinfectant that you can get that will kill the virus but for the life of me I cannot think of the name of it now. You can clean with it but since all of your chickens are now clinically Marek's Carriers, the dander they shed will effectively redistribute the virus everywhere you just cleaned.

Virkon S is the only thing that has been proven effective against Marek's, but as you say right now everyone is likely a carrier so disinfectant is not the way to go.
Disinfectants will be useful to you for biosecurity if you go elsewhere that has chickens - eg for your boots - and in future if you bring in second hand equipment or housing (to prevent a different strain coming in).
@Chicken poppy I am so sorry you are going through this. Stay strong.

 

[microchick]

Marek's is a cold hearted witch and I don't mean witch.

Finding out you have it in your flock is like watching a tornado heading right for your house. You know it's going to hit, you know it's going to get really really bad before it gets any better and once it hits you know it's going to take forever for things to get better again. In the mean time all you can do is hang on tighter than Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and wait for your house to hit that wicked witch of the west that is Marek's Disease.

But it does eventually get better.

I think you are all doing a remarkable job of dealing with this disease and are to be commended.

Almost two weeks ago I hatched 11 darling little Silver Duck Wing and Black Breasted Red bantam chicks. 4th generation from my original breeding stock of vaccinated birds. I looked at my 5 year old roosters and hens and felt a surge of joy realizing I was watching them grow old. The boys' breast feathers are dappled white now and the girls are happy to sit on the roost bars and boss the other birds around but they are survivors and I cherish every day that they greet me when I open their coop door.

7 years ago I never thought I would see this day with my birds but I hung on and today I am so glad I did.

Yes, it gets worse before it gets better. But it does get better.

 

[microchick]

Your posts are among the most kindhearted and empathetic I've ever read. Combined with your wisdom and knowledge, you're a treasure. Keep being you.

Thank you so much. I am moved and flattered by your kind remarks.

Frankly, I don't want anyone to go through what I went through with their flocks so I am driven to try to help.

MD is a miserable disease to deal with. You are helpless to do anything to control or stop it. All you can do is watch birds that you have nurtured slowly succumb to it with no end in sight to the heartache and no solution because there is none.

If I can offer reassurance and hope that the disease will eventually run its course, then hopefully I have helped a member hang on and see it through.

There is light at the end of the tunnel but it's a very long tunnel and at times the light is dim and flickering. But it does eventually get better.

 

[Coops Dad]

Hi Poppy, I'm back.

I know how devastating it is to be told that you have Marek's Disease (MD) in your flock. I lost approximately 2/3rds of my flock to the disease before it burned itself through and out of my flock of 40+ birds.

Yes the tumors are associated with MD. I lost every rooster to tumors before the age of 18 months. One lived to be 20 months old but he was the exception. Others died from ocular Marek's and neurological Marek's Disease. All survived the initial infection with the exception of one which succumbed at 9 weeks to scissor paralysis/MD. But they survived the initial infection only to die of secondary MD before the age of 2yrs.

I have no idea where it came from but rest assured, you did nothing wrong. It's just there and it is everywhere and it is a killer you cannot fight or win the fight that you are having with it.

Seriously. I wish I could give you good news but you will lose more birds before it is done with your flock but as it gets worse, it will get better. In my case the deaths/culling of suffering birds, ended suddenly and without warning.

I was so glad when it did. I lost one hen who was brooding chicks when they were just 4 weeks old also about 5 years ago. She was my last suspicious death as she was fine when I locked her and her chicks up and I found her dead in the nesting box the next morning. Her single chick, a little Old English Game Bantam cockerel was bereft with grief and I became his surrogate mom. He still greets me at the coop door and will occasionally bring me gifts of a blade of grass, a piece of food, a piece of plastic he found in the run. he's a doll and I love him to pieces.

The best advice I can give you other than what was in my article is dig your heels in, hang on and wait for it to end. It will end and the birds you are left with will be your truly resistant birds that you can breed resistant chicks from. I won't lie to you. You may still lose chicks you hatch, ones' that aren't resistant. I decided to breed for resistance by adding Egyptian Fayoumis which are genetically resistant to Marek's disease along with vaccinated bantams because frankly I love bantams, wanted some and this was the only way I knew to bring new birds into my flock without them curling up their little toes and dying on me.

I do know what you are feeling right now. I have one little hen who has cancer in her belly, probably reproductive organs who is three years old now and I'm expecting her to pass over the summer if not before. Is it MD? I don't know honestly. She is the only bantam who is having problems right now so I'm going to think that she just is at the age where hens have reproductive cancers/infections pop up.

But you and your flock can survive MD. It won't be easy. You will be tempted to throw in the towel but don't unless that is what your heart is telling you to do. Because every time my brain told me to quit, my heart and my husband (interchangeable ) told me not to.

I tell members that I have posted to about MD that they are not alone. Lots of people here are dealing with it. It's a club of sorts that nobody wants to belong to, yet unfortunately they find themselves members. Please if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I may not have all the answers but by golly I do have the expert experience.

Blessings,
Becky

Your posts are among the most kindhearted and empathetic I've ever read. Combined with your wisdom and knowledge, you're a treasure. Keep being you.