Marek's disease in my chickens. Help

[silverwarrior]

I had two 5 month old chickens and two 1.5 month old chicks. Both pairs are a couple. I keep the little ones seperate from the older ones. The older cockerel contracted Marek's. He had a paralysed leg and died two days ago. Now one of the little chicks is showing symptoms of Marek's. He stays standing all day and sleeps while standing. His eyelids keep drooping. His wings are drooping as well. He seems pretty Ill.

The other older hen and the other little chick seem fine. I keep my chicks in a big enough bird cage. The cage has no flooring material like pine shavings and their droppings remain open to the air. Should I put a layer of soil in there to cover their droppings. I wash the cage everyday. Older hen's cage:

Smaller chicks cage:

I feed them chicken feed that looks like this and table scraps mainly rice and spinach.

How can I cure my chicks? Is it actually Marek's in little chick or just sleepiness like never before. What should I do to keep my chicks safe from diseases and healthy?

 

[azygous]

You need to get a necropsy done on a dead chicken to see exactly what you're dealing with. Marek's is a virus that is difficult to impossible to eradicate from your premises. It's not like a bacteria that you can disinfect and be rid of it.

There are similar viruses to Marek's that sicken and kill also, but are shorter lived in the environment, so it's important to know what is infecting your flock, so find a lab or a vet to perform the necropsy.

To get advice on dealing with diseases, you need to post on the Emergencies and Disease Forum.

 

[Folly's place]

Your state veterinary lab is the best place for this; chill the body, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. GET A DIAGNOSIS! Chicks should be on shavings or some bedding, and be fed a good chick starter that's as fresh as possible, and limited 'treats', only if grit is also available. Good luck with this. Mary

 

[Choco Maran]

First off you SHOULD all ways get the chicks vaccinated for Mericks. Once you have it on the property you can expect it to come up for several years.

 

[Tripschiks]

Silverwarrior, hope your chiks recover. How do you vaccinate for Mericks? I just bought 4 babies 1-2 days old, should I vaccinate and how? Also, I have 4 older girls approximately 3 months old should they be vaccinated?

 

[azygous]

Marek's vaccination is usually done right before chicks ship out from the hatchery. The customer has to order it as part of their purchase.

I've never had my chicks vaccinated, but I have a large wild turkey population that does it for me. A similar but less virulent form of Marek's is present in wild turkeys and chickens free ranging on the same ground get "inoculated". I take clumps of dirt and grass from this ground and give it to my day old chicks to mess with since they are acquiring immunities during their first couple weeks.

Many here on BYC have followed this practice with good results.

 

[Folly's place]

Chicks are vaccinated as day-olds, and not later. They need two to three weeks NOT exposed to Marek's disease to have time to develop immunity. After exposure is too later to vaccinate them. I always have chicks from hatcheries vaccinated, and isolate them from my flock for three weeks. Chicks hatched here aren't vaccinated, and act as 'canaries in the coal mine' for my flock. So far I've avoided having the disease here! Mary

 

[silverwarrior]

He died today morning. I couldn't do anything because my grandfather died yesterday and there was no time for the chicks and I can't do anything on my ow n. The older hen is showing same symptoms but I can't ask anyone to get her treated as its a day of mourning for my grandpa.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! Mary