Mareks experience needed. prelim results pg 9

[tiki244]

Yes I dont like to cull the extra cockerals just because they are boys. But I have to do it. It seems so senseless when they are so young and vital. But I would rather do that then send them away to someone else and not know how they are treated in their last minutes on earth. Right now I can do 4 a day and that is all I can handle. I am almost done so I wont have to do it for a while again. I do feel for ya there, its aweful.

What kind of ducks are you hatching? Baby ducks are really cute. I had some Muskovies last year and just loved them but had to give them to a friend in the winter because I had pneumonia for 4 months and wasnt able to take care of them.
eta : spelling

 

[seminolewind]

I don't know if I could cull a healthy chicken. It's hard enough with the sick ones. I cover their faces so they can't look at me. I know everyone has their own reasons for culling, it's a sad thing either way.

 

[klf73]

they are runners...I also placed an order from Metzer for some chocolate runners(couldn't find eggs) and cayugas(haven't had any make it to hatch

) .

the bummer is the "extra" roos would have gone to be eaten, at least I would have felt they had a purpose....can't even risk sending them to someone else just in case.....

 

[NewToFarming]

I need your guys help!!! I had a pullet that had leg paralysis late february and she lasted 2 months until I had to put her down. I had a necropsy done and it did not show mareks. But I now have another pullet born on easter showing the same symptoms. She is alert and has a good appetite. It seems to start in my pullets feet and progress. She can stand but her toes curl under becasue she cant move them and today it seems she has the forward and backward legs. She is a very determined little one and does stand and manage to get around a little bit.
I can post what my necropsy said for my previous one but I know Mareks was not mentioned at all. No other chicken except these 2 has had these symptoms and both were silkie/brown leghorn crosses.
The last necropsy I had took 1 1/2 months to get the results back!!! Does the Mareks start in the feet?

 

[klf73]

I think 90% of mine started with one leg, then after a few days the other becomes "affected". I have and ameraucana that dh is going to cull tonight that her toes are curled up and she can't use the leg properly, she hardly moves. I really don't want to wait the extra days for it to progress.

Mine also get thin, usually within 2 weeks of the legs becoming an issue they feel skinny even though they eat.

 

[NewToFarming]

Thank you! I am really starting to worry it actually might be Mareka but would it have showed up on the necropsy or is there a chance they didn't look for it? Also, if I post the necropsy results, can you let me know what you think? This youngster seem to take a longer time to progress than my first one. The first one came on pretty suddenly and hung on for about 2 months after the initial paralysis. This one had been maybe a month of leg weakness (I was thinking an injury) but still can get around, but not well. Over the last week it has gotten much worse though.
I had found out after getting chickens that the property I am one once was a chicken farm. I have no idea how many years ago though but I am sure I could find out somehow???

 

[NewToFarming]

Does any of this look like anything that came back on your necrospies? I appreciate your help in this!

1. "The predominent finding is yellow/black pigment granules in the lymphocytes in the connective tissue covering several organs. If the bird was heavily pigmented, some of the pigment could also get onto the surfaces of some internal organs. (My girl had black skin)"
2. The germinal centers in various lymphoid tissue obviously suggested prior antigenic stimulation, probably from a pathogen or irritant. The bird appears to likely be responding to some intestinal pathogen as well as some respiratory antigen, either irritant (dust, spores) or a pathogen.

This girl did not have any symptoms other than paralysis, poops were fine, breathing was fine. The only other thing was a decreased appetite. I did have her put down at the vet and they gave her gas before the injection so it could be the lung irritant was the gas????

It did not mention anything about mareks at all and I was hoping that is the first thing they would look for??? The youngster that has the symptoms now has progressed to really not able to get around at all now. Has a leg to the front and back.

I had started her on vitamins, an antibiotic just in case and metacam I had left over from the previous girl. Did your necropsies specifically say they did have Mareks?

 

[seminolewind]

New to farming, it does sound like Marek's. I think it depends on who does the necropsy, and what their experience is with it. The paralysis will most likely not show up as tumors. It will show as an enlargement of the nerves. That also goes for the appetite. The nerves that gives the digestive system the message to digest is also inflammed, so it's just not moving the food along in parts, and the chicken won't eat, or will seem like they're eating, but waste away.

My first vet did a necropsy and said that my chicken didn't have Marek's because there were no tumors. Well....yes he did have Marek's, but the strain affected the nerves.

Marek's has 6 strains that affect a chicken in different ways, and different symptoms. Also, the strength of the strain and the chicken's health have alot to do with how fast they deteriorate. I think your 2 chickens sound like they had exposure to Marek's. If you get chicks or hatch chicks they need to be immunized and quarantined.

Part #2 def sounds like Mareks. Even if the lungs sounded fine to you, the disease could have just been starting there, or been on the outer surface of the lungs.

Sorry about your chickens.

 

[klf73]

I do know the state vet told me I had to ask for mareks testing as the reg necropsy only covered bird flu and IB type stuff...

 

[fowlman01]

Most vets have little or no experience with chickens. Labs many time make mistakes, especially if they only have one bird to work with. UC Davis wants at least 5 live birds and even then I don't think they get too many right.

Walt