Mareks: Long-term prognosis

[leadwolf1]

Have you ever had them tested and a definitive diagnosis? I have had no success with any recovering. I have lost 21 birds. So far, no successful recoveries Now, my little serama pullet, who just successfully hatched a couple babies, is sick. Totally different symptoms....she is fat but she will not eat and stays puffed up in a corner, at times, gasping. The eggs weren't hers...I just can't handle losing many more. They are my pets....

 

[seminolewind]

I have been trying to figure out the origin for months. Here is what I know. The end of last April, I purchased my first chicks in 40 years. I was gifted them as a Mother's Day gift from my husband and kids. I had waited so long to get some more! My whole childhood, through college, I had bantam chickens. Just backyard mutts but I loved them. I got 4 NNs, 2 golden lace bantam cochins, 2 red frizzles and 2 buff laced polish...all from the local feedstore, all from Privett Hatcheries. I went back and got 3 more NNs, 2 more polish and 1 more golen laced cochin. Those, were for my daughter. In the meantime, I went looking for SQ silkies. I found a breeder not more than 15 minutes from my house. I picked up 5 silkies from her. Fast forward 8 weeks. My coop was finished. I put them in it and all seemed wonderful. They loved the room. Then, on day 3, I noticed one of the silkies limping....3 days later, she died. 1 leg forward, 1 leg back. I posted on here. All said it was probably a head trauma. Now, I know differently.

Until I knew better, I purchased other silkies and more vaccinated chicks. I flew to NY and picked up a barred NN roo. Fast forward again about 14 weeks. A NN pullet got sick. 2 days later, she died. I sent her in for necropsy. The results, atypical Marek's or LL. Since then, I have lost all but one of the original silkies plus many more. Some vaccinated, most weren't. Now, they all are.

I contacted the original silkie breeder. She has never had any problems and I'm convinced that she is telling the truth. At least, I have to believe her since she is still selling eggs, chicks and older chickens. The only Silkie left is from an egg she hatched from a breeder that I have since found out has had problems with Marek's. Could be that natural immunity shining through.

At first, I thought it was the roo I flew to NY for...but, on hindsite, I realized that the problem existed weeks before he was brought in. So, I'm back to square one.



Quote:

Your post has me all choked up. It's sooo sad, esp when your heart is in it, and you've waited so long. I consider my chickens pets and I have spent many days crying all day.

Sounds like it was a silkie, just like mine was. My first to die was my silkie roo, 2 years old with ALL the classic symptoms, which the vet dx'd as eastern equine encephalitis. Because there were no tumors. Now I know that's not enough or the only thing to base a dx on.

It's sad to even fly somewhere to get a NN. A barred NN from what I know is a very special bird.

So, since my realization, all are vaccinated by the hatchery or me. My flock is all older and already been exposed a few years ago. That's the best I can do

 

[centrarchid]

Have you ever had them tested and a definitive diagnosis? I have had no success with any recovering. I have lost 21 birds. So far, no successful recoveries Now, my little serama pullet, who just successfully hatched a couple babies, is sick. Totally different symptoms....she is fat but she will not eat and stays puffed up in a corner, at times, gasping. The eggs weren't hers...I just can't handle losing many more. They are my pets....

Diagnosis from inspection by certified lab has not been done. Next fall it will be done assuming outbreak hits again.

Flock history may be very relavent here. My birds are are not derived from those that have been vaccinated consistently if at all. My games certainly have not and that can be said with certainty since they have been in family since at least my great-great grandfathers time.

Most of my dominique flocks have also been bred by small breeders, not commerical hatcheries, for at least 20 years and they did not indicate the use of any vaccinations. If vaccinations have not been used, then those flocks have been selected under pressure from Mareks all along and may have a degree of resistance as a result.

 

[ChicKat]

centrachid,

Hopefully your beautiful rooster will make a complete recovery. He is a fabulous roo.

I had a Marek's death and did have it verified by lab. It took diagnostics to the cellular level, there were no tumors at all, but the pullet was only about 17 weeks or so.

There is genetic resistance to Marek's, and that, rather than vaccine, would be optimal for the backyard flock.

If I recall from my earlier research resistance is involved with the B21 gene. I could do a search on old thread and come back with an edit. I think that your approach, if I understand correctly, is to not vaccinate, and insure that the suvivors will be resistant to the disease.

I also agree, that the wild bird population could spread Marek's. The virus is airborne and a wild bird could pick it up on feathers and transport it to another location without even contracting the disease itself IMO.

.

 

[centrarchid]

centrachid,

Hopefully your beautiful rooster will make a complete recovery. He is a fabulous roo.

I had a Marek's death and did have it verified by lab. It took diagnostics to the cellular level, there were no tumors at all, but the pullet was only about 17 weeks or so.

There is genetic resistance to Marek's, and that, rather than vaccine, would be optimal for the backyard flock.

If I recall from my earlier research resistance is involved with the B21 gene. I could do a search on old thread and come back with an edit. I think that your approach, if I understand correctly, is to not vaccinate, and insure that the suvivors will be resistant to the disease.

I also agree, that the wild bird population could spread Marek's. The virus is airborne and a wild bird could pick it up on feathers and transport it to another location without even contracting the disease itself IMO.

.

You said what I intended to say much better.

 

[ChicKat]

Here's the thread from last fall:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/598053/genetic-experts-any-info-on-b21-gene

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:


This is also how people who are "nursing diseased birds back to health" can spread it. It can get on clothing, shoes and in the hair and get transported anywhere that person visits. I cringe everytime I hear someone is trying to save their chicken with mareks.

 

[centrarchid]

This is also how people who are "nursing diseased birds back to health" can spread it. It can get on clothing, shoes and in the hair and get transported anywhere that person visits. I cringe everytime I hear someone is trying to save their chicken with mareks.

If wild birds are vector as I strongly suspect, then human as vector is a mute point. Following same logic, hatchery stocks that are vaccinated should be destroyed as well since they are a vector when brought into flocks that are susceptable but not vaccinated.

 

[pips&peeps]

The mareks vaccine or mareks vaccinated birds do not spread the disease from bird to bird. Infected birds spread the disease as well as dander from infected birds.

 

[centrarchid]

The mareks vaccine or mareks vaccinated birds do not spread the disease from bird to bird. Infected birds spread the disease as well as dander from infected birds.

Vaccinated birds can be carriers if exposed to the Mareks virus after the vaccination, they simply do not become symptomatic. Many viral pathogens can operate as such when operating in a population with individuals possessing genetic or acquired immunity.