Mareks? What to do?

[ShellP]

We had a BCM cockerel that I thought had a broken leg. This started a week or so age, just all of a sudden he couldn't use one leg, but still could get around to eat and drink, etc. and aside from the leg thing he seemed perfectly fine. Then the night before last he was laying on one side and wasn't moving much at all. I put him in a nest in the coop, but yesterday morning he wasn't any better and looked so miserable, so we had him euthanized (the first time I've ever had to have that done to one of our chickens - so upset!). I still thought it was just a broken leg, but that maybe it had gotten infected somehow...I never even once thought about Mareks.

Now, today when I got home our blue cockerel (from the same hatch) is down and can't walk. I noticed the other day that he was slightly favoring one leg. and thought maybe he had a splinter or something - you really had to pay attention to notice anything was wrong at all. Well, I'm now assuming its mareks. I really don't know what to do now. I have chickens of all ages here - 3 week old chicks in the garage, another group of juveniles in a pen separate from the main coops, eggs in the incubators due to hatch in another week and a half (I will definitely immunize them as soon as they hatch). Our main coops are side by side, one for my silkies, the other for the marans (our first chickens, 2 sultans and 1 polish pullets (from a hatchery) and one pair of black dutch bantams. Will it do any good to vaccinate ANY of these chicks or chickens, or are they all doomed? Should we cull all of the chickens in the coops, or even ALL of the ones I have now?

Here are a few pictures I just took of the rooster. Thanks in advance for any help at all.

 

[ShellP]

Nobody? :'(

 

[ShellP]

Maybe jasmine poisoning?

 

[luvmchicks]

i am having some of same issues i have a leghorn hen about a year old and i found her lying down near her coop on tues i put her away from my 6 other hens wormed my chicks giving her probotics and vitamin water had some antibotics getting down syring type she looks great eating feel so bad been online looking up every disease it could be she can move her wings but cannot get up and walk at all she tries it is so hard dont know what to do ????

 

[seminolewind]

Hi Michele. With mine, when I got to the third "broken leg", I knew. Even 2 like you had I would possibly think Marek's. There is nothing you can do for any chicken you have now that is exposed. You can't clean it off your property. Culling will not help.

Vaccinating unexposed day olds and quarantining at least 2 weeks is the best we can do. In your coops, keep the shavings changed, and if possible, spray the walls with Virkon (for livestock And it does have Marek's-on the label)

Keeping things clean may make the difference of some of them surviving or not.

A lot of times , when there's no paralysis, you'll notice wasting. A chicken that looks like they're eating but aren't. It's like their aim is off or something.

Before I knew I had it, I had hatched a lot of chicks that were fine. But one hatch 2 years ago of 10 chicks all got paralysis one by one.

It looks like that first cockerel may have had some cardiac nerves involved., or respiratory nerves. I had a few with the respiratory nerves and legs with paralysis.

Luvmchicks, I would question Marek's as well, but a good flock history is needed. Like was that one exposed to any birds outside the flock?

If anyone wants a definite answer, call your state run animal disease lab, and see what the price is and instructions on sending a dead bird. Mine here in Florida charges $25.00.

If anyone has more questions, just keep this thread going.

 

[Haunted55]

I'm so sorry for both of you. Marek's isn't a plesant thing to have to live with at all. Just in case though....please check out the link below and read post 226. If you could try theses things it will rule out something you can fix. You've got nothing to lose right? It's worth a chance as well even if your birds are not the same as the one in the thread. Having Marek's in my own flock, I will always try the vitamin and antibiotic therapy to see if there are any results. I think those of us who see it everyday tend to forget sometimes that there ather things that will cause these symptoms. I am trying very hard not to do that and from reading what you wrote my first thoughts are that you've hit it. Hope springs eternal though and it won't hurt to try some things just in case.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/752961/help-mareks-disease/220

http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx

The second link will help you find your State Vet who can put you in contact with the disease lab for your state. I agree with Seminolewind....you really do need to get a necropsy done, if only for your own peace of mind. You may find out it isn't Marek's and be able to treat your remaining birds if you have the information from a necropsy.

As for the vaccinating, you could try, but if you can get your hands on a turkey or two, it's just as good. I know this works with my survivors, being out with the turkeys must revaccinate them because I have had ones who I really thought were not going to make it, get better. They never get back to pre Marek's, ain't gonna happen I'm sorry to say, but they do have a life and act like normal chickens. Seminole is also correct in saying that taking the flock out isn't always the right answer. Marek's is a long lived virus and it's hard to totaly eradicate it from their enviroment. It can be done in their coop and their run but outside....that's another thing all together. As Seminolewind has already said, you need to do a history, symptoms of all of the birds, new arrivals, feed, any other's in your area who may be having the same issues. Also a necropsy. Now you can do one yourself and get a pretty good idea if some of the organs are showing the glaring markers, but sometimes it can be a lot more subtle than that and will take a lab to test for everthing. Again, I am so sorry.

 

[seminolewind]

Hey Haunted, glad you're throwing some good ideas in there. I agree with you, about trying vitamins or an antibiotic. It doesn't hurt to try.

 

[ShellP]

Thank you both so much. In really appreciate your help. I have already contacted the state vet Friday afternoon when I discovered the second roo was down. I left him a voicemail so hopefully I'll hear back tomorrow. He lives just a few miles away from me - about the only positive in this whole situation.

I've only had chickens for about a year now. I bought some BCM chicks first, then some juveniles from a breeder in Newnan. Afterwards, I bought a few Silkie hens and roosters - was having a blast. Then, my son-in-law wanted a few so I found a BCM "breeder" nearby and got a few more hens. I kept them quarantined at our barn for a few weeks, and as soon as I brought them up to the house they started with runny noses, raspy noises in the chest, eyes matted, etc. we tried to keep them separated but evidently not good enough because I started losing chicks (that I hatched from our own eggs). That's when we met the vet from the state lab. I had a necropsy done but it came back inconclusive. And the dying stopped. So I though we were over it. (Somewhere in there I hatched a few of my neighbors peachicks, only to lose them to cocci I think, in the midst of the others dying). We've lost a chick here and there, but didn't think a whole lot about it. Just decided that was how it went with chickens. They die. Easy. So best not to get too attached, right?
Anyway, we had no significant changes over the winter, since we do let them free ramge during the day, I've lost a few to predators, but no more epidemics. Then all of a sudden one of the Roos I hatched last year starts with his "broken leg" a couple of weeks ago. Of course since then I bought several polish chicks that weren't immunized. I've kept them separate from the other chickens, but I don't know if it was separate enough for Mareks.

That's pretty much our flock history. Sounds like we are kinda screwed here, huh? I'm going to do my best to get my hands on a couple of turkeys ASAP and hope it will help these young chicks I just bought in addition to the adults I have left.

Again, thanks to both of you for your help (and compassion!). This BYC forum and all its participants are absolutely life saving. Y'all are the bomb.

Edited to add that I did treat the first sick hens with tylan 50, and they did seem to recover but I gave them away to a friend that didn't have other chickens. I just was afraid they would always be carriers.

 

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

Hi Michele. With mine, when I got to the third "broken leg", I knew. Even 2 like you had I would possibly think Marek's. There is nothing you can do for any chicken you have now that is exposed. You can't clean it off your property. Culling will not help.

Vaccinating unexposed day olds and quarantining at least 2 weeks is the best we can do. In your coops, keep the shavings changed, and if possible, spray the walls with Virkon (for livestock And it does have Marek's-on the label)

Keeping things clean may make the difference of some of them surviving or not.

A lot of times , when there's no paralysis, you'll notice wasting. A chicken that looks like they're eating but aren't. It's like their aim is off or something.

Before I knew I had it, I had hatched a lot of chicks that were fine. But one hatch 2 years ago of 10 chicks all got paralysis one by one.

It looks like that first cockerel may have had some cardiac nerves involved., or respiratory nerves. I had a few with the respiratory nerves and legs with paralysis.

Luvmchicks, I would question Marek's as well, but a good flock history is needed. Like was that one exposed to any birds outside the flock?

If anyone wants a definite answer, call your state run animal disease lab, and see what the price is and instructions on sending a dead bird. Mine here in Florida charges $25.00.

If anyone has more questions, just keep this thread going.

I agree with everything said! Vaccinate your newly hatched is the best thing that I did for my flock. Just know that you have a lot of support, and some people are NOT afraid to talk about it. Seminole Wind got a lot of PM's from me, and listened to me, gave me advice and comfort. I watched helplessly as some of my beautiful 3-4 month olds waste away, with me tube feeding them, only to prolong the tragedy that was going to take them. I know that vaccinating might seem scary or overwhelming, but teaming up with another friend/poultry owner is the way I did it. If you need to talk, PM me, I know its nice to have someone to talk to.

 

[Haunted55]

I too had the first necropsy come back inconclusive and it was extremely frustrating. My birds kept dying or having to be culled, but no official reasons. The second one done, proved the Marek's.

One thing, if you suspect Marek's and I think you have good reason to, please act as if it is a proven fact. You need to look at this as if 'you' have Marek's, not just your birds. You can carry it with you to feed stores, neighbors' chickens, etc.. You really can't be selling or giving away any of your birds any more either. To do so would be unconscionable. All it does is spread the disease to others and possibly wipe out their flocks. It also gives the disease a chance to mutate to a point, that any of the vaccines available right now, could become totally useless against it. This is some serious doo doo here and you need to be as educated about Marek's as you can be and aware that there are others out there with it in their birds, with no idea what it is, or don't care. Please don't become one of them.

Okay...off my soapbox now. I am hopeful you will hear back today and be able to get the local help you need to find your way. To have someone who is that close and able to do a visual of your birds would be great.