Marek's

[Eggcessive]

I just would investigate the two chickens with limps, and go from there. Limping can happen in flocks when they are very active. It really would help to see a video of them walking. I have never had Mareks in my flock for 8 years, but I have had a couple of bad sprains in hens. One took about 6 weeks to recover, and she mostly held the leg up. Another limped for 2 years, and I suspected that she may have had a spiral fracture that never healed. Both hens continued to roost and free ranged all day with their flocks.

 

[Firefoot]

Just wanted to chime in with my own recent experience. You've gotten good advice and I would echo to not jump the gun and see how the lame ones do. I think if they are curling their toes it seems more like a vitamin deficiency (although that's obv. not 100%). Most of my reading, and my one young pullet who had Marek's, could not curl her toes. She seemed to not be able to feel her foot at all. She was non weight bearing on one leg and after a couple days learned to pick her bad foot up and out of the way to hop but she was a very large bird and she had too much weight to be throwing it around on one leg.

I will say, though, that she was still happy to eat and drink the day I put her down. She wasn't feeding herself much because it was hard for her to get around, but she ate voraciously if I hand-fed her. I sent her to the state lab and they ruled caused of death as Marek's and she also tested positive for MS, though the pathologist's findings (lesions, growths, and suspected nerve impingement) were more consistent with Marek's.

I gave my bird 10 days to see what she was doing and if she might turn around. I had just had one be put down from tumors that I suspected were Marek's, so I kind of knew what was wrong. I'd say if your birds aren't turning around with vitamins and other supportive care, and they don't seem to have sprains or fractures, you might more seriously consider putting them down and having them tested.

 

[Hannah1994]

Thank you for all you help and advice everyone. I have the two birds isolated since they started limping, they are at different ages the original one at 4 months and the other at 7 months, the rest of my flock seems fine at the moment. I don't believe in vaccinating my flock as at the end of the day they are livestock and while they say the vaccination can help it is not 100% effective as there are so many strains of the disease. All my birds free range on 2 acres of land, though I have never had any vitamin deficiency problems in the last 9 years of keeping poultry on this land, though the chicken is question did have trouble hatching so maybe there is an issue with him. They are both still eating normally and no other issues apart from the limp. I will add a video of the one with curled toes.

 

[ChickNanny13]

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[Saaniya]

So I have a chicken who has gone lame, he started two days ago with a slight limp which then seem to develop to curled over toes. He is in quarantine, but another hen has started with similar symptoms. I am thinking this is Mareks disease! So do I need to cull the infected ones and then deep clean the sheds? My question is what else can I do, do I just have to wait until it runs its course? Does this sound marek's disease?

Not always mareks some vitamin deficiency mimic same like Marek
Curled-toe paralysis is caused by riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiency in young chicks. It is one of the most characteristic signs associated with the vitamin deficiency, resulting in the curling of the chicks toes.

 

[Saaniya]

I would not cull them at this point. If they were exposed to Mareks, then all may have been exposed at the same time. Have you added any new birds in the last weeks or months? How old are the birds who are showing symptoms? Could they have hurt the legs jumping off a roost or fence? Sprains are possible. How old are they?
You might start some vitamin B complex, or some poultry vitamin with riboflavin (not nutriDrench.)
Can you see any swelling or bruising of the leg or joints, or any scabs on the bottom of the foot pads?

Exactly! I agree

 

[ChickNanny13]

Not always mareks some vitamin deficiency mimic same like Marek
Curled-toe paralysis is caused by riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiency in young chicks. It is one of the most characteristic signs associated with the vitamin deficiency, resulting in the curling of the chicks toes.

My thought, OP states "I have never had any vitamin deficiency problems in the last 9 years of keeping poultry on this land" however manufactures do change feed ingredients & it could be parents lacking. Won't hurt to try