Mereks? What do I do?

[Schmidt Hill Farm]

I think my flock has mereks. I’ve lost a 30 birds since May I had a necropsy done at the beginning and they said it was coccidia. So I went to the vet and they suggested amprolium, but my birds kept dying. My vet said to keep them on the maintenance dose for the rest of the summer. Now I’m getting emerald green poop from a couple of them which I know is a sign of Mereks, but they also eat a lot of green vegetables. I had another Necropsy done today, but I haven’t got the results back yet. My question is what do I do if it is Mereks? I Know that they could never leave here and that my yard will be infected for a long time after they are all gone, but do I cull all of them, or just the ones that are showing symptoms? Is there a way to control it? I don’t know what to do. I just know that I am really tired of losing birds and my heart can’t take much more. I’ve posted the results from the first necropsy. I didn’t even realize that I had these results in my email inbox until a couple of days ago. Also, I’ve only had one chicken with paralysis.

 

[Debbie292d]

So sorry for what you're going through. There are several here that have been there and may be there for years to come. The best thing you can do is learn from others how they dealt with it as nobody is the same, but you can feel better you're not alone.

Here is one very educational article about Marek's (there are several):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

And this is a thread my friend @2ndTink started to document her Marek's: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/big-bad-mareks.1607649/

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

Hello Were your chickens vaccinated for Mareks? Did you have chickens before these chickens that were vaccinated for Marek's? Can you show pictures of your coop and the places they are allowed to walk to?

 

[Schmidt Hill Farm]

Hello Were your chickens vaccinated for Mareks? Did you have chickens before these chickens that were vaccinated for Marek's? Can you show pictures of your coop and the places they are allowed to walk to?

None of them are vaccinated that I know of. I originally got six adult birds from a lady and then I got four adult silkies from a friend. Those are the only chickens that I have had that weren’t hatched here or didn’t come from a breeder or tractor supply. There is only a handful that came from a store so I don’t know if they were vaccinated or not. The ones that I hatched and the ones that came from breeders are not vaccinated. I can take pictures this afternoon when I get home from work. The adult birds free range during the day. And the younger birds stay in a pin until about 6 o’clock in the evening and then I let them out in the yard for exercise once all the adult birds are putting up. I do that Mainly because I have too many roosters and the older roosters like to attack the younger roosters.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

but do I cull all of them, or just the ones that are showing symptoms

That is a question we all have different answers to. Some keep them and just know that they cannot leave their property and that they can't restart the flock, some go scorched earth and try to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible to start again. Some switch to waterfowl because they do not have that worry.

I have done a combination. I am keeping a handful of chickens, and culling the rest, as well as any that show the symptoms. I am moving to waterfowl instead.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

None of them are vaccinated that I know of. I originally got six adult birds from a lady and then I got four adult silkies from a friend. Those are the only chickens that I have had that weren’t hatched here or didn’t come from a breeder or tractor supply. There is only a handful that came from a store so I don’t know if they were vaccinated or not. The ones that I hatched and the ones that came from breeders are not vaccinated. I can take pictures this afternoon when I get home from work. The adult birds free range during the day. And the younger birds stay in a pin until about 6 o’clock in the evening and then I let them out in the yard for exercise once all the adult birds are putting up. I do that Mainly because I have too many roosters and the older roosters like to attack the younger roosters.

Hello I am sorry this is happening. I asked AI about Mareks vaccination and it is disturbing. Please post the new necropsy results when you recieve them.

I'm posting a picture of what AI says about Mareks to one of my questions so you can see if this situation happened to you. Read the last paragraph. Scary. I will not introduce Mareks to my property through vaccinated baby chickens. Cackle hatchery says if there is no Mareks on your property, don't order vaccinated chickens because they will put Mareks on your property.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Hello I am sorry this is happening. I asked AI about Mareks vaccination and it is disturbing. Please post the new necropsy results when you recieve them.

I'm posting a picture of what AI says about Mareks to one of my questions so you can see if this situation happened to you. Read the last paragraph. Scary. I will not introduce Mareks to my property through vaccinated baby chickens. Cackle hatchery says if there is no Mareks on your property, don't order vaccinated chickens because they will put Mareks on your property.

View attachment 3893425

Vaccination uses the strain for turkeys. You can't introduce the virus by vaccinated birds unless they were exposed to sick birds. The vaccine doesn't make them sick

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

Vaccination uses the strain for turkeys. You can't introduce the virus by vaccinated birds unless they were exposed to sick birds. The vaccine doesn't make them sick

Hello I'm sorry for your bad experience with Marek's. In the future you might try never vaccinate your chickens for them to be safe.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

None of them are vaccinated that I know of. I originally got six adult birds from a lady and then I got four adult silkies from a friend. Those are the only chickens that I have had that weren’t hatched here or didn’t come from a breeder or tractor supply. There is only a handful that came from a store so I don’t know if they were vaccinated or not. The ones that I hatched and the ones that came from breeders are not vaccinated. I can take pictures this afternoon when I get home from work. The adult birds free range during the day. And the younger birds stay in a pin until about 6 o’clock in the evening and then I let them out in the yard for exercise once all the adult birds are putting up. I do that Mainly because I have too many roosters and the older roosters like to attack the younger roosters.

Hello I see your name Schmidt Hill Farm, do you raise other animals than chickens that could be causing these disease problems? Or are you only a chicken farm?

 

[Schmidt Hill Farm]

Hello I see your name Schmidt Hill Farm, do you raise other animals than chickens that could be causing these disease problems? Or are you only a chicken farm?

I only have chickens and ducks as livestock. I have cats, dogs, fish and bearded dragons. I don’t think these other animals are making them sick. My original came from a lady. They were adult birds and then I’ve got four adult silkies from a friend. The rest I either hatched here or bought chicks from local breeders. I did not know that bio security was a thing when I first got chickens so it could have come from me or from the older birds. Also, my neighbors have chickens. I don’t think they’ve ever been sick but they could have it also and being that they literally live about 2 acres away and our animals travel their property and mine chances are their chickens have it too.