Moving Forward- Breeding for Resistance to Marek's Disease

[tridentk9]

I sent Fern for a necropsy, here's the preliminary;

Purpose of Test Diagnostic-Necropsy 

Animal Information Chicken ; AVIAN - Chicken; Female; 5 Years  


History Printed Suspected Marek's virus.  Hen wasted and had paralysis + lethargic.  Tx with safeguard wormer & sulfadimethoxine, Baytril.  Euthanized my giving 30ml vodka and Ax.    


Pending Tests Test: Virology Virus isolation avian system  Number of specimens in which test results are pending: 1 Test: Molecular Biology Avian Influenza Matrix RRT-PCR  Number of specimens in which test results are pending: 1 Test: Molecular Biology Avian Paramyxovirus-1 (APMV-1) Matrix RRT-PCR  Number of specimens in which test results are pending: 1 Test: Histopathology Microscopic Examination  Number of specimens in which test results are pending: 1 


Lab Findings 

Necropsy  Specimen Test Name   Chicken - AVIAN - Chicken - Female - 5 Years    Animal-Dead - 1   Gross Exam Poultry (N.GEP)   The body of a 5-year-old, Barred Rock chicken is submitted for standard necropsy on October 7, 2014.  The chicken is in fair body condition with diffusely decreased subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue.  Autolysis is mild. 


The subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue is diffusely bright yellow.  The lungs are diffusely mottled pink to dark red and are slightly rubbery.  The liver is diffusely, massively enlarged, firm, and tan to yellow.  The spleen is diffusely, mildly enlarged.  The mucosa of the small intestine is multifocally red. 

Icterus.

Page 1 of 2 - Preliminary (10/8/2014)

 

                      -  Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory  -  Accession No: K1410399                                       

Necropsy  Specimen Test Name Lungs: congestion, diffuse, mild, acute. Liver: hepatopathy, diffuse, marked, chronic. Spleen: splenomegaly, diffuse, mild, chronic. Small intestine: enteritis, multifocal, mild, acute.  


I guess she doesn't have any tumors, so far.
So far looks like liver failure and enteritis.
Thoughts?

Not enough information yet- but here's a thought- another herpes virus?

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/12/big-liver-and-spleen-disease

http://poultrydiseases.net/online/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=175&Itemid=54

http://poultrydiseases.net/online/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=52

 

[speckledhen]

The Univ of KY vet said they'd seen about 15 cases of Spotty Liver Disease in the last month, though almost none in the last 15 years. It's on the increase, but NOT caused by a virus. It's caused by a bacteria, though which one is up for debate. Here are the links on that one. The symptoms fit my first hen, or seemed to to me, and I was researching it, then the second one was ill three months later.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/27/12/2010/124885/spotty-liver-on-the-increase.htm

http://www.octagon-services.co.uk/articles/poultry/avh.htm


http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/31/10...pleen-disease-present-in-uk-poultry-flock.htm

This last link says this at the beginning:
Quote:

down, Spotty Liver up and the discovery of the virus that causes Big Liver and Spleen Disease.

 

[seminolewind]

Trident, very interesting reading!

This year, I've had:

1 had gasping at rest for 3 years, otherwise fine. Died. 6 yrs old
1 died, necropsy showed aspergillosis and liver failure. 6 years old
1 died necropsy showed capillaria and enteritis caused bycapillaria and cocci 5 years old
1 died wasting and multiple bumble foot, had heavy case of dry pox a few months before euthanized 3-4 years old
1 egg yolk peritonitis, also gasped at rest 7 years old
1 recently flipped over and died, perfectly picture healthy , good stool and sex drive 3 years old
1 most recent , necropsy, prelim jaundice, large liver and entiritis. Waiting for more results. 5 years old

4 lived together, free range, penned at night'
1 different pen
1 different pen
1 different pen

Can't find a common thread or near common thread except for being older birds, suspected Marek's that has been negative so far.

As chickens age, when they die of "old age natural causes" I imagine something fails? Chickens are such a puzzle.

 

[gjensen]

I apologize; I realize that my response above looks as if I am suggesting natural sunlight/UV exposure might be harmful. I also think that sunlight is beneficial, not only in its cleaning properties, but also for the general health and wellbeing of chickens and people alike. I was only trying to learn if intense UV radiation could help clean a poultry house of Marek's virus or not (and I couldn't find an answer). Again, my apologies.

The miscommunication is mine. I only used your post to introduce my thoughts on the matter. I did not make that clear.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Well I had one who died of capillaria eating holes in her intestine and cocci infection moving in and she died. She was wormed, but never for capillaria

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Yes, it happens to even chickens, the "old age disease". Big old Amanda is crippled now, but it's been coming on for two years, becoming progressively worse-she's almost eight yrs old now, a Barred Rock hen out of hatchery parents. She has old age arthritis. I see it in her same age sister's gnarly feet, but Becca isn't showing signs of it being in her hock joint like Amanda. Lexie, my first BR hen, had gnarly feet as well when she was five years old, always flexing them and her legs.

Karen, Gypsy is showing arthritis signs. If she sits for a long time, she limps for a minute or two when she gets up, but she's only done that this year and she's turning seven years old in November. My hatchery Buff Brahma, Caroline, has pendulous crop that has become progressively worse over the past two years. She will turn eight years old in January. So, they do have old age issues just like humans that are not necessarily related to contagious disease. She laid three eggs at the beginning of the year, but I do believe that's over for her now, no signs of disease with her, either.

 

[speckledhen]

Well I had one who died of capillaria eating holes in her intestine and cocci infection moving in and she died. She was wormed, but never for capillaria

Invermectin should kill capillaria, which is just a genus of roundworm. I think they're called hair worms. My hen who died had capillaria and tapeworms, but she had been wormed three months prior; I've only used Invermectin for the last few years because it was easy and kills lice/mites (never saw any, but...) and didn't change wormers as I should. I'm doing that now, though.

My hen ate worms like crazy when many of my birds won't touch them.

 

[seminolewind]

I read that capillaria are carried by roundworms. But I can't even figure out where she got them from , no scratch that. I planted 6 bushes in the pen 2 years ago with aged horse manure. I do have to say that when I did worm it was only one dose twice a year of safeguard.

My interim came back on Fern, she had no worms or worm eggs. But I have to say she had been given safeguard starting a month ago and got 5 sporadic doses.

Enteritis can be caused by cocci or bacteria and be in different areas of the small intestine. I wonder if it's something that can be spread or it's just sporatic. I wonder if I can treat the ground for it. I've already moved the chickens out of the silkie pen. Fern was never in there.

I still use Sevin and that wipes out all the externals. With leg mites, Vaseline and a sprinkle of Sevin seems to work real well.

Gypsy is a good girl, I know she'll get TLC.
Caroline must have offspring all over the US, LOL

 

[dawg53]

Ivermectin is ineffective against cecal and capillary worms. Large roundworms have built resistant to it as well. I quit using it. Capillary worms are a type of roundworm, often called hair or thread worms.

 

[gjensen]

I do worm semi regularly, but I have only been worming before a move in the rotation.

I worm pullets (and the cockerels) before they go into lay. Then a I worm when they molt and are not laying productively anyways. Otherwise I expect them to keep good condition.

It as much about managing the ground they are on as much as it is managing the birds themselves.

When we talk about resistance, there is different levels of tolerance to parasites to. I would expect my birds to have some tolerance to parasites, but not a heavy burden. No bird is bulletproof.