Moving on from Marek's

[Hunter44]

One of my hens has contracted Marek's and is in such horrible condition I see no other solution other than to put her down. That being said, she lived with three other hens in a roomy, but still confined, coop. What are some precautions I should take to make sure my other hens do not go through this horrible ordeal? How should I move on from this incident to keep my hens in good health? Any responses greatly appreciated.

 

[GuppyTJ]

Hunter,

So sorry to hear this, this must be terrible to watch.

Can you give a little more information? How do you know it is Marek's? Do you know how your chicken contracted it? How old are your hens? Was the sick hen with the other 3 in the coop after symptoms developed and if so, for how long? Or did you quarantine your sick hen immediately?

Here's some info that may help and you can of course, do an internet search on Marek's to get more details. Marek's is highly contagious and can live in the litter for years as the virus is shed in the dander from the feather follicles. There are 6 different Marek's viruses causing cell mutations (tumors) in various parts of the chicken's body. I know I've written this elsewhere but The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow is an excellent resource for all things chicken health related. This book doesn't say exactly what to do to try to avoid your other 3 hens from getting Marek's. It does explain that Marek's is common and present in many chickens in a dormant form but that it's brought on by stresses that weaken the immune system. Anything you can do to improve the resistance of your 3 hens (no stress, probiotics, balanced diet, not too hot, not too cold) can't hurt. Marek's is prevented (assuming you didn't vaccinate them for it when they're just hatched) by practicing good sanitation and having proper ventilation in the coop. Also, the incubation period is 2 weeks so I believe if your other 3 hens will contract it, it will be within that time frame.

Hope this helps and let us know how it goes. Always interested to learn from others, even if it's about things as unpleasant as this is.
Guppy

 

[Hunter44]

Guppy,

The symptoms were undoubtedly that of Marek's...legs extended straight outward as if paralyzed, inability to walk, severe shaking, etc. I'm not entirely sure how my hen contracted the disease; she was perfectly healthy only two days ago, but I've heard it may be spread through dust and dander outdoors. All four of my hens are/were a little over one year old. The sick hen was with the others in the coop for about one day after I noticed the initial symptoms, but once I realized the symptoms had progressed severely, I immediately quarantined her. I will definitely check out that literature you recommended, and I really appreciate your help. I plan on keeping a close eye on my other three hens throughout the next couple of weeks. I know that the disease is highly contagious, but does not make all chickens sick. I can only hope for the best at this point.

 

[GuppyTJ]

Sounds like the best you can do. Also, I'd change out all the litter in their coop/run. Try to get as much of the feather dander up and out of where your 3 hens are.

Regarding the paralysis of the legs, my book says that with Marek's, the paralysis symptom is pretty specific. "When both legs are paralyzed, one points forward and the other points back under the body." Not sure if this helps but thought I'd add it here.

Do you have a county extension office where you live? I've found mine to be really helpful, telling me what's common in my area, helping me diagnose issues, giving me ideas for remediation/prevention, etc. Mine also does necropsies (autopsies on animals), taking 3 birds max for a $30 fee. I've not taken advantage of this necropsy service but at least I know it's an option.

Good luck. Please let us know what ends up happening with your remaining 3. So often, we get the beginning of an illness but never learn the final outcome. It's hard to learn what's really going on without having the end of the story.

Guppy

 

[realsis]

I'm giving this post a bump to help move it to the top so more people can see it and hopefully help. Also wishing you the best! You should get some more answers I'm hoping. So bump so this will go to the top of the messages. I feel its important. Good luck to you and God bless.

 

[Nambroth]

Hi there! First, this is a good thread to start with: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/793176/so-you-think-you-have-mareks

You may or may not have Marek's. It's really hard to say at this point. You are doing right by quarantining her and you should be careful if you visit anyone else with chickens in case you do have Marek's on your property, but at this point it is important to consider alternatives.
There is no cure for Marek's, but there ARE cures for other things that might be ailing her. If you'd like to try to save her, I'd recommend trying to determine if something else might be wrong, first, and treating that way.

Were any of your chickens vaccinated against Marek's disease as day-old chicks? The vaccine is a resistance booster, not a cure, so it's only about 80-90% effective, but it sure can help.

If your girl does pass, please consider a necropsy so that you can understand where to go from there. If you do have Marek's, you must consider all of your other birds infected. If they never show symptoms, they have built resistance/immunity but may well carry and shed the virus forever. It's important to know this in case you ever get new birds, and also so that you do not accidentally spread the virus.

Take a deep breath, first, though, and explore the alternatives to see if maybe it is something less! It could be.

 

[Hunter44]

Unfortunately, she passed shortly after this post. Luckily, my other three hens are running playfully in the yard as I type this. I've been watching them very carefully for the last few days, and none of them appear to be showing any signs of poor health. I know it may take a while for the disease to incubate, so for now all I am doing is keeping a very close eye on them and keeping my fingers crossed. I doubt they will come into contact with any other birds in the future, but I will make sure that if they do, proper precautions are taken such as vaccinations etc. I really do appreciate all of your help and kind words.

 

[realsis]

I'm so sorry for your loss! I do hope the rest of your flock remains healthy! I'm sorry you had to go through this!

 

[Nambroth]

I'm so sorry you lost her. If you can, a necropsy will give you peace of mind and a game plan for your future birds. If you do want to necropsy or test, put your passed hen under refrigeration, but do not freeze her, until you can get her out for testing (which should be done as soon as possible).

 

[Hunter44]

Well, it's been just over a week now and my other three hens still seem completely healthy. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed, but it looks promising that the other three will remain healthy. Thanks again for the help!