My Rooster is not walking well..

[TweeTea]

Twee Tea, that's a good reply. I agree that you should assume that every chicken has it. Marek's has so many symptoms aside from what's written, it's so hard to determine if its Marek's or not. A good flock history can help as well.

I've also had 2 adults about 2 years old die from it. Unusual, but it does happen. And they both lost the use of their legs, opaque eye, wasting, loss of wing function and neck function. And they both did the one leg forward one leg back. These are classic symptoms, there are many more symptoms that they can have.

Indeed, I read through your links such a horrible affliction. One of our girls has been a little out of sorts for about 6 months and my husband asked if I was worried that it could be Mareks, I told him I was fairly confident they were old enough to be past that but I guess it may still be a possibility. I might go have another look at her with the additional symptoms from your list in mind.

 

[casportpony]

Indeed, I read through your links such a horrible affliction. One of our girls has been a little out of sorts for about 6 months and my husband asked if I was worried that it could be Mareks, I told him I was fairly confident they were old enough to be past that but I guess it may still be a possibility. I might go have another look at her with the additional symptoms from your list in mind.

If my avian pathologist saw this he would SCREAM! He says that the Marek's age thing a an old wives tale and that he has a hard time explaining the to his fellow veterinary professional friends and colleagues. Marek's affects birds of all ages!

 

[casportpony]

Read this necropsy report. I'll tell you now that the results came back and Merek's was the cause of death.

 

[seminolewind]

Casportpony, I soooo thankyou for posting this necropsy. It teaches so many people about symptoms and Marek's. I would guess that up until 11/11. She most likely went months without symptoms, therefore you never saw it. Some of your symptoms- people would never guess that it was Marek's- because they're not the symptoms people read about in books.

It also looks like Marek's wiped out her immune system and she got other opportunistic bacteria affecting her as well.

What a sad thing. But it's not the end of the world. You will have to vaccinate any hatchlings day one or get vaccinated chicks from a hatchery, then quantine them for 2-10 weeks, the longer the better. I have a mini coop on my patio for only "clean" birds growing out. Out of 18 vaccinated chicks, I have 13 mixed in and almost a year old, 5 died from opportunistic ailments that took them fast.

Again, I'm very sorry.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
I will have to look but there is a member who has a blog that you can add your Marek's chicken to and the symptoms. I think that list is so important.

 

[casportpony]

Casportpony, I soooo thankyou for posting this necropsy. It teaches so many people about symptoms and Marek's. I would guess that up until 11/11. She most likely went months without symptoms, therefore you never saw it. Some of your symptoms- people would never guess that it was Marek's- because they're not the symptoms people read about in books.

It also looks like Marek's wiped out her immune system and she got other opportunistic bacteria affecting her as well.

What a sad thing. But it's not the end of the world. You will have to vaccinate any hatchlings day one or get vaccinated chicks from a hatchery, then quantine them for 2-10 weeks, the longer the better. I have a mini coop on my patio for only "clean" birds growing out. Out of 18 vaccinated chicks, I have 13 mixed in and almost a year old, 5 died from opportunistic ailments that took them fast.

Again, I'm very sorry.

I'm still waiting on the final report, but will post that when I get it.

 

[seminolewind]

Here's the link
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mareks-disease-fact-site

You can hit "edit" and go down to Part V and add whatever symptoms your chicken had.