Need some encouragement please

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm very sorry to hear about Emily.

You did very well taking care of her. I hope you will be able to get some answers from the testing. Thank you for sharing what you have found out so far.

 

[Jcat6419]

So very sorry. It takes such bravery and kindness to make that choice and in this case, it was the right thing to do, although I know it feels horrible and wrong. That's how love is, sadly. RIP dear Emily.

 

[Kiki]

Well I sadly inform all of you that Emily has been put down at the UK Vet Diagnostic Center. Her mass didn't improve and she never really stopped limping. She was slowly losing her appetite and was just standing or laying around all day. My wife and I decided it was time.
A Necropsy was conducted. Preliminary finding showed only the mass on her back. Multiple test have been sent off and slides of the mass are still all to be studied. We should hear on some of it by Wed. and the rest with in 10 days.
Only test they reported on instantly was a fecal sample that showed no parasites.
Now we wait. Today was horribly hard for me and it was an hour and a half drive with her to get her there.
SAD, SAD DAY!
Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. They were appreciated!

 

[Engine823]

Here Is the final report of Emily's Necropsy. I believe to understand it that she either had Marek's Disease or Avian Leukosis.
It reads like a dictionary and is way over my head. Can you all make anything else out of it??

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Here Is the final report of Emily's Necropsy. I believe to understand it that she either had Marek's Disease or Avian Leukosis.
It reads like a dictionary and is way over my head. Can you all make anything else out of it??

I know you tried very hard to save Emily. I'm sorry it didn't work out. Here is some reading on Avian Leukosis Virus, Lympho proliferative disease (lymphoma) and Mareks.

https://www.backyardchickencoops.co...he-Avian-Leukosis-Virus-And-Lymphoid-Leukosis
https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2005/spring/mareks.htm

There's good info on the spread of the virus in the 2nd article.

MDV can be transmitted by direct and indirect contact between birds. Transmission is primarily by airborne route as the virus is shed in epithelial cells of the feather follicle, dander, chicken house dust, feces and saliva. The virus has a long survival time in dander since viable virus has been isolated from houses that have been depopulated for many months. (Historically, prior to vaccine availability, control in broilers was based upon early brooding exposure to used broiler litter and dander, marketing survivors versus poorer results with the thoroughly cleaned and disinfected brooder houses). Transmission by egg has no significance (i.e., chicken hatched and reared in isolation will be free of MDV.

 

[micstrachan]

I am so very sorry for your loss. Emily was well loved!!!

 

[Jcat6419]

Have you spoken to the UK lab case coordinator or the vet at Clays Mill since receiving the report? In the past I've called the lab when I needed clarification on test results and they have been very helpful. A quick look at the links provided by Crooked Chicken shows both conditions are caused by viruses that can be transmitted to other flock members. I would definitely talk to one of the vets for guidance about this. I'm sure more knowledgeable BYCers will offer advice too. I am so sorry this happened to you/Emily.

 

[Engine823]

Have you spoken to the UK lab case coordinator or the vet at Clays Mill since receiving the report? In the past I've called the lab when I needed clarification on test results and they have been very helpful. A quick look at the links provided by Crooked Chicken shows both conditions are caused by viruses that can be transmitted to other flock members. I would definitely talk to one of the vets for guidance about this. I'm sure more knowledgeable BYCers will offer advice too. I am so sorry this happened to you/Emily.

I have not contacted them yet but I just received it this afternoon and I have been gone all day. I did share the news with a nearby neighbor, who recently lost a hen as well. Told him what to look for and to watch his other chickens close. We both are the neatest and cleanest chicken keepers around, but I guess the disease doesn't care.
I plan on doing a super cleaning of the coops tomorrow and all feeders and water bowls. Plan on using clorox 10% solution and soap. I realize my other hens have been infected already I'm sure but if I didn't try to sanitize everything I don't believe I would be doing right for the other hens

 

[rebrascora]

Well at least it confirms that you did the right thing in having her put to sleep. I hope that is some comfort to you. I'm no expert but the way I read it, she was riddled with tumours in lungs liver and spleen as well as that mass on her back and her breast muscle tissue was also turning necrotic. Poor girl!
I'm not sure they can tell the difference between Marek's and Avian Leukosis without further expensive testing and I don't think you would gain much in knowing which it is.
I have no experience with Avian Leukosis but two birds exhibiting lameness together with one of them having a necropsy report of internal tumours consistent with those 2 diseases would probably indicate it is Marek's. Certainly that is the more common of the two. Sadly the virus has little or no respect for cleanliness, so do not feel it is a reflection on you. Infected dander dust can be carried on the wind or clothes/skin and hair from an infected bird to yours or via an infected bird, which may appear perfectly healthy and come from a respected breeder.
Hopefully your other birds will have some resistance to it, so don't feel that it is necessarily a death sentence for the whole flock. It might be worth using a vacuum cleaner to suck all the finer dust out of the coop as that is the stuff that is likely to become air bourne and infect other birds via inhalation. And then disinfect it after that.

On a positive note, the faecal exam shows no internal parasites (worms) or worm eggs, so that is a good thing.

 

[Engine823]

Ok all scrubbing of the coop and all feeders and waters on the property finished. I used bleach and soap hot water and scrubbed everything. I then rinsed everything good. I used Odoban on the floors. Read somewhere that would kill merak's virus.
They may have been already exposed but I had to try and clean everything super good. At least in my mind that has to help keep my other hens safer.
And on another note the chooks are happy I repainted their co-op ladder!