Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[Haunted55]

wow! That is the longest coherant thought line I've had in a while....must be getting better, lol.

 

[schnebbles]

so good to have you back (even if not full time)!

I am keeping super b in their water along with the regular vitamin/electrolyte I have. All the time, it's going to be regular for them.

I guess I need to go ahead and do the vaccines. I was afraid that if they already (well since they already...) have been exposed to it, could it make it worse. I know Peter Brown said to use it. I spent the $50 to get it here so I need to get on that.

It makes me sad at the young ages mine have all died too. I know mine are older than some (seminole), but gosh, just a short life for them. I read so much and have tried to make sure they are safe etc, to have that happen just makes me sad. I remember seeing mareks but kind of thought, no, that won't happen to me with only a few chickens. so, I guess flock size doesn't matter and I'll never know where it came from.

Just rambling here I guess, but each time I pick them up and they are ok, I hope it's not the last time. It's so good to have found this place (I lurked her a long time before I got chickens), where people can understand at least.

 

[seminolewind]

I think my Penelope had tumors inside affecting her organs vs paralysis. I go catch each of my 5 and give them kisses pretty much daily now. It's so sickening to see them all healthy and know what could happen.

I still haven't vaccinated them. I don't know if I should or not. I have the vaccine. what would you guys do?

sorry about your boy
This thread seriously depresses me when I read it.

Well, if you vaccinate and they have been exposed, you've not changed anything. If they have not been exposed, it would be good. So that's the decision.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:

Haunted , You're right. Mine have a happy life until. I guess that's a lot more than most chickens get.
I hope you're feeling better and can come chat!

 

[seminolewind]

so good to have you back (even if not full time)!

I am keeping super b in their water along with the regular vitamin/electrolyte I have. All the time, it's going to be regular for them.

I guess I need to go ahead and do the vaccines. I was afraid that if they already (well since they already...) have been exposed to it, could it make it worse. I know Peter Brown said to use it. I spent the $50 to get it here so I need to get on that.

It makes me sad at the young ages mine have all died too. I know mine are older than some (seminole), but gosh, just a short life for them. I read so much and have tried to make sure they are safe etc, to have that happen just makes me sad. I remember seeing mareks but kind of thought, no, that won't happen to me with only a few chickens. so, I guess flock size doesn't matter and I'll never know where it came from.

Just rambling here I guess, but each time I pick them up and they are ok, I hope it's not the last time. It's so good to have found this place (I lurked her a long time before I got chickens), where people can understand at least.

The vaccine won't do any harm. If it's got a far off expiration date, you may want to hold on to it.
Marek's has devastated us all. We all raise our chickens in the best way we can, and something comes along that we never saw it coming.

 

[Haunted55]

so good to have you back (even if not full time)!

I am keeping super b in their water along with the regular vitamin/electrolyte I have. All the time, it's going to be regular for them.

I guess I need to go ahead and do the vaccines. I was afraid that if they already (well since they already...) have been exposed to it, could it make it worse. I know Peter Brown said to use it. I spent the $50 to get it here so I need to get on that.

It makes me sad at the young ages mine have all died too. I know mine are older than some (seminole), but gosh, just a short life for them. I read so much and have tried to make sure they are safe etc, to have that happen just makes me sad. I remember seeing mareks but kind of thought, no, that won't happen to me with only a few chickens. so, I guess flock size doesn't matter and I'll never know where it came from.

Just rambling here I guess, but each time I pick them up and they are ok, I hope it's not the last time. It's so good to have found this place (I lurked her a long time before I got chickens), where people can understand at least.

Rambling is good. It's your head's way of sorting things out and sometimes you can find the answer this way. I know I do it as well. Marek's is devastating. No two ways about it. It hits our birds and takes their lives away. It hits us with confusion, anger and makes us feel inadequate. Like I said, a miserable disease.

 

[BigECarter]

My chicks are two weeks old today, and it is getting to be time to think about how to expose them to the virus.

First step - maybe today - is to bring them some treats from the yard - maybe dig up some clover from an area my chickens rarely go.

But then what? I think the chicks will outgrow their crate by next weekend. I would like to start the coop transition next week by moving their crate into the coop. But that is going to be a megadose of the virus.

How should I go about this?

 

[mags2009]

I think I have Mareks in my flock. I have lost 6 chickens since July. 4 all had a form of paralysis, either a foot, or leg or both legs. Yesterday I noticed two more were sick. A three year old Silkie, just seems to be losing weight and keeping to herself, and today a 7 month old EE that was to herself, just standing and drooling. I noticed yesterday that the Silkie was drooling also. Is this another symptom of Mareks? I put the EE down today because she was really bad, but the Silkie seems to have rallied since yesterday. I am going to have the EE tested. Both chickens were vaccinated against Mareks as were the ones that died before them.
I am devastated. I don't know what this could be besides Mareks, and if it is Mareks, I pretty much have to be donw having chickens right? Because even if they are vaccinated its not a guarantee? Even if I start over?
How would chickens ever survive in the world if there was no vaccination? I'm just very curious.... Please help me understand what to do next if this truly is Mareks.
THank you
Kerry

 

[BigECarter]

Hi Kerry. Sorry to hear that you are possibly joining our club. Definitely get the EE necropsied - make sure that she is refrigerated, not frozen.

Could you tell us about how your chickens were vaccinated? Mine also were, but from a local breeder - so... Either not actually vaccinated, or the vaccination was improperly handled (expired or whatever), or mine didn't die of Marek's (necropsy says probable Marek's), or I am dealing with a resistant form of Marek's.

Nambroth wrote an excellent article on Marek's. I think it is in her signature, first post on this page, or it's linked on the previous page of this thread (I'm on my phone so don't see signatures).

The most common vaccine is the one derived from the turkey version of Marek's - close enough to the chicken form that the chick's immune system learns for it, but not a form that will make them sick. There are other Marek's vaccines that are more effective, but require keeping in a deep nitrogen freeze. Those are hard to come by - I have chicks in the brooder with this vaccine, ordered from Murray McMurray. They also had the cocci vaccine as Marek's birds are more susceptible to coccidiosis and the vaccine is a better protection than the medicated feed. I am hoping that these chicks will be able to deal with whatever strain of Marek's I have.

Thankfully my survivors are doing well. It was no fun losing a bird every week or two.

E

 

[Nambroth]

I think I have Mareks in my flock. I have lost 6 chickens since July. 4 all had a form of paralysis, either a foot, or leg or both legs. Yesterday I noticed two more were sick. A three year old Silkie, just seems to be losing weight and keeping to herself, and today a 7 month old EE that was to herself, just standing and drooling. I noticed yesterday that the Silkie was drooling also. Is this another symptom of Mareks? I put the EE down today because she was really bad, but the Silkie seems to have rallied since yesterday. I am going to have the EE tested. Both chickens were vaccinated against Mareks as were the ones that died before them.
I am devastated. I don't know what this could be besides Mareks, and if it is Mareks, I pretty much have to be donw having chickens right? Because even if they are vaccinated its not a guarantee? Even if I start over?
How would chickens ever survive in the world if there was no vaccination? I'm just very curious.... Please help me understand what to do next if this truly is Mareks.
THank you
Kerry

Some of your questions I have answered in my article (linked in my signature below). I have not seen nor heard of drooling as a sign of Marek's, but it's entirely possible that Marek's is weakening their immune systems and you have Marek's plus a secondary problem (respiratory virus??). I hope your EE being tested will help give you some answers.

There is life after Marek's but it just requires a lot more careful management, and the willingness to accept some possible losses.