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

[realsis]

So sorry for your loss of wingman. Mareks is such a awful disease and I'm so sorry that your having to go through this. Let us know what the necropsy reveals. Again I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[casportpony]

Well, my sweet, 7-month-old, double-vaccinated roo (1st at hatch, second around 3 weeks) that I did everything in my power to keep healthy seems to have Marek's. It started about two weeks ago with a limp, and we had him to the vet for x-rays and all. We thought he had a soft tissue injury, as both my experience and the vet's experience did not read it as neurological. He had complete control of the foot and leg, and could do things such as scratch his face with it, etc. He just couldn't bear weight with it.
He had been seeming better, then this morning he can barely stand on either leg and is that horrible, familiar "flopping unsteady" mess....

He still eats like a pig and is otherwise bright, with good crop movement and droppings. I am wondering if the vaccine gave him protection against the lymphomatic tumors and he is just having leisons on his sciatic nerve? If so, I am not sure what to expect in terms of survivability. I have him on metacam, which is an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, just to help keep him comfortable.

My heart is breaking! What is it with my luck and sweet, gentle roosters? He is such a loved pet...

I'm so sorry

.

-Kathy

 

[ten chicks]

Nambroth,so very sorry to hear about your boy. Here is a link for some articles regarding Marek's vaccine,i found them very interesting. Possibly you may have already read articles.

www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1637/10356-091012-reg.1

 

[Nambroth]

Nambroth,so very sorry to hear about your boy. Here is a link for some articles regarding Marek's vaccine,i found them very interesting. Possibly you may have already read articles.

www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1637/10356-091012-reg.1

Thank you. I was not able to access the full article but the summary was interesting. Makes one wish that the HVT+SB-1 were both available and easier to administer on a home level. As it is we only used the standalone HVT vaccine as it's the only one we can get.

Interestingly, none of my original 6 birds (hatchery vaccinated with HVT only) have ever shown signs. The will be 3 years old this year.

I wonder if the cochin line I have is just more susceptible. So many factors come into play and it's all a big guessing game...

 

[ten chicks]

Were you able to access all subsequent articles,very informative?

 

[Nambroth]

Were you able to access all subsequent articles,very informative?

Ah! No... I had missed the references section. I see I have some reading to do tonight. Thank you!

 

[seminolewind]

Well, my sweet, 7-month-old, double-vaccinated roo (1st at hatch, second around 3 weeks) that I did everything in my power to keep healthy seems to have Marek's. It started about two weeks ago with a limp, and we had him to the vet for x-rays and all. We thought he had a soft tissue injury, as both my experience and the vet's experience did not read it as neurological. He had complete control of the foot and leg, and could do things such as scratch his face with it, etc. He just couldn't bear weight with it.
He had been seeming better, then this morning he can barely stand on either leg and is that horrible, familiar "flopping unsteady" mess....

He still eats like a pig and is otherwise bright, with good crop movement and droppings. I am wondering if the vaccine gave him protection against the lymphomatic tumors and he is just having leisons on his sciatic nerve? If so, I am not sure what to expect in terms of survivability. I have him on metacam, which is an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, just to help keep him comfortable.

My heart is breaking! What is it with my luck and sweet, gentle roosters? He is such a loved pet...

I know how you feel , I just lost 2 - eight month olds that died. One of them was my snuggle bunny. I also lost 2 vaccinated hens at 20 months old! They both wasted, and eventually got paralysis. The 2 hens were in a group , and the other 3 are fine. I now feel as tho there's virus in my house, clothing, hair. No way around it. I have a spare room this time and a can of Lysol spray. And M.Mc vaccinates with that triple strain vaccine.

 

[Nambroth]

If this guy dies, I think I have to take a break from new birds for a long time. Too heartbreaking. These cochins are just too dog-like, and are very dear to me.

I'd consider hatchery chicks but I only have room for a very few, don't know anyone local that would take the extras, and I really want a sweet cochin rooster! If I ended up with one that didn't work out.. Man, I don't know. I'd have to process him and that would be a different heartbreak. Plus, like you, my entire house is littered with virus. I have a small home, open ranch style, and I can't figure a way to isolate a room even if I managed to get it clean.

 

[casportpony]

Is there a feedstore near you that orders chicks? Maybe you could have them order a Cochin rooster for you with their next batch of chicks?

-Kathy

 

[schnebbles]

I'm sorry Jennifer. I lost both of my bantam cochins to it.

I wonder if it's just a small lesion if it could heal like people with MS. That would be nice.