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

[Akrnaf2]

The Marek's virus, I believe I have read does affect many avian species, but does not produce symptoms.  However, these species do  produce antibodies.  

This is interesting.

In my highschool biology level....

This is similar to how the smallpox vaccine developed.  Cowpox, milking maids etc.  Plus the idea that turkey litter or running with turkeys can help build immunity.  Sans the milk maid middle man.

I wish I was in a position to really research...

You must understand how the immune system work: the basic principal is that the immune system distinguish between self antigens(= proteins or glycoproteins that sticks out from the cell membrane ) and non self antigens. So for example if you drink a cup of milk you don't react immunology against it even that the milk protein is considerate as an non self antigen (=cow antigen) and that because the protein is disintegrated in the digestion process. But if you inject the milk directly to the blood
You will have a very intensive immune reaction against it! My point is that you can't say that because you have had an immune reaction the milk is an disease causing pathogen that now will affect outer people.The MDV will cause an immune response in almost any creature, including humans, if they have been exposed to it. But it will causes disease only in its target species, and this target species is chickens. There are of course pathogen that can skip in between non related species, like the Influenza virus that can skip from pigs or birds to humans or the Rabies virus that can infect almost al the mammals.

 

[lalaland]

If she is in the house where the other birds can't bother her, she'll probably be OK on her own. If she can get to food and water, she will eat if she wants to. If not, you can let nature take its course. We all want to do everything we can to save our birds, so I understand that. In the end, it is very draining on us. I went to extremes with tube feedings, antibiotics, supportive care, etc. and I've only managed to save one (she had an impacted crop so I'm not even certain it was Marek's to begin with).

thanks. I take it the stumbling drunk chicken(s) you mentioned earlier didnt make it either...I can let nature take its course if she is able to get to water and feed. I haven't seen this stumbly drunk kind of behavior, so don't know if she will be able to manuever where she wants to go.

My 88 year old mom wants me to bring the chicken to her apartment so she can care for it - I mentioned being worried about leaving the poor hen in a kennel for all day if the hen can't get to the water etc. Good thing would be it would give her something to focus on....bad thing is it is so sad to watch them die.

 

[ochochicas]

Quote: She was my sole surviving olive egger. I couldn't watch her suffer and I culled her after 3 days. She was declining rapidly. It was heartbreaking.

 

[ochochicas]

Yesterday I vaccinated 37 chicks - some of mine and some that belonged to a neighbor. 15 turkens, 9 silkies, 5 black copper marans and 8 easter eggers/production breeds. I love vaccinating the turkens since you can see what you are doing!

 

[seminolewind]

LOL, now there's a reason to like Turkens!

I have ten almost 5 week old silkies. One has not been eating enough for 3 weeks or so. She's not gained any weight, meanwhile the 9 others are huge compared to her.
Ocho, I know what you're saying about supportive care, I tube fed her for a while, but she still doesn't eat enough on her own. Do I just let nature take it's course or continue to feed.

One interesting thing. I vaccinated all 10 (hopefully). When this one silkie gets weak from not eating, she wing walks. Then I feed her and she walks fine. I just don't know. Maybe I should do nothing. It's just so hard.

 

[lalaland]

seminolewind, I'm sorry to hear about your silkie chick.

My little hen was not happy in the kennel. Not interested in eating or drinking this morning, I took her out this morning and put her on grass, she walked normally, headed for the run and spent some time grazing around the fence. I think she actually ate a small amount of grass/clover. After an hour she was desperate to get into the run. I let her in, and she headed for the exact same spot under the coop where she hung out yesterday. The coop is 20 foot long construction trailer, so its about 3 feet off the ground and the chickens hang out in the shade underneath it.

I've checked on her a couple of times. No one is harassing her, and I put a water dish near her. Of course everyone thought that was the best water and emptied it. so I've refilled it a couple of times. I have seen her drink. not eat.

I'm sticking with the corid for everyone, we will see but I'm not thinking this is looking good. She was so stressed from the kennel - lots of open beak breathing...and I don't want to make her miserable, especially since I doubt the outcome will change. She seems content for now.

 

[rebrascora]

My 2 Marek's girls are now fully integrated back into the flock and are up roosting with the others at night as well as free ranging. They both came and sat on my knee today and I trimmed their toe nails as they haven't been able to wear them down with being in the infirmary for months Of course they have relinquished it just 3 weeks after I needed it for a brooder.... typical! Having said that, I am absolutely delighted that they are well enough not to need it's security and the extra tlc
My chicks are 3 weeks old today and unfortunately all looking rather more pink in the comb than I would like, (I was far too lucky last year with my percentage of pullets, so the odds were probably stacked against me for this hatch) So far they are doing very well and are strong and healthy and they have integrated very smoothly into the flock during the day(even though the broody is bottom of the pecking order) At night I fasten them in a rabbit hutch where they have access to chick crumb. I suppose the Marek's virus is going to be less of an issue if they all turn out to be male because they will be destined for freezer camp anyway. The only cockerels I had that showed symptoms of Mareks have made full recoveries but they will all be culled for meat anyway, when I find time and psych myself up for it.

 

[ochochicas]

LOL, now there's a reason to like Turkens!

I have ten almost 5 week old silkies. One has not been eating enough for 3 weeks or so. She's not gained any weight, meanwhile the 9 others are huge compared to her.
Ocho, I know what you're saying about supportive care, I tube fed her for a while, but she still doesn't eat enough on her own. Do I just let nature take it's course or continue to feed.

One interesting thing. I vaccinated all 10 (hopefully). When this one silkie gets weak from not eating, she wing walks. Then I feed her and she walks fine. I just don't know. Maybe I should do nothing. It's just so hard.

Sorry to hear about your chick. I was wondering how the sick one was doing. Personally I think it is too young to have Marek's, especially given all the precautions you took to make sure they had a clean environment and that there would be no cross contamination with your flock. Perhaps that is something else wrong with it, or it has a depress immune system.

If the chick doesn't mind being tubed, I would probably continue. Most of my chickens fight me so badly when I tube them that the stress of doing it is worse than them not eating at all. It is a personal decision. Usually I give mine a certain amount of time (1 - 2 weeks ) to start eating and gaining weight, and then I cull.

I had two sick roosters that probably had Marek's. They were not raised with people and absolutely hated being handled. I had one in the house for 5 days that was half dead. He would not eat and would lay down comatose when I tried to feed him. I put him out in the quarantine coop with his brother and he immediately started eating. He made a recovery just to become so aggressive towards me that I had to cull him. HIs brother also made a full recovery, just to die suddenly about two months later. So much for my breeding plans...sigh.

 

[kayakfish]

Cull all marecks birds.They are shedding live virus.Most likely infected during first month of life and symptoms appear at about 6 months.Hold off on chicks for awhile.After all birds are well past the age symptoms appear then think about chicks.Keep them away from your flock so they do not get infected.Said to be spread by dander from infected birds.After chicks are 2 months or so old it is said they can not be infected.This is from memory.A sure fire way is skip chicks for one year.All carriers are dead by then and no virus should have survived that long without a host.

I am sorry but some of the information here on the Merecks is incorrect the virus usually shows its ugly head when chicks are between 6 weeks, and 8 weeks of age if not before when chickens reach 6 months they are mature birds and are no longer at risk for the virus, per the DEPT of Agriculture Merecks specialist in VA. That said they can leave behind the virus for up to 6 months, after chickens have had the virus in that area. Only thoroughly disinfecting everything can clean out the virus.
Vaccinate everything then the only risk you have are the young birds getting the virus and shedding it off to others but if they are adult birds around the shedding there is no worries to getting the virus unless their immune systems are already compromised.

 

[lalaland]

I am sorry but some of the information here on the Merecks is incorrect the virus usually shows its ugly head when chicks are between 6 weeks, and 8 weeks of age if not before when chickens reach 6 months they are mature birds and are no longer at risk for the virus, per the DEPT of Agriculture Merecks specialist in VA. That said they can leave behind the virus for up to 6 months, after chickens have had the virus in that area. Only thoroughly disinfecting everything can clean out the virus.
Vaccinate everything then the only risk you have are the young birds getting the virus and shedding it off to others but if they are adult birds around the shedding there is no worries to getting the virus unless their immune systems are already compromised.

there are lots of opinions and contradictory information out there.

I've heard the virus survives years....not months. And my first path lab confirmed mareks via necropsy was a nearly 6 month old rooster who showed absolutely no signs before leg paralysis - was bright as a button even then. And my hen who is ill today, showing typical mareks is 11 months old. first time she has been sick that I've been able to tell.

I don't think there are many absolutes with mareks - plus if I understand it right, it is a virus which mutates, or can mutate, and there are multiple strains of it.

I agree 100% that vaccinating for mareks is well worth it!