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

[Cknldy]

I guess my images are going off to interspace because it does the whole waiting while embedding image then disappears!

 

[Cknldy]

Let's try this one-

 

[Cknldy]

There was supposed to be a second pic with the last post. Story- Flighty silkie chicks 5 weeks old today. Picked up each one for a once over since I recently put them for sale. (Yes, they are 2nd generation incorrect hatchery) Breast bone could be felt although they get free choice feed, and this on the neck wasn't there yesterday. Checked entire house/coop to make sure nothing to harm it. Didn't look like a puncture. Scabs, some bleeding, some nodules(?) Below scabbed area and slightly swollen in the whole bare area. One toe had blood on it so thought it scratched the feathers off itching. No lice, mites or anything like that. When first caught it up I heard raspy breathing- never heard a chicken breath before but this was strange sounding. Didn't do it again though. The others have no signs of anything amiss. No blood or feathers on their beaks, etc. Just wondering about the skin form of mareks because no other birds have been around these guys but was planning to put 28 other chicks in that coop after these are sold. (Pending examination, research-I won't sell a sick bird for the bad rep!)

 

[Cknldy]

I should note this one has been culled due to not finding an actual injury and it drooped within an hour of me holding it for inspection. Just spent quite a bit on rare and fancies so....

 

[Haunted55]

I guess i should add a few drops of the liquid tumeric I bought to their water. It's not real water soluble though.

Do you ever feed back some of their eggs? That's how I get mine into me or WalMart has capsules in the vitamin section, which is what I use, and it can be sprinkled onto their feed. Only other thing would be to mix it at whatever the dosing recommended on the bottle and dip pieces of bread or something into it and feed them that. Never heard of it in liquid form...may i ask where you found that?

 

[Nambroth]

Re: Tumeric....

It is unknown what the benefits of Tumeric (or, in this case, curcumin) are in avians, and this info is for humans, BUT of course in a Marek's bird it is generally understood that 'whatever goes' because they are often doomed anyhow....

It is generally understood that (in people) Tumeric is best when taken with black pepper...
http://www.naturalnews.com/027831_turmeric_piperine.html
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/turmeric-and-black-pepper-for-cancer.html

There are also suggestions that it should be taken with olive oil? http://csn.cancer.org/node/219876

Of course, this and all other things merits more research. Because Marek's is a viral cancer in origin (vs. an environmental, diet, or genetic related cancer) I don't know if tumeric would help since the curcumin seems to fight pre-cancerous cells instead of active cancerous cells such as those in a Marek's lymphomatic bird. It can't seem to hurt, though, as a general health aid! Again there is really no studies in avians that I have found, though. I have to run and get to some other things this morning, but I wanted to share this in case it was helpful...

 

[seminolewind]

Hi. I don't think it's a skin condition from Marek's. That's usually a tumor on each feather follicle. But I clicked on and enlarged the picture, and I can see what you're talking about. Did she have them all over her body?

 

[schnebbles]

Haunted - I got it at the healthfood store. It's extract so it's probably pretty potent. I think it is water soluble tho, so they are getting it in the water.

Jennifer -yes, it's best with the bioperine (pepper). That's what dr. Peter Brown said to give my mareks silkie in very large doses.

My chickens haven't laid an egg yet. I have 2 who should lay an egg soon, but since it's colder, I don't know when it might be.

 

[LilRedRoo]

If I can remember to do it when I get back from a detail, I have some Marek's pics I might post somewhere around here. They are not of the skin folicle type, but may give some insight as to what to look for internally during an "amatuer gross necropsy".

 

[Haunted55]

Haunted - I got it at the healthfood store. It's extract so it's probably pretty potent. I think it is water soluble tho, so they are getting it in the water.

Jennifer -yes, it's best with the bioperine (pepper). That's what dr. Peter Brown said to give my mareks silkie in very large doses.

My chickens haven't laid an egg yet. I have 2 who should lay an egg soon, but since it's colder, I don't know when it might be.

It's not the cold, rather the amount of daylight. This choice i will leave to you. I have red heat lamps in my buildings during the coldest part of the Winter. Even those will give them enough light to lay through the darkest nights.