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

[schnebbles]

he was gone before I got home. I do just assume it's mareks. Although now that you've mentioned it, my last 3 have died very fast, no paralysis. my husband buried him so I didn't have to see him, I feel like I couldn't take that. I was gone all week so I don't know for sure but I think he was just starting to feel bad on Sunday. He was still up on the deck like he liked to do. I'm done with chickens, I have my 4 and no more. They make me happy but this is too much. I just know my silkie roo who is my sweet boy will be next. he's not vaccinated. I'm depressed.

 

[seminolewind]

Maybe he'll be fine. I had 2 silkie roos and a hen. One of the roos was the first Marek's victim. The other one is here and 6 years old. And the hen I have is the offspring of "Typhoid Mary" and this roo. I wish she'd lay some fertile eggs.

 

[schnebbles]

I better change my avatar, that makes me sad. I hope silkie roo is ok.

 

[hd_darcy]

I'm hoping it's okay to post in this thread? I have a roo who is ill / needs help, and I'm very suspicious it's Mareks. He seemed to have went from fine one day to curling his toes on one side and not being able to use that leg. I have him separated now, and am giving him polyvisol. Would b12 be better to give him? Anything else I should do? I just picked up some electrolyte packages for him too. Are there any specific foods that I could give him in an attempt to help? I'm not sure if it's a deficiency or Marek's. UGH.. of course praying it's a deficiency, but we have lost a few over a long time span like this, so I'm fearful it is Marek's. Thank you for any and all insight you may have!

 

[Haunted55]

It's very okay to post here. I would suggest you stop the poly and switch to a human Super B Complex vitamin, crushed and added to a gallon of water. You can keep it in your fridge for 24 hrs. if you don't need all of it at once. Only water source available to the bird for a week to 10 days.

Now pics of the bird would be very helpful. Anything else you can tell us as well. Diet, treats, anything that is a normal part of the bird's diet or meds., plus anything that may be a once in a while or one time thing. This is a puzzle and the more pieces we have to work with, the better the chance to figure it out.

 

[Chickie Baby]

I've lost 2 birds so far... I had one other that started showing signs of the leg paralysis and I became very motherly to this buff. I began picking her up several times per day and massaging her leg, as is a pretty deep massage where the nerve runs in the leg. I did this for about 4-5 days and she was back to normal. I loved on her and scratched her ears and babied her like she was one of my own. Now, I have no idea if what I was doing was helping my sweetie, but she was back to her old self again after the 4-5 days of pampering. I have an EE cockerel, that I cannot catch, that started showing a small limp. It has been about 2 weeks and he has a slight weakness, but seems much better. So, I couldn't do anything with him, he seemed to pull through on his own.

Now, I have a pullet that's about 14 weeks old. She got VERY stressed out because I have a Roo that is new to "Rooing" and he used her as his main target. I saw him one day on her and she got up with a slight limp. Thought he had hurt her initially and this could be what's going on... but since then, she's much worse as the days pass. I separated her and began massaging her leg as I did with my buff. She's actually looking "drunk" when she walks and does the typical Mereks leg spred from time to time. Eats and drinks fine.

Has anyone had luck with the massage technique? I know I'll never get rid of this in my flock, but want to help as much as possible. Is the paralysis and wing droopiness easier for them to recover from than some of the other types??

Any input is appreciated. BTW, I love this forum, I've learned so much and I'm a new chicken mom!

 

[seminolewind]

If you massaged a leg and it's better , I could say it's not Marek's, but you've had 2 die of Marek's so far? I've had a few that got paralysis then recovered only to get it again. I do believe , tho, that a small percentage of victims get a symptom, then recover because their immune system or resistance was pretty good. That's the only way I can explain it when some say their chickens have Marek's , and then recover. I have a lot of doubt when someone says that some herb cured their chicken. It's been over 100 years of research already from people who specialize in Marek's research. I just think that some chickens have built enough resistance to fight it off.

 

[Chickie Baby]

If you massaged a leg and it's better , I could say it's not Marek's, but you've had 2 die of Marek's so far?  I've had a few that got paralysis then recovered only to get it again.  I do believe , tho, that a small percentage of victims get a symptom, then recover because their immune system or resistance was pretty good.  That's the only way I can explain it when some say their chickens have Marek's , and then recover.  I have a lot of doubt when someone says that some herb cured their chicken.  It's been over 100 years of research already from people who specialize in Marek's research. I just think that some chickens have built enough resistance to fight it off.

I do not know for sure that my 2 died of Mereks, only going by the symptoms. My first one started limping an by the next day he couldn't use the leg. His toes were curled in and he had the gray eyes and oddly shaped pupils. He made it about 3 days and then began gasping for air. By the evening, he was badly suffering trying to breathe and couldn't move on his own. I culled him immediately. The next was the buff that that I pampered and massaged the leg and she started walking without the limp. 3rd was a small pullet that I thought May have hurt her leg. She was a tough one to be the runt of the bunch. She went on for almost 2 weeks limping and finally just went on dragging her leg. I took her to the vet and I guess the stress was too much for her. X-rays were normal. She began gasping like the first one and I had to cull her.

All of this started about 3 weeks after introducing new 2 week old chicks that I got from a farmer. I had a racoon get in and kill 7 of my flock that got the buff so I don't have a follow up. The EE was one of the 2week old chicks I brought in before all this started. He shows a bit of weakness and less agility than before. Now I have this one. She's worse by the day. All I do is make sure she has plenty of food and water. Nothing other than a few leg massages each day. She's not showing improvement.

 

[veronicadm8]

Oh my goodness!! Impressive thread, very helpful. I didn't read it all, I hope I'm not being repetitive, but I have just discovered that I have Marek's in my flock. I have a question about breeding for resistance: If my birds survive (I have culled symptomatic birds), I have to consider them all carriers, right? They may be resistant, but I have to assume they have the disease and just aren't showing symptoms?? Unfortunately, I discovered this with my 4 month old chicks from an unexpected hatch... after a second unexpected hatch had arrived. I thought I had a couple missing hens, but it turned out they were stashing eggs. I like having roosters and the dynamic they add to the flock, so I need to block off access to anywhere they can hide eggs, but I have almost 20 chicks!! I can't keep them all. I will try to keep as many hens as I can, but don't see any option to re-home them in good conscious. Do you all keep all the birds you try to breed for resistance?? This is very new to me, I can't bear to cull them all and start over, and don't think that would be very effective anyhow.

 

[KAT Bird]

Oh my goodness!! Impressive thread, very helpful. I didn't read it all, I hope I'm not being repetitive, but I have just discovered that I have Marek's in my flock. I have a question about breeding for resistance: If my birds survive (I have culled symptomatic birds), I have to consider them all carriers, right? They may be resistant, but I have to assume they have the disease and just aren't showing symptoms?? Unfortunately, I discovered this with my 4 month old chicks from an unexpected hatch... after a second unexpected hatch had arrived. I thought I had a couple missing hens, but it turned out they were stashing eggs. I like having roosters and the dynamic they add to the flock, so I need to block off access to anywhere they can hide eggs, but I have almost 20 chicks!! I can't keep them all. I will try to keep as many hens as I can, but don't see any option to re-home them in good conscious. Do you all keep all the birds you try to breed for resistance?? This is very new to me, I can't bear to cull them all and start over, and don't think that would be very effective anyhow.

I haven't tried breeding for resistance, we don't have a rooster. I have two left of my original flock. I lost 12 in less than a year. I subsequently purchased vaccinated chicks, who (knock on wood) are all still alive and are about a year old. Any birds that were raised around the infected birds, their living area or cross contaminated by human contact/clothes/shoes are likely carriers. They may or may not develop symptoms but they all have the capacity to shed virus in their feather dander and infect other birds. Even vaccinated birds will become infected and shed virus, they just have a better chance of not developing the visceral/neural tumors.

If you don't mind my asking, how. was Marek's confirmed in your flock?

You can also vaccinate the chicks yourself if you decide that breeding for resistance isn't working out.