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

[schnebbles]

I don't think it sounds at all like Mareks. I'm not sure what it might be though. I'd guess vitamin deficiency but that's a lot of birds to have a deficiency bad enough to kill them. Do they get any vitamins?

 

[seminolewind]

Best thing is that you sent out dead birds for necropsy. You can read "Marek's, the big FAQ" link at the bottom of my post. Nambroth wrote it and it does cover just about everything accurately. Problem with Marek's is that it mimics so many other diseases.

If you have it and are going to sell eggs or chicks, eggs are fine, they don't carry Marek's. And hopefully maybe you have someone who can hatch chicks for you , then you can vaccinate them and give them 3 weeks or more quarantine before you take them back. You can't cull away Marek's or separate your birds from it. You can't clean it away. The best thing we do is clean to lessen the concentration, and vaccinate the chicks at day 1, and quarantine them.

 

[Cheralee]

I don't think it sounds at all like Mareks.  I'm not sure what it might be though.  I'd guess vitamin deficiency but that's a lot of birds to have a deficiency bad enough to kill them.  Do they get any vitamins?

Normally, yes. After the Corid treatment, I switched to a powdered vitamin and electrolyte that I added to their water in addition for several days in a row. I contined to have deaths, even the ones I gave the vitamins, etc to using a syringe orally. I tried ACV in their water, too. I began to think that I was trying too many things and that I was just throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck.

 

[Cheralee]

Best thing is that you sent out dead birds for necropsy.  You can read "Marek's, the big FAQ" link at the bottom of my post.  Nambroth wrote it and it does cover just about everything accurately.  Problem with Marek's is that it mimics so many other diseases. 

If you have it and are going to sell eggs or chicks, eggs are fine, they don't carry Marek's.  And hopefully maybe you have someone who can hatch chicks for you , then you can vaccinate them and give them 3 weeks or more quarantine before you take them back.  You can't cull away Marek's or separate your birds from it.  You can't clean it away.  The best thing we do is clean to lessen the concentration, and vaccinate the chicks at day 1, and quarantine them.

The article you linked was so much help. I agree that the symptoms are all over the place, but we thought the bloody stool may have been cocci which became the stressor. Then everything went sideways as far as checking off boxes to guess at a diagnosis. I saw at least 4 possible culprits when I looked online.

I know that if it is Marek's, that's it for our plans. I was just reflecting on the foolishness of thinking I was safe because I did XYZ, but in hindsight, virtually none of my birds were vaccinated.

 

[seminolewind]

Actually, what I've experienced is Marek's exposure whether vaccinated or not, the chicks/juvies are prone to Coccidiosis, and other nasties.

 

[mightymax]

I must be destined to write something about what I experienced today because I was just skimming over the topics before bed with no particular need to write anything and then this thread just happens to pop out at me. So here it is...my day in a nutshell.

I, too, have Marek's in my flock of silkies. Just recently diagnosed a few months ago. Already lost one all white hen to it and have one lavender roo that is now totally blind from it and is slowly losing he will to live, I believe. Now today I go out to find my cute as a button Pear-Pear gasping for air. At least that's what it looks like. She'll be fine and then a second later she will open her beak as wide as she can and thrust her head skywards, almost as if she was howling at the moon. Never did that before. So I picked her up (which I do almost daily) and to my horror I noticed that her keel bone was so prominent and razor sharp that you could etch your name in glass with it. I'm sooooooo sad now I can't even sleep. It's so hard when you become attached. And that's basically the only reason I have them. Is for that 'pet attachment'. I mean, I throw away so many eggs, it should be a crime, but it is what it is... and they're my beloved friends as well as cherished pets. Sorry gotta stop now because I can't see the screen through my tears.
Good Night All.

 

[drumstick diva]

mightymax, so very sorry you are going through this ordeal, like so many others. You'd think after all this time someone would have come up with a cure, or sure fire vaccination for Mareks.

 

[seminolewind]

I must be destined to write something about what I experienced today because I was just skimming over the topics before bed with no particular need to write anything and then this thread just happens to pop out at me. So here it is...my day in a nutshell.

I, too, have Marek's in my flock of silkies. Just recently diagnosed a few months ago. Already lost one all white hen to it and have one lavender roo that is now totally blind from it and is slowly losing he will to live, I believe. Now today I go out to find my cute as a button Pear-Pear gasping for air. At least that's what it looks like. She'll be fine and then a second later she will open her beak as wide as she can and thrust her head skywards, almost as if she was howling at the moon. Never did that before. So I picked her up (which I do almost daily) and to my horror I noticed that her keel bone was so prominent and razor sharp that you could etch your name in glass with it. I'm sooooooo sad now I can't even sleep. It's so hard when you become attached. And that's basically the only reason I have them. Is for that 'pet attachment'. I mean, I throw away so many eggs, it should be a crime, but it is what it is... and they're my beloved friends as well as cherished pets. Sorry gotta stop now because I can't see the screen through my tears.
Good Night All.

Hi Mightymax. I am so glad you posted. It increases education to others about symptoms

I've had the gasping. A few were with paralysis, probably that Marek's attacked respiratory nerves. I also have a few that gasp at rest and assume they have Aspergillosis, which can cause Marek's like symptoms when it's chronic.

I can't tell you how many times I've cried my eyes out and how bad it hurts.

Immerse yourself in your remaining chickens and enjoy them and spoil them. It does help. Know that there is nothing that can be done once they are symptomatic, but keep trying things like multiB vitamins. Eventually the deaths will slow down a lot of stop. Many of us here know exactly how you feel. You are not alone.

 

[tridentk9]

Interesting article written for pathologists so can mostly be scanned but it's about a case of Marek's in very young chicks. Apparently rarely occurs in the very young (they get other diseases first). http://m.vet.sagepub.com/content/48/5/993.full

Under experimental conditions, EMS only occurred with some strains of MDV, and could occur, even in the presence of maternally derived antibody, albeit at reduced incidence. In the present case, it seems likely that the birds were infected by such strains, perhaps with a high infectious dose, and that they may well have had little or no maternally derived antibody to MDV.
In conclusion, the histopathologic, PCR, and immunohistochemical results presented here were all consistent with death due to MDV infection. To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed case of naturally occurring early mortality due to MD in chickens.

Makes me wonder if one reason for vaccinating might be to increase the maternally derived antibodies in the offspring. This may allow the chick to survive until it's own immune system has a chance to work. Food for thought.

 

[mightymax]

Thank You All So Very Much !!!

Your heart felt sympathies are one of the many reasons I enjoy this site so much. It's my opinion that you just can't know how it feels to lose a chicken unless you have a chicken of your own to love!
So Thanks Again BYC for brightening an otherwise dismal day!
**Note: Aloe is still with us as of right now, but I don't think he'll be here long. So sad.**
Thanks.