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

[alibabba]

Thank you lalaland

I guess this is the closest thing to a support group....

 

[lalaland]

Thank you lalaland

I guess this is the closest thing to a support group....

you know, it is!

we get to share info, whats working, whats not, ask advice, and we all know exactly how it feels to be facing mareks. Some days are tougher than others. Its also great to have this info in one place - I've changed a lot of things as a result of what I have learned on this thread.

 

[ochochicas]

Thank you lalaland

I guess this is the closest thing to a support group....

This is so true. I has gotten me through some hard times.

I am sorry you are dealing with Marek's in your flock.

I'll share my experience with you (briefly) and let you know what I ended up doing. I had one bird get sick several months ago. I was in denial that it was Marek's until one of my younger pullets got sick. The first sick bird was in the coop, the barn, the horse stalls, and eventually the house. In the end, every part of my property was exposed to Marek's. I took both birds in for necropsy after 2 or 3 months of the first one getting sick. Confirmed Marek's - but it was no surprise by then since both birds had right leg paralysis in addition to a third hen limping in the barn. I tried everything to help the birds get better, but to no avail. My only regret is that I let the first bird live as long as it did. I should have called it sooner.

Now when a bird gets sick, they get a week to start getting better. Like you said, watching them get sicker is emotionally draining. I have had 3 birds that have recovered from illness, but they all showed improvement within a week. (Two were being starved by a mean rooster and the third had an impacted crop). The Marek's birds can have good days, but with mine, they do not get better. They eat and drink, but don't have a good quality of life. My very favorite pullet was laying on the floor of the coop one day instead of roosting at night. The next day she was a bit unsteady on her feet, and by the third day she had the drunk walk going on. It had only been a couple of days, but I couldn't stand to see her go down hill, so I culled her right away. It was devastating to say the least, but it was the right thing to do for her.

Sleeping a lot is the first thing I see in my birds. Usually it is followed by limping or resting on the hocks. Recently the birds have showed respiratory distress and even coughing when they eat. I have lost two of that type as well, and I have one pullet now that coughs all the time but otherwise acts normally. It could be visceral Marek's but also a respiratory bug, so I'm treating for bacteria and hoping for the best. One of my 22 week old cockerels had respiratory distress, was sleeping a lot, and then had seizure and died.

I suspect the first bird that passed away infected all your other birds. It usually takes at least 6 weeks for the virus to replicate in the chickens and start to show illness. That is just about the right amount of time since your first pullet passed. You can assume all your birds have been exposed. Hopefully some of them have great immune systems and will beat it.

There isn't anything you can do that you aren't already doing. Marek's is horribly sad, but there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. There is also a vaccine in case you want to get chicks in the future. While I'm not happy to have Marek's on the farm, I'm glad there is a vaccine for it. It could have been something worse (like Avian Influenze) that would have killed my entire flock.

Stay strong! I'm hoping the worst is over for you soon.

 

[lalaland]

came home to find one of my 5 year old hens not doing well. might be mareks, might not. she was vaccinated as a chick... her tail wasn't down, but it was level, and the saddle feathers were humped up. eyes looked clear. comb is red. moving slow. slightly interested in feed when I tossed scratch to the flock, but she isn't right.. she is well enough to avoid me, so I haven't picked her up yet. so close to roosting time, I will pick her up when she roosts, assuming she gets on the roost. She has been laying, so...could be anything at this point.

thats one of the things I find difficult about chickens is the lack of my ability to diagnose much! I will isolate her and will be able to see if she has an impacted crop, or what kind of droppings....

 

[Nambroth]

That is sad news! However, is it even possible for them to show signs of Marek's at such a young age? I thought it took six weeks for the virus to replicate in the chicken and then start to show signs. Maybe it is something simpler like Coccidia.

Yes, if the chick is exposed at hatch, three weeks is enough time for signs to show. It is not common and most start to demonstrate signs a bit later on, but it's not impossible. Six weeks just happens to be the time that a lot of birds show it, but it takes much less time for it to actually be a problem in some birds. From the time of exposure:

• Approximately 7 days: Virus latency (meaning the virus has now stored a 'blueprint' of itself in the chicken's cells).
• Approximately 10 days - death: Full replication of the virus is carried out and the chicken begins to "shed" the virus.
• Approximately 7 days -3 weeks: Lymphocytes carrying latent Marek's virus travel through the body, to visceral organs and nerves.
• Approximately 3-4 weeks: In chickens that do not develop resistance, the lymphocites in the organs and nerves undergo a transformation and become gross lymphomas. It is only at this point that symptoms appear and, sadly death often follows shortly after.

Reference: http://vir.sgmjournals.org/content/86/11/2989.long

I always vaccinate and almost always buy vaccinated, But, what do you do if you really need an older chick that you have finally found and it hasn't been vaccinated???

That is a risk. You should quarantine the chick no matter what for at least 4-6 weeks. Vaccinate if you want, but the vaccine might not do anything to help at an older age... especially if the older chick has already been unknowingly exposed. There are too many unknowns to give you a straight answer. It is a risk you have to decide on for yourself.

 

[leedyfeathers]

Well I am hatching chicks from my own flock this week they have made it this far and last check they are still very alive. My flock was said to have LL and signs of Marek's has been too obvious not to be. Though I didnt officially check yet. They wont be vaccinated and as soon as dried off I have coop set up with their own little area next to the big girls. Full chance of exposure.. if survivors on hatch day.. I hear that LL or Marek's gives less hatchability.

Two of my gilrs who were going along for weeks nearly three months off and on good bad days they declinded pretty rapidly together. I had hubby cull them for me and I cleaned up everything or burnt it. Super cleaned hen house finished with oxine rinse so far I have had almost two month sick free since first cleaning and food change nearly three months ago. The two put down were way sick before food change also were separate locations.
will let you know how things go.. wizh me luck.

 

[lalaland]

Best info ever on Mareks is the Great Big Giant Mareks Disease FAQ. (thank you Nambroth) I keep going back to it and re-reading. Most of us have read it, and the link is posted earlier on this thread, but I thought it would be a good idea to repost it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[Akrnaf2]

This is a link to an article that deal with the most impressive resistance that the Fayoumi chicken breed have against MD. I think that this breed or maybe it crosses are a good choice in an area that is heavily infected with MD.
http://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol4Iss2/Duguma.pdf

 

[ochochicas]

I was using this article as a reference.

https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2005/spring/mareks.htm

Clinical signs: MD commonly affects pullets between 12-24 weeks of age, but can infect broilers as early as 6 weeks of age. The incubation period ranges from 3-4 weeks to several months. Signs may vary according to the nerve or nerves affected. Asymmetric progressive paralysis of one or more of the extremities can be seen. Wing involvement is characterized by drooping of the limb. Torticollis of nerves controlling the neck are affected. Vagal involvement will lead to dilatation of the crop and/or gasping. If the iris is involved, eyes will lose their ability to accommodate light intensity and blindness may occur (once called "grey eye"). Many birds die suddenly without symptoms. There are nonspecific signs such as weight loss, paleness, anorexia, and diarrhea.

Yes, if the chick is exposed at hatch, three weeks is enough time for signs to show. It is not common and most start to demonstrate signs a bit later on, but it's not impossible. Six weeks just happens to be the time that a lot of birds show it, but it takes much less time for it to actually be a problem in some birds. From the time of exposure:

• Approximately 7 days: Virus latency (meaning the virus has now stored a 'blueprint' of itself in the chicken's cells).
• Approximately 10 days - death: Full replication of the virus is carried out and the chicken begins to "shed" the virus.
• Approximately 7 days -3 weeks: Lymphocytes carrying latent Marek's virus travel through the body, to visceral organs and nerves.
• Approximately 3-4 weeks: In chickens that do not develop resistance, the lymphocites in the organs and nerves undergo a transformation and become gross lymphomas. It is only at this point that symptoms appear and, sadly death often follows shortly after.

Reference: http://vir.sgmjournals.org/content/86/11/2989.long

My interpretation was that each of the above events begins when the previous one ends. So 7 days + 10 days + 7 more days + 3 weeks = approximately 6 weeks (or more) for the bird to start showing signs of illness.

As it has been said before...this disease doesn't follow the rules. I've had two cockerels die already in addition to my pullets and one adult hen.

How is your chick today @seminolewind ?

 

[Nambroth]

My interpretation was that each of the above events begins when the previous one ends. So 7 days + 10 days + 7 more days + 3 weeks = approximately 6 weeks (or more) for the bird to start showing signs of illness.

As it has been said before...this disease doesn't follow the rules. I've had two cockerels die already in addition to my pullets and one adult hen.

How is your chick today @seminolewind ?

That may be correct-- I may have interpreted it incorrectly. Admittedly a problem when you filter information through a human being! Still, like you said, this disease doesn't play by the rules and I have talked to folks here on the forum about chicks showing signs early.