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

[seminolewind]

I think a more efficient way of providing that lovely vaccination is to have someone hold the chick and pinch the neck skin up, or just hold the chick. and next time I'll make sure that I saturate the area well so I can see the skin.

 

[alibabba]

I am not meaning to sound hard on you.

My actual self-proclaimed job is to provide information like others. This is a horrible virus and I don't do anything else but listen to others. I don't judge anyone-not my job, and what's to judge? People searching for answers? Trying things? There are reasons why we do what we do. I did it too. Twice my silkie had eggs under her and by the time I saw them, I candled them and they were too far along.

I don't think vaccinating them is easy. I was just vaccinating thighs for a while. I did necks the last batch and I never felt like everyone got enough. I've also had a bad experience vaccinating a few years ago. So it scares me, and I don't know if I'll ever do it right or feel right about it. It is NOT easy.

How are the chicks?

Ha!
They live! even after the one that wiggled hard, I know I stabbed something in it's back...it was def. stunned. But running around fine today....glad I didn't slit my wrists over it last night.

ETA, yeah, I was thinking about thighs...3 are tiny bantams, what are these thighs of which you speak

ETA more. I'm joking. Sick sense of humor, keeps it a little lighter.

 

[alibabba]

This will be hard with Momma raised chicks.

Now we wait to see what they really look like, then we wait to see if they get ill by 8 weeks, then we see if they get ill at POL (One was ill and died after about 5 pullet eggs, visceral)

Then we wait and see if they die before 1 year (had brother and sister neural)

Have 11 others no signs or symptoms. (3 pullets hatchery vac, 8 unk vac status...)

Eta: well, i tried to vac the roo and th slw in the avatar...they behaved, but skin was difficult to get to and tough!

I dont know why I can not feed this to them....I am going to find out. Trust me.

 

[jak2002003]

If my rooster has Maerk's disease in the form that affects the legs... how long before he dies... and why will he die..... just because his legs don't work right? Or are his internal organs getting attacked too?

He has been unable to walk for over one month now... but still seems really healthy.

I keep thinking I should cull him... but he is a pet.. and does not seem in any distress.

He crows, mates with the hens (they go up to him for that)... eats and drinks.. and has not lost any weight.

He can't walk.. he will only run on the tip of one toe of each foot, for a short distance and then sit back down. He can still fly up to roost. He won't move from his spot unless he needs to get to the feeder or drinker.

Maybe is not even Maerk's disease?

None of my other chicken are showing signs.

I started him on vitamins and a general antibiotic today... to see if that helps.

I can't get him to eat any healthy treats.. because he always calls the hens over to let them eat the best stuff!!!!!

He has no injuries on his legs or feet. He shows not pain....

Yesterday I noticed him actually standing in one spot for several minutes.. something he has not been able to do before... and using his feet flat to the ground.. rather than wobbling on his toes.. but he is using his tail curved down as support. He was doing this a lot today.. the first time I have seen him stand for any time. Hope that is a sign of recovery.

 

[seminolewind]

Paralysis is not something only caused by Marek's. I'm sure there are viruses or bacteria that can cause it. It just takes some sciatic nerve damage.

Mine that got paralysis eventually also got something that destroys their depth perception and they look like they are eating, but arent' picking up food. Among dozens, I did have one that recovered after 6 weeks, but she kept eating and kept her weight the whole time.

Alibaba, my 3 broody raised lived 8 months . But the longer they survive, the better the chances. 95% of mine have been under a year old. Most of the 95% was at 6-8 weeks. Fingers crossed. Don't kill yourself. Everyone has to try but it still really hurts if they do die.

 

[lalaland]

I"m just so glad everyone is taking time to post what is happening and what they have tried, and what the outcome has been.

I can't imagine trying to vaccinate a chick. Would be scared to death, so I am full of admiration for Seminolewind and Alibabbi and anyone else who has been tackling that. Alibabbi, I would cheer if you found an alternative delivery method. Been wondering if I do chicks next spring if I could get a vet tech to come do it!

And Seminolewind, thanks for answering my question about whether soft shelled eggs could be mareks related. I think I have a tendency to blame everything on it now.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote: LOL, I know, where's the thigh? I think it was easier because it was just a matter of inserting the needle sideways under the skin. But I did read it's not as effective. But I can't see why not.

 

[seminolewind]

I"m just so glad everyone is taking time to post what is happening and what they have tried, and what the outcome has been.

I can't imagine trying to vaccinate a chick. Would be scared to death, so I am full of admiration for Seminolewind and Alibabbi and anyone else who has been tackling that. Alibabbi, I would cheer if you found an alternative delivery method. Been wondering if I do chicks next spring if I could get a vet tech to come do it!

And Seminolewind, thanks for answering my question about whether soft shelled eggs could be mareks related. I think I have a tendency to blame everything on it now.

I know what you mean! Blaming alot on it is probably a good thing. If it's not paralysis grey eye, or stuff like that, I treat for Marek's related immunosuppression. I know alot of people may disagree with me, that's okay. Like Alibaba, I got to do for me. I use 2 antibiotics that cover just about every common bacterial illness , usually things like cocci that chickens grow resistant to with age. So far it's been good. I do a keel check every month or so to find really skinny birds. They get treated.

I have one right now. She was standing hunched over yesterday. I examined for a stuck egg. Nothing. But then she passed this egg the size of a grape and clear inside a membrane, and then yellow yolk ran out of her. She's had 2 full days of antibiotic. I fed her with a tube to take care of dehydration yesterday. Today she's eating and drinking like normal. Also , keep up with worming. If worms do damage, it's even easier for cocci and enteritis and e.coli to enter.

 

[ochochicas]

I have been thinking over this information...along with the vaccinated broody note....

All I can do to see if this works...is separate, I hate to have these precious chicks be an experiment, but I guess that is what it is.

I feel I did my best with vaccination and really flubbed it. I'm not worried about the ones that got too much.....but maybe the ones that got to little. I am a bad chicken holder...unless I get mad...I didn't want to hold the babies to tight and choke them.

Please don't be hard on me...if it didn't work, I will be punished, no fear.

I just can't help but wonder, why isn't this vaccine avail for oral, occular, or water? So much easier for a backyard flock to manage....

I watched videos, I read about 10 sets of instructions. I feel like a f'up. I can change diapers with my toes while cleaning up vomit and still cook dinner...but didn't do this well at all.

I am an A type personality. I will nail this. But must be a better more efficient way.

Sorry I have been away for a few days.

I am on my 3 batch of broody raised chicks. The first batch - all the ones I kept died except for one rooster. I gave half of my chicks to a neighbor when the chicks were about 10 weeks old. Only one of hers died and the others are fine. They are just shy of a year old now. I know they had already been repeatedly exposed to Marek's at the time I gave them to a neighbor because one of the pullets I kept was already sickly and came down with paralysis about a month later.

The second batch - They all died. Just lost the last pullet last week. She was 28 weeks.

The third batch - This one I'm doing differently. The chicks hatched under my broody, but I separated them from the flock. The chicks were vaccinated at 8 hours old and then went to live in my horse trailer (it is a nice trailer with windows LOL) for about 2 weeks. They had a clean environment and clean bedding that had not been in the barn with the chickens. Although their fate is probably sealed at this point, they were re-vaccinated at 26 days. They are my little experiment, too! When they were 2 weeks old it got too hot to leave them in the trailer all day, so they moved to a chicken tractor in the front yard where there is minimal chicken exposure. I'm trying to very slowly expose them to the virus. Yesterday they had their first experience with free ranging. Momma kept them in the front yard and under a tree next to the house. They are 5 weeks old. There is no doubt in my mind that they have been exposed to Marek's by now. I just hope it was a small enough concentration to help them build immunity rather than killing them.

I should also add that these 7 chicks are offspring from my only two resistant pullets that survived from my November hatch. It didn't feel right hatching eggs where I knew from past experience the chicks would not be resistant.

I was a vet tech for years and still find vaccinating the chicks a bit difficult. It is helpful to remember that the feathers grow in "tracts". On the side of the neck at around 2:00 there are no feathers. If you wet the down and push it out of the way, you will be able to see bare skin more easily.

 

[saltandpepper2]

I'm sorry for all these people losing birds.. Not to rub salt into a wound, but this is the first year that I haven't lost any birds before 10 weeks! Keeping my fingers crossed that they might for once all make it. The birds are from a breeder that has had mareks for generations, so I had a head start, this is only the 3rd generation for me.