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

[chicknmania]

Thank you.

She's not vaccinated, no, except in the natural way by having it, and then recovering. She was better today, so I decided not to put her back in the hospital pen. She's pretty weak but she can fly, run, (if she has to), jump to a higher perch, and she's eating and drinking, so I think she's just still trying to regain her strength after being so sick. And she didn't like the cold we had yesterday, but today was pretty warm. My rooster is not doing so well at all. I started him on Denagard today, but he's totally not interested in standing up now. Still eating. I mixed some Denagard water with his food, and I will be interested to see if it helps him over time. I hope so. He is declining quickly too, unfortunately.

I have read on here, that vaccinations for Marek's don't seem to have much effect....

 

[chicknmania]

I wish I knew what to do for her. :/ She is not exactly ill, but she's just not quite right. I think she must have some permanent damage from either the worms, the Marek's, or both.

 

[JeanR]

Wish folks could put together all the Marek's information.

1. Marek's Disease is world wide, a scourge.
2. If you have never experienced the disease with your chickens--MANY HAVE NOT, be aware that any new birds can bring it to you, even if they appear "healthy".

3. Vaccination is not with the Marek's virus, it is made with a Turkey herpes virus, that stimulates immunity to Marek's Disease in chickens. They CANNOT get Marek's from the vaccine!

4. Vaccination must be done day of hatch!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. Developing immunity from vaccination takes 2 weeks, so chicks must be protected from exposure for at least that long.
6. Vaccination may not be 100% effective--but it is all that we can do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7. There are a number of forms of Marek's Disease, by the location of the nerve tissue that is affected: ei. leg muscle, moving to wings, then most body muscles. OR formation of small tumors in nerve tissue--seen only by necropsy. ..others..

8. Infected birds may just "go down", may or may not die in a day or more, if they can eat and drink for a while, and may appear to recover.

9. Undetected infection may be the cause of Sudden Death, without seeing symptoms.

10. Birds with symptoms, may seem to recover, partially or completely. THEY ARE CARRIERS OF THE VIRUS FOR LIFE, and will be source of infection of any age birds you will acquire.

11. THERE IS NO CURE or TREATMENT for RECOVERY FROM MAREK's DISEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you keep a recovered bird, you will always have infection of any other birds you have or acquire, that are not vaccinated (the only hope).

12. The virus is not carried in the EGGS, they may be safely hatched, if chicks are kept separated (and vaccinated at hatch).

13. The Marek's virus is LONG LIVED, said to be carried in the dander (dust) and can be carried on your clothing, shoes, and will be in your pens, runs. for an undetermined time--perhaps years! So the statement: "once you have it, you will always have it without vaccination"--and while that is BEST you can do to protect future birds, it may not be "forever", either!!

14. Chicks will not display symptoms, cockerels may show symptoms such as limping, by 8-9 weeks, usually 9-12 weeks, but may not appear until nearly a year --or if carrying the virus and not showing symptoms--can be at any age! Pullets, most often show first symptoms at point of lay, may lay first egg or two before "going down". Hens, also, may not show symptoms until they "go down" or SUDDEN DEATH--and necropsy will show the nerve tumors. Large tumors are not common, but can occur

Marek's is not painful to your chicken!!!!!!!They do not know why they cannot move about or eat or drink, frustration---but there is no pain!! Treatment you give, is up to you, but cannot cure Marek's, if the bird "recovers" it just gives you a CARRIER.

15. Vaccine is not expensive, chickens ARE. It may not be perfect, but is worth it--(I was vaccinated for Small Pox at age 5--and thanks to ALL who have been vaccinated for the past 80 years since--Small Pox was common and sometimes deadly, when I was 5-- is now extremely rare and I am thankful.)

Marek's IS a scourge, but vaccination is worth it, for what we can do for OUR birds and those we sell, give or acquire in the future.

If you keep an infected with Marek's chicken, you become a "carrier" yourself, your clothing, shoes, etc. ..... love your chickens..and do not infect them!
My first Marek's was a hen sent from a friend, who bred for resistance (possible, but how do you know)?--20 years ago.
Did not know what it was (no leg injury, of course) and she died within a week.
Had few cases of it for a number of years--until got a computer and correspondence and search of websites diagnosed it. Have been vaccinating EVERY chick, for past 15 years, and purchase only vaccinated birds and re vaccinate them next hatch, as stress of older birds, such as shipping, can cause a break in immunity (?). And some breeders re vaccinate their birds at least every 2 years --I don't, but it is always an option, as the vaccine is a freeze dried tablet, and keeps refrigerated, (until mixed with diluent, and then must be used within an hour) the tablet will vaccinate 1500 birds--so I divide the tablet into 4ths, so can do 4 hatches with one tablet.--the vaccine is prepared for hatcheries and huge growers of chickens! GOOD LUCK.......

 

[chicknmania]

Personally, I think Marek's is going to be around, whether you keep recovered birds, or not. Always has been, always will be, and it's everywhere.

 

[chicknmania]

Sorry to hear about your rooster. My sick roosters always have respiratory/circulatory problems and go down hill quickly. I had one get sick on a Thursday in May and he died on Friday. The hens seem to fight it out for a long while.

Is Peaches vaccinated? I have vaccinated pullet that came down with Marek's but then recovered. She is laying beautiful eggs now. I completely expected her to die (and know she's not 100% out of the woods) but I'm happy she made it to adult hood. It give us all some hope for the future.

I'm sure he has MS, not Marek's. He never has had any paralysis issues, just pain. And now he has pneumonia. We are treating him, but I doubt he will make it. At least he's in the house, where it's warm. He has an odd smell, too, which I don't recognize as being part of Marek's.

 

[JeanR]

It is claimed that you can have immunity to Marek's Disease in your chickens, if you raise Domestic Turkeys with your chickens. Again, it it the Turkey herpes virus that causes chickens to develop an immunity to Marek's. I have friends who do not raise turkeys, but obtain sacks of Turkey poop from Turkey growers, and dump it in corners of their pens and pile it in their outside runs.. This can be successful, also in reducing or PREVENTING Marek's in their flocks. My houses are designed for Bantams, and I cannot house Turkeys, or would have done this, long ago. WORTH it, if you can do it!! Just remember, if you have birds that have recovered from Marek's, ( no longer show symptoms) that they are carriers of the virus (and you may be, too, on your clothing--and thus can infect others birds if you visit their birds--or they visit yours!) Take care and try to remove Marek's from your birds without risk to others.

 

[chicknmania]

I wonder if Peafowl poop will work??? We have plenty of that...

 

[chicknmania]

Quote:
I understand that's a common theory..but Marek's is everywhere, anyway. In the ground and everywhere. Either the bird develops an immunity to it...or they don't

 

[ochochicas]

Here is the scoop on Turkey mareks.

If chickens are exposed to any kind of Mareks and survive, they will build immunity to all types of Mareks. There are at least 5 strains of chicken virus, plus turkey virus, and who knows what else. When the chickens are exposed to turkey virus they develop antibodies to fight off other types of Mareks. At the same time, the turkey virus cannot replicate and make the chickens sick with the disease. Vaccinating chickens or exposing them to turkey droppings does the same thing --> exposure to the virus that will give them immunity without killing them.

Peafowl can get mareks, but it isn't as common.

When a chicken is exposed to chicken mareks, it is luck of the draw as to whether or not they will develop antibodies or simply die from the virus. There are some strains that are not very strong and will only kill the weakest birds. Other strains are very very virulent and kill up to 90 or 100% of exposed birds.

I believe that birds who are exposed to a large dose of the virus repeatedly are much more likely to develop disease compared to birds that get just a small virus dose randomly as they mature. That would explain why older birds are generally immune to mareks but don't get sick. They were probably exposed to a small enough dose to stimulate an immune response but not give them the disease.

 

[scatherine99]

I have read through most of this thread and I think I have a bird with Mareks. We just bought a house and inherited their 12 laying hens and one rooster. The rooster limps and his right foot is curled. They joked with us that he was handicap we figured he suffered an injury. Now we have found another of their hens are lame and another just spent the night in my mud room because she has left leg paralysis and left eye is closed. Unfortunately we brought our six healthy hens with us. What should I do now? I see different opinions. I just want eggs and no chickens in my house because they are suffering