PeeWee is sick! UPDATE..FINAL Necropsy Results Page 6

[leadwolf1]

I'm so sorry

I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I was just trying to give you some more information. Everyone of the chickens I have lost were named and lovingly raised in our kitchen. I have spent the last year losing, crying and burying my friends. I don't have a clue how to stop it. The best that we can do is vaccinate and disinfect.

I understand shock...I am still in shock. I did everything right. I was building my flock. Buying the breeds from reputible breeders. One of them gave me Marek's.

 

[leadwolf1]

Oh, I almost forgot. I did read in one thread about a lab in TX that does blood testing for Marek's. I don't know who it was or how much it cost or even how it works. I just remember it being a possibility. First, though, you would need to find the place to ship it to and a vet to draw the blood.

 

[Leslieb118]

I'm so sorry

I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I was just trying to give you some more information. Everyone of the chickens I have lost were named and lovingly raised in our kitchen. I have spent the last year losing, crying and burying my friends. I don't have a clue how to stop it. The best that we can do is vaccinate and disinfect.

I understand shock...I am still in shock. I did everything right. I was building my flock. Buying the breeds from reputible breeders. One of them gave me Marek's.

Oh, you didn't make me feel bad at all! I just didn't want to seem like I was coming across as doubting anyone. I tend to think outloud sometimes, lol.

 

[leadwolf1]

Whew! Sometimes, I get carried away with the Marek's information that I have gathered from my flock suffering that I tend to forget that there are others' feelings involved.

 

[seminolewind]

I have found that not all Marek's cases fit the perfect Marek's profile. My reports came back the same, LL or Marek's. However, those were the birds that didn't go the 'right' way for Marek's. They were strong, healthy birds...dead the next. Since I have also had classic Marek's in my flock, I know that this is in fact, Marek's no LL. I guess I was almost glad since LL crosses through eggs and Marek's does not.

As for vaccinated birds. I purchased vaccinated pullets and then revaccinated them at 12 weeks. I have lost 3, with a 4th sick, to Marek's. Some with classic symptoms, others, not. This is out of 9 pullets. That is not good odds. Vaccinating only protects against the tumors, not paralysis or wasting. It also doesn't protect them if they are infected before their full immunity kicks in. I just read that you should keep them separated from the rest of the flock for 6 months. Through trial and error, I have concluded that the only way to keep birds is by hatching my own from my own birds that have been exposed to the Marek's virus and are carriers now. Apparently, passive immunity is passed from parents to babies. Then, vaccinating to guarantee active immunity. I hatched 17 chicks in December from my own eggs. I have only lost 1 to Marek's. They seem to be my healthiest birds. The problem with hatching my own is my roo to pullet ratio is way off....out of 17, I only ended up with 6 pullets. I won't kill the roos, I've watched too many of my others die, so, I have a huge bachelor pad to build. I have kept them in separate cages in my basement, yes, my basement all this time. The only way I knew to separate them from the flock. They free range all day and back in at night. I clean daily. But, I have saved them...so far, at least. To date, I have lost 35 + birds to Marek's. Marek's shows no mercy.

Aaaahhh...the age thing. I have also found that age is not a factor. I have lost birds as young as 12 weeks and as old as 16 months. Marek's, contrary to what all information would have you believe, has no age limits.

What she said

 

[seminolewind]

I've had some adults over the last 2+ years die from wasting, one from classic signs. Most of the young ones, under 15 weeks showed the paralysis. A few wasted. Now this batch is dying from bacteria illnesses due to Marek's due to poor immune response.

All my own egg hatches from my own chickens have been fine.

Leslie, you come across fine. This is a hard time for everyone because the symptoms can be varied. A flock history can help sort it out. Like if you've added chickens.

 

[Sylvestor12]

Is Marek's and LL contagious or is it genetic. What is it? Can viruses spread?

 

[Suzierd]

Yes it's contagious, it's horrible.
Marek's Disease
Synonyms: acute leukosis, neural leukosis, range paralysis, gray eye (when eye affected)

Species affected: Chickens between 12 to 25 weeks of age are most commonly clinically affected. Occasionally pheasants, quail, game fowl and turkeys can be infected.

Clinical signs: Marek's disease is a type of avian cancer. Tumors in nerves cause lameness and paralysis. Tumors can occur in the eyes and cause irregularly shaped pupils and blindness. Tumors of the liver, kidney, spleen, gonads, pancreas, proventriculus, lungs, muscles, and skin can cause incoordination, unthriftiness, paleness, weak labored breathing, and enlarged feather follicles. In terminal stages, the birds are emaciated with pale, scaly combs and greenish diarrhea (see Table 2).

Marek's disease is very similar to Lymphoid Leukosis, but Marek's usually occurs in chickens 12 to 25 weeks of age and Lymphoid Leukosis usually starts at 16 weeks of age.

Transmission: The Marek's virus is transmitted by air within the poultry house. It is in the feather dander, chicken house dust, feces and saliva. Infected birds carry the virus in their blood for life and are a source of infection for susceptible birds.

Treatment: none

Prevention: Chicks can be vaccinated at the hatchery. While the vaccination prevents tumor formation, it does not prevent infection by the virus.

Lymphoid Leukosis
Synonyms: visceral leukosis, leukosis, big liver, LL

Species affected: Although primarily a disease of chickens, lymphoid leukosis can infect turkeys, guinea fowl, pheasants, and doves, but not on a large scale.

Clinical signs: The virus involved has a long incubation period (4 months or longer). As a result, clinical signs are not noticeable until the birds are 16 weeks or older. Affected birds become progressively weaker and emaciated. There is regression of the comb. The abdomen becomes enlarged. Greenish diarrhea develops in terminal stages (see Table 2).

Transmission: The virus is transmitted through the egg to offspring. Within a flock, it is spread by bird-to-bird contact and by contact with contaminated environments. The virus is not spread by air. Infected chicken are carriers for life.

Treatment: none

Prevention: The virus is present in the yolk and egg white of eggs from infected hens. Most national and international layer breeders have eradicated lymphoid leukosis from their flocks. Most commercial chicks are lymphoid-leukosis negative because they are hatched from LL-free breeders. The disease is still common in broiler breeder flocks.

 

[seminolewind]

This post is really informative, I hope Leslie knows how much knowledge was gained by following this thru. Just like to say "thanks" again.

 

[Leslieb118]

This post is really informative, I hope Leslie knows how much knowledge was gained by following this thru. Just like to say "thanks" again.

If it weren't for you, leadwolf1, dawg53, CMV and several others, there wouldn't be much information in this thread! Every one of you helped me in one way or another to try to make my little guy better, and when I couldn't you helped me understand the awful disease he had. I am very thankful for everyone here on BYC because without this forum I would've been lost!