PLEASE HELP! Cull entire flock?!?!

[EmAbTo48]

I am at a loss of what I should do. I have lost 5 chickens so far in the last 2 months. 3 of which were ill with something (believe mareks) they had paralysis, lost weight, and we ended up just culling them after no improvement with antibotics and quarantine.

It seems almost every 2 weeks I am going out to find another hen (hasn't been any roos) with this paralysis. We lost 3 just out of the whim just dead overnight! They were running around eating and seemed fine.

I have now one 7 month old hen with the paralysis of both legs, toes curled and she's thinner then she should be.

I don't know what to do I love all my chickens we have 14 left. 3 roosters 2 of which our 7 months, 2 silikies, 1 very old banty, 2 buff chochins 7 months, one buff 3 years, one americana 3 years, and 2 black standards a year and 3 year old and the sick hen.

Does the sudden death and paralysis sound like mareks? As much as I do NOT what to cull all these hens I don't know what to do! They have stopped laying eggs period.

I am wondering if any could be safed or if culling is best. And if I cull them and retry again what are the steps to getting rid of this virus! Where did it come from? Bleach the coop? The grounds around the coop what can I do? Should I make sure they are all vaccinated? Ahhhh! I am so mad about this why can't there just be a medicine to treat this!

 

[ChicKat]

Hi EmAbTo4B--

So very sorry to hear about your losses, and your anxiety about Marek's disease.

Here is a fact site that I have started with a lot of information in Marek's:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mareks-disease-fact-site


If possible, check into getting a Necropsy on one of your dead hens. It would mean among other things refrigerating the corpse, I believe. If that isn't possible or feasible, then get one on your next chicken.

It is true that Marek's can attack any time, most often it is pullets at point-of-lay. If the paralysis presents one leg forward and one leg back, that is a pretty clear indication of Marek's IMO. You may get a lot of opinions on the subject.

If you don't have an Avian vet to contact, and I were you, I would telephone Dr. Peter Brown to discuss what has been happening with your flock. He will return a call for $25. If you go to 'my page' and go to the bottom, there is a list of other pages I have. One is 'charts and quotes' and at the top of that one.....there is information on how to contact Peter Brown.

It would be so difficult to cull your entire flock, and possibly not necessary. There are some chickens that are resistant to the disease. I have two that were perched beside one that died of Marek's (confirmed by a vet) and they have both survived. One was a white Leghorn hybrid (which breed, I have encountered information on has some resistance to Marek's on the B21 gene) and one was an Easter Egger.

I hope that you will find a satisfactory solution to this problem.

 

[FlyHigher]

Sorry for your loss! Sounds like Marek's to me.

As for the rest of the flock, I've heard that chickens can get an "age immunity" to the MD virus as they are more than 5 months old.
Generally, chickens are more likely to get MD when theay are 12-25 weeks old, so I think your chickens which are 7+ months old maybe have already grown an "natual resistance" to MD. So maybe it's not necessary to cull the entire block. But I am not sure about this.

Since MD viruses mainly spread through the air and actually are everywhere in soil, so maybe it doesn't help too much to bleach the coop. However, I am not sure about this too.

 

[leadwolf1]

Marek's Disease is a horrible disease. Since there are other diseases that mimic Marek's, it is very important that you have a necropsy done to get a definitive diagnosis. If it is Marek's, culling your whole flock will be worthless unless, you don't want to have chickens for up to 7 years. Marek's can live in the soil for that long. There is no way to get it out of the soil. Bleaching your coop, waterers and feeders is about the best you can do or, you can use Oxine for disinfecting.

Once Marek's is in your flock, there is no age limit. I am losing 15 month old chickens. Marek's doesn't discriminate. As a matter of fact, most of my losses have been in chickens around 14 weeks or OVER 25 weeks old.

You can not get rid of the virus...not all of it...you can't disinfect the soil, trees, etc...it just isn't possible. The best you can do is try and cut down on the amount of virus that is shed. Immediately remove any chicken showing signs/symptoms. Euthanize if you are comfortable doing so. It has been shown that even though all your birds are now carriers that ones that are symptomatic shed more virus. Vaccination is a big help.

I have lost over 40 birds in the last year to Marek's..I now consider myself an expert where this disease is concerned. There really isn't anything that Marek's can do that I haven't seen.

 

[EmAbTo48]

Thanks! Well think we have decided to cull the sick hen... I have done a lot more research tonight. I am ordering the vaccine and giving the entire rest of the flock it ( yes even if they might have it).

I am hoping to replenish with more hens and will be paying for the vaccine from meyers as day olds. I am not going to cull any I have and just let them live until they die of it or hopefully don't die of it! Maybe the vaccine will help the younger ones still!

But I am wondering what could cause the no eggs?

 

[FlyHigher]

Thanks! Well think we have decided to cull the sick hen... I have done a lot more research tonight. I am ordering the vaccine and giving the entire rest of the flock it ( yes even if they might have it).
I am hoping to replenish with more hens and will be paying for the vaccine from meyers as day olds. I am not going to cull any I have and just let them live until they die of it or hopefully don't die of it! Maybe the vaccine will help the younger ones still!
But I am wondering what could cause the no eggs?

I think you've made a good choice, vaccination is always the best protection.

 

[FlyHigher]

Marek's Disease is a horrible disease. Since there are other diseases that mimic Marek's, it is very important that you have a necropsy done to get a definitive diagnosis. If it is Marek's, culling your whole flock will be worthless unless, you don't want to have chickens for up to 7 years. Marek's can live in the soil for that long. There is no way to get it out of the soil. Bleaching your coop, waterers and feeders is about the best you can do or, you can use Oxine for disinfecting.

Once Marek's is in your flock, there is no age limit. I am losing 15 month old chickens. Marek's doesn't discriminate. As a matter of fact, most of my losses have been in chickens around 14 weeks or OVER 25 weeks old.

You can not get rid of the virus...not all of it...you can't disinfect the soil, trees, etc...it just isn't possible. The best you can do is try and cut down on the amount of virus that is shed. Immediately remove any chicken showing signs/symptoms. Euthanize if you are comfortable doing so. It has been shown that even though all your birds are now carriers that ones that are symptomatic shed more virus. Vaccination is a big help.

I have lost over 40 birds in the last year to Marek's..I now consider myself an expert where this disease is concerned. There really isn't anything that Marek's can do that I haven't seen.

Hi,leadwolf1, may I ask you a question? Do you know whether it‘s worth for vaccinating elder(like 2-3 months old) chickens for MD?
I have a flock of chickens which are 11 weeks old and not vaccinated for MD. They have not exhibited any symptoms yet, but I've lost several chickens to MD 1 year ago in my coop, so I'm wondering if it is too late to get them vaccinated for MD now. Is it completely useless to vaccinate now?
Thank you in advance!

 

[leadwolf1]

I would vaccinate everyone. There is evidence that even chickens that are symptomatic can be helped by the vaccine...a boost to their immune system...so, you have nothing to lose by vaccinating. I've vaccinated year old chickens...then, revaccinated them. I will continue to vaccinate yearly. Some European countries follow this protocol so, I have decided that I would try...at this point, I really have nothing to lose!

As for day olds....even vaccinated they will need to be kept in isolation for at least two weeks in order for them to build up immunity. 6 - 12 weeks is even better and I just read that 6 months is best. Even with isolation, be prepared to lose some. The vaccine is only 90% effective and, it does not stop the chickens from getting Marek's, it just prevents the formation of the tumors that ultimately kills them.

 

[leadwolf1]

One of the first things I noticed with active Marek's is that the hens stop laying....

I'm hoping for you that it is the heat and not a sign of bad things to come...

Thanks! Well think we have decided to cull the sick hen... I have done a lot more research tonight. I am ordering the vaccine and giving the entire rest of the flock it ( yes even if they might have it).
I am hoping to replenish with more hens and will be paying for the vaccine from meyers as day olds. I am not going to cull any I have and just let them live until they die of it or hopefully don't die of it! Maybe the vaccine will help the younger ones still!
But I am wondering what could cause the no eggs?

f

 

[FlyHigher]

Great advice!Thank you, leadwolf1, I'll try vaccinating them all.