Plymouth Rocks and Mareks

[jucat60]

Has any one found that Plymouth Rock are more susceptible to Mareks ? I have had an outbreak and only my Plymouth Rock have been affected. They are in a different area to my other chickens but only separated by a wire fence they do not roost with the other chickens. I have 12 Aracauna and over 20 mixed girls.

 

[BlackHackle]

Has any one found that Plymouth Rock are more susceptible to Mareks ? I have had an outbreak and only my Plymouth Rock have been affected. They are in a different area to my other chickens but only separated by a wire fence they do not roost with the other chickens. I have 12 Aracauna and over 20 mixed girls.

I've raised 100s of Plymouth Rocks and never noticed it

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Has any one found that Plymouth Rock are more susceptible to Mareks ? I have had an outbreak and only my Plymouth Rock have been affected. They are in a different area to my other chickens but only separated by a wire fence they do not roost with the other chickens. I have 12 Aracauna and over 20 mixed girls.

I'm sorry things aren't going well for you

Personally, I have not had any problems with Marek's in my flock. I do have Plymouth Rocks (Barred and White). I have not read of Plymouth Rocks being more susceptible than any other breed. Some people have indicated that Silkies, Crested Cream Legbars and Seabrights may be more prone to becoming symptomatic, but I wonder if genetics play a part (?). Birds can be carriers and show no symptoms ever, so it would be very easy to have Marek's passed along in flocks, not to mention wild birds can also spread the disease as well.

It must be very heartbreaking and frustrating, I can't imagine what you are going through. If you have not read the Marek's article by @Nambroth I would do so. There are BYC members that have Marek's in their flock and have learned to deal with symptoms as they arise. Hopefully they can give you some tips to help you manage the disease. I'm very sorry.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

@rebrascora @microchick @orrpeople do you have some tips, suggestions for @jucat60

 

[jucat60]

I'm sorry things aren't going well for you

Personally, I have not had any problems with Marek's in my flock. I do have Plymouth Rocks (Barred and White). I have not read of Plymouth Rocks being more susceptible than any other breed. Some people have indicated that Silkies, Crested Cream Legbars and Seabrights may be more prone to becoming symptomatic, but I wonder if genetics play a part (?). Birds can be carriers and show no symptoms ever, so it would be very easy to have Marek's passed along in flocks, not to mention wild birds can also spread the disease as well.

It must be very heartbreaking and frustrating, I can't imagine what you are going through. If you have not read the Marek's article by @Nambroth I would do so. There are BYC members that have Marek's in their flock and have learned to deal with symptoms as they arise. Hopefully they can give you some tips to help you manage the disease. I'm very sorry.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

@rebrascora @microchick @orrpeople do you have some tips, suggestions for @jucat60

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes it is heartbreaking. Bless you

 

[Kessel23]

Maybe the rest of your flock has been vaccinated, did you get all the birds at the same time and from the same place?

 

[jucat60]

Maybe the rest of your flock has been vaccinated, did you get all the birds at the same time and from the same place?

None of my Aracuana have been vaccinated but quite a few of the other girls have been. None of the Plymouth.

 

[jucat60]

None of my Aracuana have been vaccinated but quite a few of the other girls have been. None of the Plymouth.

I have 12 Aracuana and 20 mixed girls with 2 Roosters and Australorp and Langshan about 14 have been vaccinated in that group.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with this.
Where did you get the rocks and how old were they when you got them?
If you got them as grown on birds from a breeder, that will increase the chances of them bringing Marek's with them and the stress of moving home can trigger an outbreak. Lots of different factors can affect it. Do you have a thread where you have documented the health issues with these birds to give some back ground information on their history? Have you had the diagnosis confirmed via a necropsy? In my opinion, if you suspect Marek's then the chances are that you have it, but a formal diagnosis can be helpful.

I have not heard of Rocks being more predisposed to this disease than others (as Wyorp Rock mentioned, silkies, cream legbars and sebrights seem to be particularly prone), so I would suspect it is something in their history or management that is causing them to have specific problems or your other flock members are too old or too young to be having problems with it (yet!).

 

[Melky]

Hi
I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with this.
Where did you get the rocks and how old were they when you got them?
If you got them as grown on birds from a breeder, that will increase the chances of them bringing Marek's with them and the stress of moving home can trigger an outbreak. Lots of different factors can affect it. Do you have a thread where you have documented the health issues with these birds to give some back ground information on their history? Have you had the diagnosis confirmed via a necropsy? In my opinion, if you suspect Marek's then the chances are that you have it, but a formal diagnosis can be helpful.

I have not heard of Rocks being more predisposed to this disease than others (as Wyorp Rock mentioned, silkies, cream legbars and sebrights seem to be particularly prone), so I would suspect it is something in their history or management that is causing them to have specific problems or your other flock members are too old or too young to be having problems with it (yet!).

I have a small flock with a Barred Rock. No Mareks but did vaccinate all chics on day one and always will. So sorry you are managing this. I also believe less about the breed and more about the history and management. As flock sizes go up the risk increases.

 

[jucat60]

Hi
I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with this.
Where did you get the rocks and how old were they when you got them?
If you got them as grown on birds from a breeder, that will increase the chances of them bringing Marek's with them and the stress of moving home can trigger an outbreak. Lots of different factors can affect it. Do you have a thread where you have documented the health issues with these birds to give some back ground information on their history? Have you had the diagnosis confirmed via a necropsy? In my opinion, if you suspect Marek's then the chances are that you have it, but a formal diagnosis can be helpful.

I have not heard of Rocks being more predisposed to this disease than others (as Wyorp Rock mentioned, silkies, cream legbars and sebrights seem to be particularly prone), so I would suspect it is something in their history or management that is causing them to have specific problems or your other flock members are too old or too young to be having problems with it (yet!).

Thanks so much for your reply. I live in Australia. I originally before this started had 4 Plymouth pullets 3 hens and 2 young roosters. I had one hen I have had for about 3 years the rest of her flock got killed in a fox attack. I bought 4 young chicks about 8 weeks I had the cockerels too they where about 10 weeks when the little girls came from different places then I bought 2 hens about 18 months old. No issues till about 7 weeks ago one of the pullets POL died very suddenly. Then about 5 weeks ago another pullet starting stumbling took her to the vet ? Mareks. I had a necropsy done came back not Mareks but a rare neoplasm they did a really in depth pathology then last week one of the roosters now about 8 months went lame the vet not the pathologist did a necropsy on him she found tumours in his liver. I have my remaining little girls and hens and one rooster. I asked the place where I got the hens from they have never had Mareks. I have 22 chickens adults that are asymptomatic some vaccinated and 12 others not vaccinated not on the Plymouths grazing area. Could I loose my remaining Plymouths what do you suggest? Kind regards Judy The pictures are them just at the back of the house they have a large yard to free range on