Potential Marek’s Deaths - NEED HELP

[ChickenBroFLA]

Hey all, long time lurker + first time poster.

Our small farm has been keeping a flock that’s fluctuated from 6-36 for the last 2 years, and currently our numbers consist of:

- 10 (now 9) established flock, 8 of which unknown vaccine status & 2 40 week old hens unvaccinated for marek’s. Our youngest birds in the established flock are 40 weeks old and the oldest are about 2.5-3 years of age.

- 6 teen Cochins, all about 16weeks of age & vaccinated. In our permanent brooder coop & separated from the established flock.

- 3, 2 year old hens we recently adopted are in our quarantine coop. Vaccination status unknown, and they have remained unsocialized to the old flock or teens for 3 weeks now

Well, about 40 weeks ago I adopted what were supposed to be olive eggers from a farm acquaintance, who told me she didn’t vaccinate for Marek’s. Given that we had a healthy established flock, and practice good bio security, I didn’t think this would be an issue….especially now that all hens had reached egg laying age. About 4-5 weeks ago we lost one of those hens to lethargy, started limping, eventually stopped eating and died. We brought her inside for about two weeks trying to give her extra care as best we could, because she didn’t show any usual signs of Marek’s. Well….about 3 weeks ago, a 40 week old hen from the same farm stopped laying eggs, and eventually started showing the same symptoms as the last bird we lost. Today we decided to euthanize her & do a necropsy. We found her lungs were riddled with tumors.

We’re now stuck in a hard place because we have 3 new hens ready to move from quarantine to the established flock (we can wait to move the teenage Cochins) but now we aren’t really sure how to proceed.

Our established flock is made up of mostly rare birds from Greenfire Farms and I’m currently trying not to be pissed about the multiple deaths we’re seeing from the chicks we received from my “friend” (all which turned out not to be true olive eggers) though the two hens we have left from that batch appear to be healthy & maintaining it.

So I’m here to ask: Where do we go from here??? What do I do with our established flock….do we move their coop & run entirely? Do we have to keep these 3 new hens in quarantine for another month?? Is there any saving our flock or are we over worried about the outcome?

I’m worried and understand that Marek’s can be slow forming and there’s little to no saving your birds once it starts taking them out. I am angry that we’re dealing with this at all, and we won’t be adopting any new birds that aren’t initially vaccinated or hatching our own without vaccinating anymore. I have pictures of the necropsy if that is at all helpful.

All advice is much appreciated y’all

 

[azygous]

The tumors on the lungs from your necropsy could point to either Marek's or lymphoid leucosis. Yes, there are two avian viruses that cause tumors and lameness.

I can understand your anger at your friend. I have lymphoid leucosis in my flock and it probably was brought in with the first two adult chickens I adopted from my friend fifteen years ago. And yes, it's still a virus my flock carries. Most people with flocks with avian leucosis don't even know it's in their flock as most chickens are able to develop resistance to it. Marek's also does not kill every chicken that carries it.

Testing might be able to confirm Marek's or LL, but it's kind of complicated, especially if you need to rely on the USPS to get your sample to the lab before it becomes non-viable. Sending a dead chicken to a lab for a necropsy is the best way if you have a state lab nearby.

Knowing for sure what you're dealing with would be the first wise step. Then you will want to examine all the options from culling the infected birds to accepting you have this in your flock and coming up with a plan to manage it.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think it would be hard to know where Mareks came from, if that is what your two chickens died from. It is pretty much everywhere in the world. People here have posted about getting vaccinated chicks from the same hatchery as your rare birds, and every other major hatchery, coming up with a diagnosis of Mareks. It may well have come from her birds, but they also could have gotten it on your land. It takes 2 weeks or more for the Mareks vaccine to achieve immunity, and birds still can get symptoms. Mareks is spread in the dust and dander of chicken feathers, and wild birds can also carry it from flock to flock. First, I would try to get a diagnosis, then go from there. Many of us got into chickens and later wanted to get some more rare birds for egg color. Diseases can be brought in by migrating birds, and in my case, may have been brought in on hatching eggs purchased from someone. I also have a ton of wild birds every year. There are many BYCers who deal with viruses that cause tumors, and there are a lot of threads and articles to read about Mareks if that is what it is affecting your birds. Sorry that you are dealing with this possibility.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome, and I'm sorry for your sick birds.
x3 on getting an actual diagnosis!
There are tests that can be run on live birds for both diseases, if the necropsies come back with answers and you want more information about the rest of your birds. Check with your state veterinary path lab, or one nearby, if you are in the USA. When you know what's going on, you can have a plan.
Meanwhile, strict biosecurity, don't spread this around.
All the best,
Mary

 

[lisa69]

Unfortunatly Markis is a Herpes Virus. Once your flock has it healthy birds vaccinated or not vaccinated can carry it. I guess you and I learned the hard way. Adding teenage and adults birds to your flock is not good biosecurity . Your flock and your environment are contaminated. I started vaccinating all my birds at home. No bird is ever leaving my farm to infect other birds, in other flocks, except very small chicks that Im vaccinating before they are a week old, They are in a strict bio-secured clean room. Im so sorry, It is hard to run PCR testing for Marils , if you don't know what vaccine your vaccianted birds had in the past.