Rookie backyard chicken keeper...with Marek's

[Airyaman]

I have 5 flocks of various sizes. My three oldest flocks thus far have been healthy (knock on wood) but now there is apparently Marek's in my Speckled Sussex flock, which is almost 17 weeks old.

I guess that makes sense. It has been my "problem flock" as I've said in other threads. My avatar was my very first hatched chicken to die or even have issues at all. I was unable to send her off for a necroscopy, but when a 2nd pullet died, that one I did. According to the report, she had coccidiosis and lymphomas characteristic of Marek's. Oddly enough though, they did not do a PCR to confirm.

But now the other chickens in that flock with their various issues make more sense. The one with the ongoing wound on her face, the one with weird growths on her head, it all adds up. And now today I noticed another had very weird eyes. All of these signs (though the first could be anything) kind of confirms it. Even with the weird growths which I have not been able to match to any photos online could be chalked up to something else, but the one with weird eyes is much harder to ignore in confirmation of Marek's.

That really sucks. First of all, I hate the sickness and death. But it changes the whole future as I had planned to breed some of the same kind (CCLs) and breed some of my own mixes (was going to do JG roos with Black Australorps, some others maybe) but that is out. I don't want to hatch eggs just to wait until 9 weeks to watch many of them get symptoms and die.

Of course, there is always vaccinated chicks if I want to continue this hobby, but that goes against all of the my plans. Oh well, plans change.

It's amazing to me they haven't come up with a better way for the small time chicken keeper to vaccinate!

So as a reminder for those who haven't seen my other threads on my various Speckled Sussex problem chickens, and now my latest, here is what is happening to this poor flock:

Infected sinus, wound or...? Been on antibiotics since last week, not really getting better. She eats and drinks but her life otherwise is touch and go. This was from a 15 days ago and it's just bigger with a larger hole:

Weird growths. Cutaneous form of Marek's? I've still yet to see another online photo with these similar growths, but what else could it be? She is otherwise healthy and active. She actually weighs more than the two cockerels! She picked one of them off today (the one under her eye) and left a bloody spot but her eye is now more open!

So sure I could say, OK, is it really Marek's? Until this one:

So it's frustrating to just start this hobby this year and run into Marek's. I can't really isolate them anymore because they've been all over the yard around the coops and runs just like the other birds. I'm just going to have to deal with it and hope that the losses aren't too great.

 

[Airyaman]

What's weird is this this flock also has the worse feet of any of my birds. The pullets aren't too bad but both cockerels have very crooked toes. Does Marek's do anything to the toes? I'll try to get photos tomorrow to demonstrate.

 

[Slothinc]

@Airyaman I am so sorry you are going through this. Were these chicks that you hatched on your own or did they come from somewhere else? Personally I would probably cull any in that flock that are having problems that diminish their quality of life (easier said than done, I know!)

There is something that can help with Mareks, I believe it is a skullcap mushroom supplement. I think I have seen @Debbie292d recommend it on here, maybe she could give more info. I think it is something that you mix in with their food to prevent symptoms or spread. I’m sorry my mind is totally spacing out right now.

 

[Airyaman]

@Airyaman I am so sorry you are going through this. Were these chicks that you hatched on your own or did they come from somewhere else? Personally I would probably cull any in that flock that are having problems that diminish their quality of life (easier said than done, I know!)

There is something that can help with Mareks, I believe it is a skullcap mushroom supplement. I think I have seen @Debbie292d recommend it on here, maybe she could give more info. I think it is something that you mix in with their food to prevent symptoms or spread. I’m sorry my mind is totally spacing out right now.

Hatched from Ebay eggs.

Right now the only one currently struggling with a "quality of life" is the one with the wound/sore on her face. She eats, she drinks, she maintains weight, but not much more. The one with yellow growths has a otherwise normal chicken life, and the one with weird eyes can follow my finger when I move it around in front of her (she also eats and drinks fine).

 

[Mother of Chaos]

View attachment 4206045

What are you seeing in the eyes? Chicken eyes all look so different to me that I’m not seeing anything.

I hope you notify the Ebay seller. Maybe they have a conscience. Edited per OP’s reply below.

 

[Airyaman]

What are you seeing in the eyes? Chicken eyes all look so different to me that I’m not seeing anything.

I hope you notify the Ebay seller. Maybe they have a conscience.

Marek's doesn't pass down through eggs. Not sure where it came from, but after reading alot about it, it could be anywhere.

Knock on wood, none of the birds outside of the flock appear to be showing any symptoms yet.

As for what I'm seeing, from a distance, she has pinpoint black pupils that never expand. Surrounding the black pupil is gray, and then the normal color.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

You mentioned vaccination - I do buy vaccinated 6-8-week-old pullets locally, but Marek’s vaccination is like Covid vax: it doesn’t prevent infection (minimizes the chances a bit) but instead reduces the severity of the disease. I think it’s worth it, but I know it doesn’t keep a chicken Marek-free.

I’m so sorry! Speckled Sussex is such a lovely breed.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Marek's doesn't pass down through eggs. Not sure where it came from, but after reading alot about it, it could be anywhere.

Knock on wood, none of the birds outside of the flock appear to be showing any symptoms yet.

Oh, of course, sorry.

 

[Airyaman]

You mentioned vaccination - I do buy vaccinated 6-8-week-old pullets locally, but Marek’s vaccination is like Covid vax: it doesn’t prevent infection (minimizes the chances a bit) but instead reduces the severity of the disease. I think it’s worth it, but I know it doesn’t keep a chicken Marek-free.

I’m so sorry! Speckled Sussex is such a lovely breed.

Yes, my very first chicken is "Pixie" (I've only named 4 chickens so far out of dozens!). She was a lone Speckled Sussex out 6 eggs. My plan with the new group was to eventually integrate her with this flock. Marek's changed that obviously. But now I'm concerned about her, she has been acting odd lately, or maybe I'm reading too much into her behavior.

She is in my first flock. She tends to stay out with the two CCL boys. Not because she likes them, but she is the "odd bird out". But she has been resting much more than she has been foraging lately, though she still seems to have full body movement and no stagger. She flies exceptionally well, best of all of my chickens. I had to get her off the roof of the run this evening.

Her eyes are a hazel color, which either means the virus is working on her eyes or she is not pure SS (honestly, I never looked until now as to her eye color). I hope it is the latter.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Yes, my very first chicken is "Pixie" (I've only named 4 chickens so far out of dozens!). She was a lone Speckled Sussex out 6 eggs. My plan with the new group was to eventually integrate her with this flock. Marek's changed that obviously. But now I'm concerned about her, she has been acting odd lately, or maybe I'm reading too much into her behavior.

She is in my first flock. She tends to stay out with the two CCL boys. Not because she likes them, but she is the "odd bird out". But she has been resting much more than she has been foraging lately, though she still seems to have full body movement and no stagger. She flies exceptionally well, best of all of my chickens. I had to get her off the roof of the run this evening.

Her eyes are a hazel color, which either means the virus is working on her eyes or she is not pure SS (honestly, I never looked until now as to her eye color). I hope it is the latter.

So much to deal with; just heartbreaking. Hugs to you and your girls.