Rookie backyard chicken keeper...with Marek's

[Debbie292d]

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

Not through the eggs, but ON the eggs. Mareks can be spread ON the eggs through an infected hen's dander. Then when they hatch and of course touch the shells, they are exposed. I sterilize the eggs I have shipped here just for that reason.

 

[Debbie292d]

@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.

You're right. There's been a lot of research done, and it's documented in a Facebook group. About a year ago, I bought the Chinese Skullcap Baicilin on eBay, then found a different vendor through the group. It's said to be a prevention for Mareks and AI, and also stalls tumors from growing in those affected. It's not a cure. We've been mixing the prevention dosage x2 in our chicken feed for about a year. Every new chick gets it as well. I can't say if it works but we've had no AI nor Mareks here, and I feel better when people visit who have chickens.

 

[Airyaman]

Not through the eggs, but ON the eggs. Mareks can be spread ON the eggs through an infected hen's dander. Then when they hatch and of course touch the shells, they are exposed. I sterilize the eggs I have shipped here just for that reason.

The eggs were cleaned prior to incubating.

 

[Airyaman]

I just obtained some Chinese skullcap root extract.

Anyone have a clue how I would go about giving this to them? Says it is 100% dissolvable in hot water.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NT6MFGJ

 

[Slothinc]

I just obtained some Chinese skullcap root extract.

Anyone have a clue how I would go about giving this to them? Says it is 100% dissolvable in hot water.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NT6MFGJ

I believe that the powder is mixed with their food - maybe the chart that @Debbie292d posted can help to show the correct ratio? I think you could also put the powder into pill capsules and have them swallow it.

 

[Airyaman]

I believe that the powder is mixed with their food - maybe the chart that @Debbie292d posted can help to show the correct ratio? I think you could also put the powder into pill capsules and have them swallow it.

I did a search and found the dosage, now to figure out how to feed it to them. I gave a boy (yeah, why am I trying to save that guy?) a mixture of ~450g of the extract, greek yogurt and the mini pellet feed and he gulped it all down. The other two, no dice. The boy is in the worse shape, he's staggering and falling alot, so not sure how far I'm going to try with him before it's better to end it. He is not displaying the typical paralysis but I'm certain it's Marek's related.

The two girls are the ones I have to figure out how to get them the dose. 450g didn't look like much in a small bowl but it probably makes a large capsule. That will be hard to get them to swallow.

It says it dissolves in hot water and to some extent it does, but you have to make sure they drink it all and that will be difficult.

 

[Airyaman]

Oops, the stuff I bought is weak . Have to give more! Getting the Maple Leaf Sciences brand is a little tough.

 

[Airyaman]

I had to cull my first chicken today. He had been down for some time now, not paralysis in the way I've seen it described, but still could never stand on his own. He could move his legs and wings, but he just never did it. Then his eyes started changing and I knew I would soon have to consider...

Today I could tell he was ready to let go. I was ready to help him.

I did the broomstick method but I'd never done it and I didn't want to get it wrong and I actually ripped his head off (sorry for being so blunt). I hated that but in the end, what was the difference? It was the same death, quick.

I actually cried. A 58 y.o. man who rarely cries about anything cried over killing a cockerel with severely crooked toes (they have been that way much of his life). A cockerel I didn't need but it was still a life I had helped along for so many weeks...

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I had to cull my first chicken today. He had been down for some time now, not paralysis in the way I've seen it described, but still could never stand on his own. He could move his legs and wings, but he just never did it. Then his eyes started changing and I knew I would soon have to consider...

Today I could tell he was ready to let go. I was ready to help him.

I did the broomstick method but I'd never done it and I didn't want to get it wrong and I actually ripped his head off (sorry for being so blunt). I hated that but in the end, what was the difference? It was the same death, quick.

I actually cried. A 58 y.o. man who rarely cries about anything cried over killing a cockerel with severely crooked toes (they have been that way much of his life). A cockerel I didn't need but it was still a life I had helped along for so many weeks...

I'm so sorry. It's often hard to do the right thing.

 

[Airyaman]

This has been my Marek's journey so far:

I started out with 8 Speckled Sussex chicks I hatched.

One pullet (my avatar) died simply because she stopped eating.

The second pullet died more suddenly but with little outward symptoms.

I was not able to get the first to the state lab but the 2nd said she had tumors indicative of Marek's.

All of the SS flock has symptoms. But some of them are not typical, as per what I've read of Marek's. One has these weird growths on her head that remind me of warts, but they are not like anything I could find online, but I can't think of what else it might be. Not a single other bird shows similar symptoms.

Another has some type of growth on her face that I'm thinking at this point is some type of tumor. I took her to the vet and he prescribed amoxicillin but it did nothing. Then it moved to the other side of her face in her eye, and she looks like she has coryza but she breathes normally and there has always been zero nasal discharge. She is next on the list of potential culls but she maintains weight. Not a single other bird shows similar symptoms. She's been on tylosin for 5 days and zero improvement which makes me think of tumors because 2 different antibiotics have failed to touch these.

A cockerel had something going on with his legs, but he was never paralyzed. I treated him for every vitamin deficiency but he never markedly improved. He was the one I culled.

Another pullet is almost blind and she limps. She does not have paralysis, she acts like the one foot hurts. Not sure how she might have hurt it, she never roosted.

All of them have gray in their eyes now. That was the symptom that sealed the deal with this being Marek's. I have a cockerel and pullet who seem to be otherwise healthy but both have smaller pupils surrounded by gray.

I am attempting to treat them with Chinese Skullcap. I tried to join a Facebook group I found on here but I haven't been approved, so I can't really ask questions of the people who have been doing this.