Marek's, to the best of my knowledge, Karen, is not a respiratory ailment. It usually attacks the central nervous system and typically will cause paralysis in the legs and feet. With some strains of Marek's, there may even be blindness, though I don't know if it causes the pupils to become distorted. The "death rattle" as you call it could be IB [infectious bronchitis] and if this is the case, you need to isolate him from the rest of the flock as soon as possible. As the name implies, it is highly contagious!
How old is your boy? Are there any other symptoms besides listlessness, lack of appetite and the sounds of respiratory congestion? Let us know. When we all put our heads together, we can, and often do, come up with an answer!
Serrin, I so appreciate your reply here. But I've been having a few deaths over the last 2 years, and didn't put it together until I had 10 chicks die last summer, 8-16 weeks , with paralysis, gasping, wasting, etc. The adults have more of the wasting. I know they have Marek's. The two chicks that Clarence grew up with both died before they were 10 months old. He's lasting a long time.
My silkie roo was the first one-2 years ago. He was 2 years old, he got paralysis, wasting, one eye went gray, lost control of his neck. He was in a crate on my patio, and crowed every morning till the end. I did take him to the vet to put him down. There's just some of mine that I just can't do myself.
This all stemmed from a sillkie pullet I brought home from a "breeder", the only one I didn't hatch here or get as a day old from a hatchery. I broke my own promise not to bring any chickens home, and I did. All it took was one. She eventually wasted and died. A few months later, a pullet died. Then a few months later another wasted and died. Out of the 7 Jerseys I hatched from Kathy's eggs, one died at 8 months old, wasted. The rest are fine. Last summer I got some eggs and let my silkies hatch them, they all died, there were 10 of them, . But my silkie's own babies hatched by them were all fine. Must have been some maternal resistance passed on. They are all still good.
My older flock , about 16 chickens, has been fine. I also have 5 hens, 4 youngsters out there vaccinated and they are all good. I have seven 5 week olds on my patio that were vaccinated and 5 more in the house. I keep them separate about 10-12 weeks. And it's been a real ordeal not to cross contaminate .
Like Cynthia has gone thru with the hens and their internal laying, it's just so sad to be helpless. I am always on the lookout for skinny chickens or green poo.
Clarence has been wasting for many months. Lately, his pupils have looked odd. They are not round, they have some distorted shape to them. His poo is bright green, and he can't clear his secretions in his throat, that's the rattle. Where he used to give all his treats to the girls, he now takes them away from the girls.
If you want to know all I have obsessively learned in the past year, I have some links at the bottom of my posts. I hope none of you ever have to go through this. I've been working real hard educating members here by talking about it alot, and helping people understand it. Most people know the classic symptoms that are easy to see. But there is so much more.
Cetawin, your goobers are so cute! May you have many girls!
