I am starting this thread, hoping to help those of you looking for answers, for a possible Marek’s outbreak in your flock. The “M” word is used a lot and not always the right answer. It concerns me that birds are possibly being misdiagnosed and usually lost when a simple course of an antibiotic or vitamins could have been given and the bird's life saved. A lot of the diseases that affect poultry start with similar symptoms. Each symptom needs to be looked at individually and how it is affecting the whole bird. It is my hope that others who have [Marek’s in their flock], will contribute to this thread with symptoms they have seen and anything else that may help someone who might.
The first thing anyone suspecting Marek’s should do is first isolate the affected bird, start the bird on a good poultry vitamin and probiotic. If the bird is showing any type of respiratory issues, a course of antibiotic wouldn’t be a bad thing either. If the sick bird should die, every effort should be made to have a necropsy done through your State or local Veterinarian. Without some form of testing, you will never know for sure what you are dealing with and may be dooming any future poultry on your property.
I recommend a 7-14 day course of Duramycin-10, at ½ tbls. per gallon of water. This is my personal choice and what I readily have on hand. Others will tell you their preferences for antibiotics and how it relates to their bird’s symptoms. I will tell you this, if your bird recovers after this treatment, it’s most likely not Marek’s.
Poor nutrition can play a huge role in Marek’s like symptoms. The vitamins listed below are the usual culprits with paralysis and neurological symptoms.
The Fat soluble vitamins;
Vitamins A, D and E
Care must be taken when giving these vitamins above the recommended daily dose as they can build up to toxic level in the body!
The Water soluble vitamins;
The B vitamins; especially..
Thiamin-B1
Riboflavin-B2
Niacin-B3
Pyridoxine-B6
Vitamin-B12
Choline
One should always be aware that there can be problems with the commercial feed we buy for our birds. We may not even know there has been a recall on our feed until it is too late. When I have a bird or birds that start to show any kind of health issue, I switch their feed to another brand as well as add a good poultry vitamin supplement to their water. I have even taken a human Super B Complex tablet and added 1/2 to a whole tablet to 1 gallon of water, depending on the symptoms and their severity.
Now let’s look at the list of diseases, with respiratory symptoms, that can mimic the paralysis of Marek‘s.
Newcastle Disease [viral] - can be passed through the egg but embryos normally die before hatching, airborne for short distances, poor biosecurity and bird to bird contact
Mycoplasma Synoviae [bacterial] - passed through egg, airborne for short distances and bird to bird contact
Aspergillus [fungal] - litter contaminated with spores, drinking water and feed can also be the cause.
Avian Influenza [viral] - rodents, humans, contaminated equipment
Now some without respiratory symptoms;
Botulism [bacterial] - stagnant water, wet litter, decaying vegetation, fly maggots...
Infectious Tenosynovitis [viral] - respiratory and feces
Fowl Cholera [bacterial] - flock additions, wild birds, predators and rodents
E.coli [bacterial] - contaminated feed, water, feces
Avian Encephalomyelitis [viral] - passed through the egg from infected hen, bird to bird contact, feed contaminated with fecal matter from infected birds once cured, birds do not carry this disease
Equine Encephalitis [viral] - infected mosquitoes, also can be spread by cannibalism of infected flock mates
Rickets [nutritional] - not spread, vitamin deficiency
If after reading about these possible alternatives to Marek's, you still do not have a solution to the problem, Start a thread under the Emergency Forum and please include the following information.
Detailed list of any and all symptoms and date they started or were first noticed.
Age of bird and breed
Type, brand of feed and any treats
Supplements added to water or feed
All vaccinations, medications this bird has had during it’s life.
Where and when did you get this bird/birds
Biosecurity measures practiced with your birds.
Pictures, if you can, showing behavior, eyes, skin or feather problems, anything that is making you think this may be an outbreak of Marek's. The pictures are our 'eyes' and sometimes descriptions can be understood differently than what is actually happening.
Live bird testing
http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests_service...sease-(PCR)&unit_id=1187&unit_effdt=02-JUN-10
Finding your State Vet for necropsy
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/nervous/
http://ocw.tufts.edu/Content/60/lecturenotes/799092
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1094/2902-1094_pdf.pdf
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/webpages/cart-6ptvyh
http://www.poultryhub.org/health/disease/types-of-disease/mareks-disease-virus-or-mdv/
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/jul01/marek0701.htm?pf=1
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/neoplasms/mareks_disease_in_poultry.html?qt=Marek's&alt=sh
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...min_deficiencies_in_poultry.html?qt=Paralysis
Symptoms I have seen in my birds;
Early case of severe coccidiosis, before the birds even hit the ground. 2-3 weeks of age. This then turned into a case of enterititis and in spite of the proper drugs given, these birds are way undersized and honestly look like Dr. Seuss critters. Not very scientific, but truthful.
Unsteady walk/gait which progressed to paralysis in one or more legs. 6-10 weeks of age. Most of these birds were culled as they could not make it on their own. They were starving to death before my eyes even though they were being hand feed and given vitamins as a regular suppliment.
The ones that recovered from one leg involvement normally went on to the 6 month mark and developed changes in their eyes and developed blindness and rapidly went down hill and eventually died. The ones that passed this age marker are still alive and laying eggs and breeding. Still look like Dr. Seuss critters and much smaller than they should be. The females were hit much harder than the males and the Dark Cornish, male and female, were hit the least. Smaller, but still alive and thriving. There is something about the Dark Cornish....they are smaller than they should be, but have fought off the Marek's and thrived. I am currently breeding crosses of these birds to get the best inherent resistance possible.
If you decide to keep your birds for breeding and hatching of eggs, know that these birds are going to come down with everything that's out there. Biosecurity is extremely important. Be aware, that you can pick up all kinds of things just going to the feed store, bringing it home to your compromised birds. There is life after Marek's...it just takes a whole lot more thinking and planning.
Best of luck to all of you! May your bird's sicknesses be cured with an antibiotic and their lives long.
The first thing anyone suspecting Marek’s should do is first isolate the affected bird, start the bird on a good poultry vitamin and probiotic. If the bird is showing any type of respiratory issues, a course of antibiotic wouldn’t be a bad thing either. If the sick bird should die, every effort should be made to have a necropsy done through your State or local Veterinarian. Without some form of testing, you will never know for sure what you are dealing with and may be dooming any future poultry on your property.
I recommend a 7-14 day course of Duramycin-10, at ½ tbls. per gallon of water. This is my personal choice and what I readily have on hand. Others will tell you their preferences for antibiotics and how it relates to their bird’s symptoms. I will tell you this, if your bird recovers after this treatment, it’s most likely not Marek’s.
Poor nutrition can play a huge role in Marek’s like symptoms. The vitamins listed below are the usual culprits with paralysis and neurological symptoms.
The Fat soluble vitamins;
Vitamins A, D and E
Care must be taken when giving these vitamins above the recommended daily dose as they can build up to toxic level in the body!
The Water soluble vitamins;
The B vitamins; especially..
Thiamin-B1
Riboflavin-B2
Niacin-B3
Pyridoxine-B6
Vitamin-B12
Choline
One should always be aware that there can be problems with the commercial feed we buy for our birds. We may not even know there has been a recall on our feed until it is too late. When I have a bird or birds that start to show any kind of health issue, I switch their feed to another brand as well as add a good poultry vitamin supplement to their water. I have even taken a human Super B Complex tablet and added 1/2 to a whole tablet to 1 gallon of water, depending on the symptoms and their severity.
Now let’s look at the list of diseases, with respiratory symptoms, that can mimic the paralysis of Marek‘s.
Newcastle Disease [viral] - can be passed through the egg but embryos normally die before hatching, airborne for short distances, poor biosecurity and bird to bird contact
Mycoplasma Synoviae [bacterial] - passed through egg, airborne for short distances and bird to bird contact
Aspergillus [fungal] - litter contaminated with spores, drinking water and feed can also be the cause.
Avian Influenza [viral] - rodents, humans, contaminated equipment
Now some without respiratory symptoms;
Botulism [bacterial] - stagnant water, wet litter, decaying vegetation, fly maggots...
Infectious Tenosynovitis [viral] - respiratory and feces
Fowl Cholera [bacterial] - flock additions, wild birds, predators and rodents
E.coli [bacterial] - contaminated feed, water, feces
Avian Encephalomyelitis [viral] - passed through the egg from infected hen, bird to bird contact, feed contaminated with fecal matter from infected birds once cured, birds do not carry this disease
Equine Encephalitis [viral] - infected mosquitoes, also can be spread by cannibalism of infected flock mates
Rickets [nutritional] - not spread, vitamin deficiency
If after reading about these possible alternatives to Marek's, you still do not have a solution to the problem, Start a thread under the Emergency Forum and please include the following information.
Detailed list of any and all symptoms and date they started or were first noticed.
Age of bird and breed
Type, brand of feed and any treats
Supplements added to water or feed
All vaccinations, medications this bird has had during it’s life.
Where and when did you get this bird/birds
Biosecurity measures practiced with your birds.
Pictures, if you can, showing behavior, eyes, skin or feather problems, anything that is making you think this may be an outbreak of Marek's. The pictures are our 'eyes' and sometimes descriptions can be understood differently than what is actually happening.
Live bird testing
http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests_service...sease-(PCR)&unit_id=1187&unit_effdt=02-JUN-10
Finding your State Vet for necropsy
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/nervous/
http://ocw.tufts.edu/Content/60/lecturenotes/799092
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1094/2902-1094_pdf.pdf
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/webpages/cart-6ptvyh
http://www.poultryhub.org/health/disease/types-of-disease/mareks-disease-virus-or-mdv/
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/jul01/marek0701.htm?pf=1
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/neoplasms/mareks_disease_in_poultry.html?qt=Marek's&alt=sh
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...min_deficiencies_in_poultry.html?qt=Paralysis
Symptoms I have seen in my birds;
Early case of severe coccidiosis, before the birds even hit the ground. 2-3 weeks of age. This then turned into a case of enterititis and in spite of the proper drugs given, these birds are way undersized and honestly look like Dr. Seuss critters. Not very scientific, but truthful.
Unsteady walk/gait which progressed to paralysis in one or more legs. 6-10 weeks of age. Most of these birds were culled as they could not make it on their own. They were starving to death before my eyes even though they were being hand feed and given vitamins as a regular suppliment.
The ones that recovered from one leg involvement normally went on to the 6 month mark and developed changes in their eyes and developed blindness and rapidly went down hill and eventually died. The ones that passed this age marker are still alive and laying eggs and breeding. Still look like Dr. Seuss critters and much smaller than they should be. The females were hit much harder than the males and the Dark Cornish, male and female, were hit the least. Smaller, but still alive and thriving. There is something about the Dark Cornish....they are smaller than they should be, but have fought off the Marek's and thrived. I am currently breeding crosses of these birds to get the best inherent resistance possible.
If you decide to keep your birds for breeding and hatching of eggs, know that these birds are going to come down with everything that's out there. Biosecurity is extremely important. Be aware, that you can pick up all kinds of things just going to the feed store, bringing it home to your compromised birds. There is life after Marek's...it just takes a whole lot more thinking and planning.
Best of luck to all of you! May your bird's sicknesses be cured with an antibiotic and their lives long.
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