Suspect Marek's; 7 week old pullet; cull the flock?

[clport]

The chick was OK Tuesday morning, but by Tuesday night we found her laying on her side with both legs straight out, her wings were flopping now and then and she was unable to move her neck. I isolated her from the other pullets (there are 5 total girls) using a dog crate and brought her inside for the night. I put food and water with her and tried to make her take water, but she wouldn't open her beak. Before I went to bed I noticed white chalky poop on the towel she was laying on. I also checked her eyes and they are grey, like the photos I've seen of Marek's birds. This morning, she hasn't moved much, but is still breathing. She is still laying on her side, but now not moving her wings at all. She hasn't touched the food and water at all. The poop this morning was brown and watery. She has experienced no trauma at all. The chicks have been going outside during the day for a couple of weeks. I've kept them in a small area in a portable dog fence which I've moved each day to a new spot of grass. We don't treat our yard with any chemicals and they haven't eaten anything other than medicated starter.

I strongly suspect this bird has Marek's and I'm going to ask my husband to put her down when he gets home from work. I've read that if there is neck paralysis there is really no chance of them surviving to recover since the bird can't eat. I'm also leaning toward culling the other 4 pullets. These birds were all purchased from the same local breeder at 2 days old and I've lost 6 total birds since I bought them on Mother's Day. The other ones died within the first 3 days of bringing them home with no clue as to why. All the birds from this breeder are unvaccinated.

I'd appreciate feedback from the veterans here regarding my thoughts about culling my other pullets. I hate to do it because they have really grown on me, but I don't want to have them give the active virus to other chicks I want to bring in.

Thanks for the help!
Carol

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

quoteI strongly suspect this bird has Marek's and I'm going to ask my husband to put her down when he gets home from work. I've read that if there is neck paralysis there is really no chance of them surviving to recover since the bird can't eat. I'm also leaning toward culling the other 4 pullets. These birds were all purchased from the same local breeder at 2 days old and I've lost 6 total birds since I bought them on Mother's Day. The other ones died within the first 3 days of bringing them home with no clue as to why. All the birds from this breeder are unvaccinated.

I'd appreciate feedback from the veterans here regarding my thoughts about culling my other pullets. I hate to do it because they have really grown on me, but I don't want to have them give the active virus to other chicks I want to bring in.

Thanks for the help!
Carol

well what she has is leucosis which is cancer of the eye and is mareks

are the other chicks going to b put in the pens of other chickens?
They may never come down with it
generally it is from a shock such as extreme heat or extreme cold

If not do not dispose of them yet

but it would be blessing for the one affected as she can't see to eat or drink

with that said do this

wet mash with 3 Vitamins for the nervous system

natural probiotic recipe is :
for each chic fed this

3 TBSP of dry crumbles
4-1/2 tbsp of milk, sweet, sour, or buttermilk or a mixture of all or some
1 tbsp of non flavored yoguart ( no artificial sweetmer)
mix good
after putting the vit's in mix good and add
1 tbsp of apple sauce so they will eat it

NOW THE IMPORTANT INGRIEDIENT FOR EACH CHICK FED
and add 1- 1000 mg of Vit E by cutting the end off the vit E capsule for each chick fed this wet mash
1 vit B complex crush and add to mix
and 1 seliunium tablet crushed for each chick fed this wet mash
putting it in the wet mash

this for each chick your treating
so for each chick use 2 tsp of mixture and 1-1000 mg of Vit E
and 1 sleinium tablet crushed in the wet mash probiotic
1 Vit B complex crush pill and add to the wet mash also
twice a day for them till the manure is solid

Feed what they will clean up in 20-30 minutes
then clean wet feeders and restock dry crumbles

do this twice a day for a week

then quit the Vit E and selinium and Vit B complex
make just the wet mash probiotic
then once a week for life

if not medicating the birds use
Apple cider binegar in waterers
do not use ACV with medication


2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar per gallon of the chicken water so their gut flora wil be regulated
they should have this at least 3-5 days a week

the vit's are neccessary to clean up the damaged gut problem


email me any questions so you are not confused

 

[clport]

I put my one very sick chick down yesterday. She didn't even struggle because she was too weak. I couldn't wait for my husband to get home to do it because I felt she was suffering and I didn't want that to continue. I will bury her today very deeply in the ground.

Still up in the air about whether to cull the other 4 hens. They have all been housed together with the very sick one in a 155 gallon rubber trough. I had planned to move them to their fancy new chicken tractor this week when my husband finishes building it. All my chickens will be housed together in the tractor. I know the really sick one had Marek's...no question about it.

I'd really appreciate opinions on culling.
Carol

 

[threehorses]

I wouldn't cull the other ones, Carol. I do believe that your bird had ocular mareks as Glenda said. It sounds like a textbook case.

But that doesn't mean that your other birds will contract it or be effected by it.

The one thing I would do is be sure to vaccinate all future chicks or buy from vaccinated stock.

I had two home-grown chickens develop Marek's in one eye each. Because they only had it in one eye, they were able to function otherwise. All of my other birds were thereafter of vaccinated stock. The last bird with the Marek's lived for over seven years and only died to predation.

I have a new flock with new ground now, all vaccinated, just in case. But I had birds in with the marek's bird that had been unvaccinated and never ever were effected at all. Luck. I'd never do that again, but I didn't know better then.