To cull or not to cull???

[seminolewind]

Is she losing weight or pooping bright green?

About culling, I would wait until YOU have accepted it. Sometimes we owners dealing with a favorite chicken need a bit of time to accept that there's nothing that can be done.

 

[cgmccary]

My advice: see how she gets along & if she gets worse & does not improve, then put her down. If Marek's, then she is not in pain just becoming paralyzed.

I had a pullet and cockerel in the same year make full recoveries after losing use of both legs. Stood up, both of them, on the day or so when I was going to put them down. It was the last year I saw Marek's -- a couple of years ago -- at that time, a sign of improvement? -- I don't know.

I had a friend, it wiped out half his flock in short time. Mine, I'd only lose 1 or 2 birds a year, then, after I changed my breeding tactics, no more Marek's.

 

[kylieschooks]

I think I will read into mareks disease so that I know more about it.

What I'm confused about is, say my sick bird has got this disease and all the others have contacted it, does this mean no matter if I was to get rid of flock and start again they will always catch this disease??

Can it harm humans? Just worried as my 2 year old daughter handles them

Thanks

 

[Natalijaasbj]

NO MAREK'S DOES NOT AFFECT THE HUMANS.
Cgmaccary, very good explanation.
I would just still carantine her because, you do not want to xpose the healthy birds too much. Plus, the healthy birds will probably be mean to her.
Although I am in doubt now about Marek's and your bird. Because when mine got the "limping" thing - it did not "continue" for months. I saw it , and then bird detiriorated with every three days. Very soon ( probably in a couple of weeks, they would sit most of the time, because it gets more and more difficult to walk, then they start walking on their shanks(not sure if it is a right word). Then they just stretch the leg ahead all the time. And then they get paralized more and more. If you see the condition is the same for a month - it might be something different. But she needs to be isolated nevertheless and you watch her if she gets better.
May be someone else will chime in with expertise here.

 

[kylieschooks]

It's a sad day, she has just been culled :-( she wasn't eating and I noticed that her right eye was shut and had bubbles coming out of it :-(. Which I've read is another sign of mareks. I am devestatedand now VERY worried.

What shall I do for my other birds??? I'm so worried and sad.

Also if it is this disease why did the bird get it? I clean my coop weekly and scoop the poop everyday, they are very clean chickens, I thought I was looking after them really good.

:-(

 

[ten chicks]

It's a sad day, she has just been culled :-( she wasn't eating and I noticed that her right eye was shut and had bubbles coming out of it :-(. Which I've read is another sign of mareks. I am devestatedand now VERY worried.

What shall I do for my other birds??? I'm so worried and sad.

Also if it is this disease why did the bird get it? I clean my coop weekly and scoop the poop everyday, they are very clean chickens, I thought I was looking after them really good.

:-(

My condolences,very heartbreaking. The bubbles in her eye could also have be a result of an eye infection,my silkie had an eye infection with bubbles in one eye only,nothing serious.

 

[Natalijaasbj]

If you are really conserned, contact your government avian laboratory and get her necropsy done. They charged me 20$ for necropsy to confirm possible Marek's. If I were you I would MAKE sure I find out what is going on.
I do a deep litter. You clean it often - Marek's can get to them from wild birds. I will vaccinate next time I get the chicks.

 

[Natalijaasbj]

Yes, and I am sorry for your loss!!!
But do not be frustrated. As some avian scientist said . There are only two types of backyard flocks - the one that has Marek's and the one that WILL have Marek's. some people go without vaccination, they try to breed birds who survive and eventually have a Marek's resistant flock, but it is not for emotional people like me. I can not stand dying birds ( at least not too often), so "natural selection " type of management is too hard on me.
But one advise I got here on the website. If you want to raise chickens - be prepared for some dying anyways. The are not so resistant as dogs for example, that's why probably they multiply so rapidly.

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

It's a sad day, she has just been culled :-( she wasn't eating and I noticed that her right eye was shut and had bubbles coming out of it :-(. Which I've read is another sign of mareks. I am devestatedand now VERY worried.

What shall I do for my other birds??? I'm so worried and sad.

Also if it is this disease why did the bird get it? I clean my coop weekly and scoop the poop everyday, they are very clean chickens, I thought I was looking after them really good.

:-(

Mareks typically only affects young birds so the best thing you could do is not bring in any new young birds. Mareks is not transferable through eggs so when/if you get new chicks you will want them vaccinated for Mareks and you will want to quarantine the chicks away from the other birds for atleast 6 weeks. As for your current birds they should be fine. They are probably carriers for Mareks but they will not show symptoms unless put under heavy stress. You did the right thing culling the sick bird now just continue to care for your birds in a good manner like you have been and try not to worry to much. A necropsy is obviously a very good idea as well.

 

[kylieschooks]

Yea

My condolences,very heartbreaking. The bubbles in her eye could also have be a result of an eye infection,my silkie had an eye infection with bubbles in one eye only,nothing serious.

Yeah possibly an eye infection, but this is one of the symptoms of mareks right?