update mareks: hungry 4 mo old rooster cant stand up

[Eggcessive]

thank you eggcessive - 
i've started the long 2000 thread not an emergency mareks in flock.  it is heartbreaking and useful at the same time.

the rest of the flock seems fine but includes pullets that are about the same age that hatched out in the flock...plus one remaining legbar.

You're welcome. I remember your little banty hen last year with the mysterious illness, and wondered if she may have had Mareks, since it is such a strange and different illness in every case. I also was wondering about this guy possibly having coccidiosis that could be making him so weak and ill that he could be having neurological symptoms. I know you don't like to use a lot of chemicals, but I agree with Kathy that treating with Corid may help if that could be the cause of his problems.

 

[lalaland]

Awwww I'm sorry. There are diseases that mimic Mereks. I'm sure sorry though.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...breeding-for-resistance-to-mareks-disease/240
This thread helped me. It gave me some support and you can see everyone's frustration with MD.

Thanks, I appreciate the link. I really need the idea of life ahead right now.

 

[lalaland]

You're welcome. I remember your little banty hen last year with the mysterious illness, and wondered if she may have had Mareks, since it is such a strange and different illness in every case. I also was wondering about this guy possibly having coccidiosis that could be making him so weak and ill that he could be having neurological symptoms. I know you don't like to use a lot of chemicals, but I agree with Kathy that treating with Corid may help if that could be the cause of his problems.

Kathy and Eggcessive,
I know! it made me go back and think of Mrs Murphy - she was wasting, and then I had a year old sulmtaler die overnight - but she had egg yolk and egg white being expelled when I picked her up off the coop floor so I think she might have been an internal egg layer . But, the legbar pullet died just a few weeks ago too

I realized that for the past two springs, I have brought in non hatchery birds who weren't vaccinated, and they are the ones who have been dying. I knew you could get the vaccine but thought it had to be done within 36 hours...


This morning he was way way worse, and I think his internal organs were shutting down. He only had one dropping yesterday all day, until late evening when I picked him up to reposition him and the act of picking him up caused an explosive dropping. I took him to the Univ of MN vet pathology lab this morning. He was very quiet on the 75 mile drive down. They will euthanize him and do a necropsy. Results in 1-2 weeks. At least I will know for sure.

He had explosive diarrhea outside the building when I picked him up out of the carrier, and I told the receptionist that I suspected mareks and wanted to clean up the droppings. She sent a haz mat team to deal with it - given that I was on the ag campus and she understood immediately the risk of the droppings on the driveway. I was glad because I was worried about bringing this live chicken with possible mareks there because of the exposure issues.

 

[JensChickies]

Kathy and Eggcessive,
I know!  it made me go back and think of Mrs Murphy - she was wasting, and then I had a year old sulmtaler die overnight - but she had egg yolk and egg white being expelled when I picked her up off the coop floor so I think she might have been an internal egg layer .  But, the legbar pullet died just a few weeks ago too

I realized that for the past two springs, I have brought in non hatchery birds who weren't vaccinated, and they are the ones who have been dying.  I  knew you could get the vaccine but thought it had to be done within 36 hours...


This morning he was way way worse, and I think his internal organs were shutting down.  He only had one dropping yesterday all day, until late evening when I picked him up to reposition him and the act of picking him up caused an explosive dropping.  I took him to the Univ of MN vet pathology lab this morning.  He was very quiet on the 75 mile drive down.  They will euthanize him and do a necropsy.  Results in 1-2 weeks.  At least I will know for sure.

He had explosive diarrhea outside the building when I picked him up out of the carrier, and I told the receptionist that I suspected mareks and wanted to clean up the droppings. She sent a haz mat team to deal with it - given that I was on the ag campus and she understood immediately the risk of the droppings on the driveway.  I was glad because I was worried about bringing this live chicken with possible mareks there because of the exposure issues.

Aww I'm sorry.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss of your cockerel Lala. Please let us know how the necropsy results turn out. I am hoping it wasn't Mareks.

 

[lalaland]

thanks. I'm thinking it is going to mareks and since it takes almost two weeks to find out!! I'm going to act as if it is.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
I'm glad you're getting a necropsy. Saves a lot of guessing.

 

[casportpony]

thanks. I'm thinking it is going to mareks and since it takes almost two weeks to find out!! I'm going to act as if it is.

They should have a preliminary report well before then, so call and ask.

-Kathy

 

[lalaland]

I had a phone conversation with the vet from the path lab today. THe rooster had encephalitis, no tumors, a little cocci but not much. Vet says mareks, unless newcastle disease test comes back positive but he thinks that is highly unlikely because two other viruses that also cause encephalitis came back negative. So preliminary finding is mareks, and I'll get the written stuff in a week or two.

****. I am reading the building immunity in a flock after mareks thread.
thanks everyone.

 

[seminolewind]

Sorry about the rooster. That's interesting that he had encephalitis and no tumors. I guess Marek's can attack anything. If it attacked the brain , I wonder how common it is.