Viable treatment for Marek's Disease.

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Don't be mad. They were already setting when I got the Marek's news.

I hatched Bantam chicks mid-june. A mix of Silkie, D'Uccle and Cochin. Knowing my flock is positive and the chicks were both unvaccinated and prime breeds for infection, I have been holding my breath for months. We are at prime infection age. They have been on the Chinese Skullcap prophylactic since birth. There are 16 Bantams total. Nothing of note has happened. They are (knock on wood) unrealisticly healthy for at risk birds.

Risk drops at 30 weeks. I'll note progress at that time. I'm thinking I will maintain the prophylactic dosage until they reach 1 year.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Update:

I'm going over some of the research as I recently found a study where the Baicalin in Chinese Skullcap is shown to actually kill the virus for ALV. That's cool news considering it's a virus that doesn't survive long outside a host. We'll put a pin in that for later.

I also found a study that confirms my suspicion that while Chinese Skullcap is a good treatment for viral respiratory infection, it has no prophylactic effect against them.

I took a foray into oregano oil for Marek's and other illnesses. So far, some mentions in academic research, but nothing clinically accredited. It does seem that current recommendations about oregano oil are falling short as to be effective, 'a few drops in water' isn't remotely effective, even as a preventative. It should be a highly potent essential oil made from oregano and not an aromatherapy product in a carrier oil. It should be administered orally, either in a capsule or in feed as it floats on water and would not be consumed by more than one or two birds. No specific dosage found at this time.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Three days ago I noticed one of my legacy hens wasn't her usual active self. She was off roost and huddling near a nest box. I let her be incase she was coming back into lay. That evening, she was still there. I brought her in for observation.

Her crop had a smal lump in it. I gave her some water and broke it up. I then tempted her with fresh corn and some fish. She ate fairly well, but didn't finish.

She roamed around being somewhat active and roosted well for the night.

Yesterday around mid-day she started to decline. I contacted an Avian Specialist, he was supposed to be here tomorrow. Lady passed during the night.

I've been discussing her passing and he says her symptoms and with her history, she passed from a heavy parasite load.

I'm having a consult with a parasite specialist.

Both say it's not Marek's. (I was sweating it ya'll). She has symptoms that are non-Marek's.

In the meantime, I'm off to battle worms.

I'm going to be taking a two day course to learn to identify parasites, what will and will not treat them and how to perform fecal floats at home. I really think fecal float education and Training should be in a BYC keepers reach. Or that fecal floats more easily obtained.

I think I'm going to make that happen.

 

[RubyLady]

Three days ago I noticed one of my legacy hens wasn't her usual active self. She was off roost and huddling near a nest box. I let her be incase she was coming back into lay. That evening, she was still there. I brought her in for observation.

Her crop had a smal lump in it. I gave her some water and broke it up. I then tempted her with fresh corn and some fish. She ate fairly well, but didn't finish.

She roamed around being somewhat active and roosted well for the night.

Yesterday around mid-day she started to decline. I contacted an Avian Specialist, he was supposed to be here tomorrow. Lady passed during the night.

I've been discussing her passing and he says her symptoms and with her history, she passed from a heavy parasite load.

I'm having a consult with a parasite specialist.

Both say it's not Marek's. (I was sweating it ya'll). She has symptoms that are non-Marek's.

In the meantime, I'm off to battle worms.

I'm going to be taking a two day course to learn to identify parasites, what will and will not treat them and how to perform fecal floats at home. I really think fecal float education and Training should be in a BYC keepers reach. Or that fecal floats more easily obtained.

I think I'm going to make that happen.

Poor Lady. I'm so sorry. One of our younger ones who was dragging a wing and recovered is weeks later dragging it again and not eating much. She's still out with the other 5 who are fine. This one is one of the five younger ones of whom we lost three, definitely some kind of paralysis and classic Marek's looking. We did try to treat for vitamin deficiencies and other things but no response to those treatments so we're still just assuming Marek's. But blindness, disorientation, paralysis in the legs, falling to the haunches and sides unable to walk eventually.....yet perky, sweet, eating.....

Oddly though this one did perk up and recover after my husband gave her Safeguard. So I'm wondering if I should get another tube and let him treat her again. Maybe parasites? But a dragging wing and one pupil not right makes me think we're back to Marek's. And since it's a herpes virus, we figured we might see outbreaks now and then, recurrences just like humans have shingles or cold sore or genital herpes outbreaks.

BTW, once you've opened and used some of the Safeguard, how long can we keep it once it's been opened? We ended up throwing it out not knowing if it would stay good once opened. It was probably on the label but my husband never reads anything and he threw it out before I got to read it.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Poor Lady. I'm so sorry. One of our younger ones who was dragging a wing and recovered is weeks later dragging it again and not eating much. She's still out with the other 5 who are fine. This one is one of the five younger ones of whom we lost three, definitely some kind of paralysis and classic Marek's looking. We did try to treat for vitamin deficiencies and other things but no response to those treatments so we're still just assuming Marek's. But blindness, disorientation, paralysis in the legs, falling to the haunches and sides unable to walk eventually.....yet perky, sweet, eating.....

Oddly though this one did perk up and recover after my husband gave her Safeguard. So I'm wondering if I should get another tube and let him treat her again. Maybe parasites? But a dragging wing and one pupil not right makes me think we're back to Marek's. And since it's a herpes virus, we figured we might see outbreaks now and then, recurrences just like humans have shingles or cold sore or genital herpes outbreaks.

BTW, once you've opened and used some of the Safeguard, how long can we keep it once it's been opened? We ended up throwing it out not knowing if it would stay good once opened. It was probably on the label but my husband never reads anything and he threw it out before I got to read it.

Your husband is going to needlessly cost you a fortune.

 

[RubyLady]

Your husband is going to needlessly cost you a fortune.

Hahahaha! Tell me about it. He's a city boy from Australia moved with me to Kansas (I grew up in KCMO) to help care for my dad before he died and then C19 hit so we're just staying since we can't really go back anyway (costs/government stronghold) and it's peaceful here. He still can't figure out four seasons so I end up doing things like running out last minute to drag hoses off the ground before they freeze because he doesn't do what I ask because he DOESN'T THINK THEY NEED TO BE DONE.....And he's home with a chronic illness we didn't know about for years as he declined so I'm the only one working. And I work part-time.....so yeah, sometimes the money waste bugs me. And then he's cheap and won't buy the quality tools he needs.

I definitely don't begrudge him his illness. He worked very hard all his life, but I just wish he'd listen to someone ten years older and who has lived in four season climates, deserts, and Alaska and isn't a complete dunce. We just celebrated our 12th anniversary.

But I do put my foot down on a lot of things now. I am a midwesterner after all and over 60 so I don't take much garbage from anyone. LOL Anyway, when our neighbor gal asked my husband how many chickens we were going to have when I got ten new chicks in the late summer, her husband answered wisely "As many as the wife says she wants." My husband knew then what the score was. Hahaha!

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Hahahaha! Tell me about it. ...

Hey! My hubby doesn't clean. He hides clutter. 5 years into our relationship I put my foot down. He's not allowed to clean, he is required to hire a cleaner once a week.

We had a party once at his townhouse (we were getting married). He 'put stuff away'. After the party over half my wardrobe had disappeared. I couldn't find it. Two years later we were moving. I noticed a closet I never paid attention to before. It had ALL the missing clothes, towels and laundry baskets stuffed in it.

He lived, but rules were made.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Well kids, I'm gonna seque the plan. We've got confirmed cases of Avian Flu less than 100 miles from us. Since Baicalin is alleged to kill the Avian Flu virus, I'll be trippling the Dailey prophylactic dose and crossing my fingers.

I'm on the coast and migratory birds are flying over us consistently all day long. No amount of biosecurity is going to protect my flock.

 

[RubyLady]

Well kids, I'm gonna seque the plan. We've got confirmed cases of Avian Flu less than 100 miles from us. Since Baicalin is alleged to kill the Avian Flu virus, I'll be trippling the Dailey prophylactic dose and crossing my fingers.

I'm on the coast and migratory birds are flying over us consistently all day long. No amount of biosecurity is going to protect my flock.

I ordered the tincture and I know the dose and how many drops that is, but I also have the powder (from eBay) and still don't quite know what a "dose" is. Additionally, I'm not even sure how to dose a chicken with something liquid, if I wanted to use the tincture.

Do you have experience administering a tincture dose? And if you are using powder, how much powder per adult chicken?

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

I ordered the tincture and I know the dose and how many drops that is, but I also have the powder (from eBay) and still don't quite know what a "dose" is. Additionally, I'm not even sure how to dose a chicken with something liquid, if I wanted to use the tincture.

Do you have experience administering a tincture dose? And if you are using powder, how much powder per adult chicken?

My math had to be updated. 1 Tbsp of powder treats 30 birds daily. Mix it in their food. I serve a 'Chicken Dinner in the coop, at dark.

The tincture is 1 ml 2 X daily. This is the dosage for a sick bird.

I have no problem dosing birds with the tincture.

Put the bird on your left side. Hold by the head, pinned with your forearm.

Stretch the neck, tilt head up and to the right. Pry beak open with the tip of your finger by putting pressure on the skin wear the beak meets the head. (Lips?).

Insert dropper into the right side of the beak and empty on the back right side of the mouth.

Cl8se beak immediately and put head back straight and level with body.

Let go.