Topic: Marek's disease

[mummybunny]

Paulines7 i fear you were right about Marek's disease you suggested it might be what affected my last chicken which eventually died. Went to let the girls out today and noticed chubs didn't come out of the coop so went to see what was happening as she was top bird and always out first.

Exactly the same symptoms and has now passed away  :(

I had adopted the chickens off someone, the ad was in a local paper. So stupid of me not to check to see if they had there jabs.

out of the 3 that we adopted 2 have died. Only the young light Sussex left just at POL. What i don't understand is i haven't noticed them being any different before they pass away. Same attitudes as they always have then over night there gone?

So i don't know what i should if there is anything to look out for in the others.

The other 4 we have are ex bats so i assume by reading up on it that they would have already been vaccinated? But am worried about the other one we adopted.

What can i do? Do i isolate the light Sussex or would there be no point as the others would already be affected. Whats the likelyhood of the rest of them not being affected?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks Lucy

[mummybunny]

Bump  ;D

[jonny211]

I suspected Mareks in one of mine last Christmas and isolated her for a week, and sterilised the waterers etc. This was the first time one of them had been ill and I wasn't 100% sure what was wrong, the bird was arching her neck all the way back and falling onto her bum. Was that the case with your ones?

Strangely enough after a week in isolation there were no further signs and she's lived on another year, and no similar signs in the other chooks.

I'd isolate her anyway.

[mummybunny]

Hi Jonny211 thanks fr the reply.

The problem is i cant see any other signs before i find them with a floppy neck and they cant stand they just topple over.

I spend time with the girls every day. They free range in the garden and i go out and sit with them all happy acting normal no neck arching or anything!

I have sterilised the water and food feeders and cleaned the coop and run just so strange that there doesn't seem to be any other symptoms. Unless its me being useless and not noticing any. :-\

Thanks Lucy

[Paulines7]

Mummybunny, it definitely sounds like Marek's to me. 

It is probably too late to isolate the Light Sussex hen now.  She may not get it anyway as it seems mainly to affect Marans.  Four of my six Maran chicks that I bought from the market had the disease and died.  Two of the chicks and the other chickens that I already had were all right though. 

After that episode, I steered clear of Merans and, as I already had a Welsummers cross Rhode Island Red cockerel, I bred my own chicks even though they were cross breeds and haven't had to see any more of my chickens suffering with Marek's.

I hope the remaining hens that you have do not go down with the disease.

[mummybunny]

Thanks Paulines7 fingers crossed that the others will be ok.  :)

[slyfox-mal]

 check her eyes and see if they have changed colour from orenge to grey  they can change if its mareks  if not id suspect botulism
also  known as limberneck in chickens