Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?

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flocko

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« on: April 19, 2008, 09:49 »
I have a 26 week old Brahma cockerel who for the last 2 days is having trouble standing he just keeps flopping down to the floor as if he has no strengh in his legs. His colour is good and his eyes bright he is eating a little. I have given him some grapes(his favourite) some live yogurt and oats which he has readily eaten. Could he have Mareks? if so what can I do for him,he is currently indoors in the warm.

His other companions (another Brahma cockerel and a Brahma hen) are OK as are my other chickens which are a bit older than this lot. Any help or advise would be appreciated.

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Lost in France

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2008, 11:03 »
Might be Mareks, but you never know really without a P.M. and lets hope it doesn't come to that. I have lost a couple of my silkies to Mareks...if you look at their feet the toes curl up and they become less mobile whilst eating and drinking normally and seem quite alert. I have got them through by doing what you're doing, keep inside in the warm, lots of treats to ensure they remain alert and eating well...radio on for company!!  :roll: :wink: Make sure he keeps drinking and, if he stops eating, give electrolytes in the water by syringe (Dioralyte) Unfortunately the two that I've lost to Marek's were always vulnerable after the first symptoms and eventually, after lots of periods in remission, they have both now died...one was fine for over a year after her first symptoms so you should keep a close eye on him after he recovers, just in case. We had to dispatch the first hen at the end as she was clearly not recovering...although it broke our hearts to do it. I think young birds are the most vulnerable to Marek's but , sadly, it can strike at any age.

If you bought the birds from a large breeder then they should have been vaccinated as chicks but that's not feasable for small breeders.

Do hope he pulls though.

Judi

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flocko

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2008, 15:35 »
Hi Judi

Thanks for the advise, I'm pretty sure its Mareks he cant stand at all now but still eating and drinking little amounts. Time will tell I suppose I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he recovers and the other two dont catch it.

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Lost in France

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2008, 16:44 »
I'm not sure that it's very contageous, my others are all ok. I've got my fingers crossed that he pulls through.

Judi

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Aunt Sally

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2008, 20:10 »
It is very contagious herpes virus and is passed by what is called feather dander.  It can survive for months in poultry house litter and dust, so good hygiene is essential  :!:

Chicks in big flocks are vaccinated at day old (as GrannieAnnie did), I believe it's done with a spray of vaccine.  Chooks which have had Marek's and survived are never cured and will always be a source of infection.  

Very young birds are most susceptible to the disease.  Birds with Marek's will become paralyzed for a few days and then recover, but will eventually die of it  :cry:

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flocko

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2008, 10:50 »
Can it spread to the other chickens regardless of age?

I think my laying hens are safe as we were told they had been vaccinated when we bought them but my other hens are Brahmas that we hatched ourselves and were not vaccinated.

Would it be kinder to the rooster to dispatch him :cry: or should we just wait and see incase its something else. This boy always had an akward gait. Could it be possible he has hip problems especially as he is such a big bird? in either case its not looking good for the poor chap.

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Lost in France

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2008, 11:14 »
:( So sorry he's not better yet...what an aweful decision to have to make. With regards the others, if they've been together for a while, I would have thought that, if it is Mareks, any spread would already have happened but I might be wrong. I had assumed that whatever mine had wasn't very contageous because most have been fine but maybe some build up a resistance...?

It's so sad watching them go downhill, hoping all the time that they'll recover.

Big hugs,
Judi

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fish

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Re: Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2008, 11:34 »
Quote from: "flocko"
I have a 26 week old Brahma cockerel who for the last 2 days is having trouble standing he just keeps flopping down to the floor as if he has no strengh in his legs. His colour is good and his eyes bright he is eating a little. I have given him some grapes(his favourite) some live yogurt and oats which he has readily eaten. Could he have Mareks? if so what can I do for him,he is currently indoors in the warm.

His other companions (another Brahma cockerel and a Brahma hen) are OK as are my other chickens which are a bit older than this lot. Any help or advise would be appreciated.


 jesus! you have a poorly cchicken and you bring it into yer home? what if,allthough unlikely it was H5N1  ???????????????  are you mad????? thats how epidemics start!!!!!

heres how i dealt with it ( the correct way!) :


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Lost in France

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2008, 12:19 »
Am I the only one who thinks the last response was a bit OTT? Should we  think that all poorly chickens have avian flu?? The symptoms described bare absolutely no resemblance to those of avian flu....and bringing a poorly bird indoors is just what we do to help them through!

We're not big breeders, just have a few birds, we're very aware of hygeine etc. The epedemics I've read about start with the big breeders out to make money not those of us who are very careful with our birds and their hygiene!

Whoops...I feel very angry and wound up now....! :evil:

Time for a coffee...

Judi

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Vember

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2008, 13:29 »
Have to say I agree with Judi 100%

My Birds are my babies, if they get sick I look after them the best I can. If that means they come inside then so be it.

My Goose has been raised by me she is our only goose and has lived inside since we got her! Every night she waits at the side door to come in  :lol:  During the day she mixes with my other birds but until she has some company (waiting for eggs to hatch 3 weeks to go) inside she stays!

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Foxy

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2008, 13:32 »
flocko I am so sorry about your Brahma - I know some breeds are more susceptible to others, I hope he makes it and perhaps its something else.

fish - we are all extremely conscious regarding bio-security, risk assessment and keeping ourselves updated through the proper channels ie Defra in order to keep informed re:outbreaks of highly pathogenic HN51

In the UK the worst infection has been identified though a  commercial route those conditions are very different to how we keep our poultry.

In regard to wildfowl transmission the swannery in Dorset with a dense population of 600 swans only had a mortality of 1.8% (11 swans infected out of a population of around 600-mortality 90-100%) that was despite the likely shedding of virus with infected birds before symptoms identified.
This would suggest a very low risk of infection to backyard poultry keepers who in additon would be very aware 1. of local outbreaks through defra
2. maintaining  appropiate levels biosecurity

IMO I would not be paying ANY attention to the media creating scaremongering articles like the one you have posted. (pS Mareks is the correct spelling!!!!)
Thank you

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fish

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2008, 14:14 »
"Am I the only one who thinks the last response was a bit OTT? Should we think that all poorly chickens have avian flu??"

Well given that flocko didnt know what was wrong with the bird ,ie what the symtoms were ,i and anyone with some bio security sence wouldnt have put themselves and the nation at a whole at risk.

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Lost in France

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2008, 14:54 »
I don't wish to cause offence ...but my reading of the posting is that Flocko's bird is bright and feeding but is wobbly on it's pins! Different symptoms entirely to those in the case that set off an avian flu scare!

I'm sure none of us on this forum are unaware of bio-security...and we all take the "appropriate" precautions. When my birds are sick they come indoors but that doesn't mean that we don't wash our hands thoroughly etc etc..after all we don't want to be ill either!

If we all fell victims to media-hype, we'd stick to goldfish and what a sad world we'd live in!!  :roll:

Judi :wink:

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flocko

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2008, 15:07 »
Dear Mr Sanford

Thank you for your comments if you read my intial post you will realise that I have described the symptoms and was asking other forum members for their advise on dealing with this and if they felt I was correct in my diagnosis. Unlike yourself it seems rather than get advise from other forum members  you panic, get the press and DEFRA involved.
flocko
 :wink:

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Ruby Red

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Help!!! Could it be Mareks disease?
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2008, 15:51 »
Quote from: "Lost in France"
Am I the only one who thinks the last response was a bit OTT? Should we  think that all poorly chickens have avian flu?? The symptoms described bare absolutely no resemblance to those of avian flu....and bringing a poorly bird indoors is just what we do to help them through!

We're not big breeders, just have a few birds, we're very aware of hygeine etc. The epedemics I've read about start with the big breeders out to make money not those of us who are very careful with our birds and their hygiene!

Whoops...I feel very angry and wound up now....! :evil:

Time for a coffee...
     
   Ditto Judi. Still dont forget its the age of "Elf n Safety". Quatermas is alive and well lol

Judi
Oh for those halcyon days of England long ago



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