We have sadly become a Mareks flock like so many others. No one knows where it came from (all of our chicks were day olds and said to be vaccinated) however since September 2021 we have lost 6 of our birds, starting with the youngest at 5 months. Over the past 2 years, we gradually lost birds every few months, but was hoping once they passed 1.5 years they would be safe. We lost our last Silkie Christmas Eve (necropsy said maybe Mareks, there was no internal evidence as my other birds) but it could also have been head trauma as they often have thin skulls and she was definitely on the bottom of the pecking order. I don't think the lab did a cranial check. When we submitted her, she barely moved, and was classed as "obtunded".
We now have only 3 birds left, one is just now 2 years old, the others are 4-5 years old. This week I noticed my younger one (Ayam Cemani) awkwardly landing when she jumped off the kennel to greet me. Thought maybe it was her just being excited about treats. But noticed it again the next day, then watching her, saw her off balance. That put the dread right in my bones. Could she STILL get Mareks after all this time? I immediately gave all three birds Vitamins (Rooster Booster B-12+K) in their water, and am hoping against hope that she is just vitamin deficient. We feed standard Layena, plus limited mixed grains and sometimes fruit/veggie scraps. We've never had a nutritional issue, but it has been a very very wet winter in California.
What I am seeing yesterday and today is her sometimes sitting back on her hocks, tail down, occasionally using a wing to steady herself. She is a smaller bird, but she feels light to me. She still jumps on the kennel to greet me, still eagerly enjoys the treats, and gave me an egg yesterday. She can go up the ramps to bed, but did not perch the last two nights. Just snuggles in the bedding next to the others on the perch.
Am I really still this unlucky? Am I going to lose this one too? Are the older birds safe? Is there anything I can do? I've had chickens over 10 years now, and I really hate this latest chapter in our story. I've read most of the major Mareks posts, I know some people just have Mareks flocks, or else live without birds for 18+ months and hope the virus dies... but just in case this isn't Mareks, is there something I can do for her?
We now have only 3 birds left, one is just now 2 years old, the others are 4-5 years old. This week I noticed my younger one (Ayam Cemani) awkwardly landing when she jumped off the kennel to greet me. Thought maybe it was her just being excited about treats. But noticed it again the next day, then watching her, saw her off balance. That put the dread right in my bones. Could she STILL get Mareks after all this time? I immediately gave all three birds Vitamins (Rooster Booster B-12+K) in their water, and am hoping against hope that she is just vitamin deficient. We feed standard Layena, plus limited mixed grains and sometimes fruit/veggie scraps. We've never had a nutritional issue, but it has been a very very wet winter in California.
What I am seeing yesterday and today is her sometimes sitting back on her hocks, tail down, occasionally using a wing to steady herself. She is a smaller bird, but she feels light to me. She still jumps on the kennel to greet me, still eagerly enjoys the treats, and gave me an egg yesterday. She can go up the ramps to bed, but did not perch the last two nights. Just snuggles in the bedding next to the others on the perch.
Am I really still this unlucky? Am I going to lose this one too? Are the older birds safe? Is there anything I can do? I've had chickens over 10 years now, and I really hate this latest chapter in our story. I've read most of the major Mareks posts, I know some people just have Mareks flocks, or else live without birds for 18+ months and hope the virus dies... but just in case this isn't Mareks, is there something I can do for her?
