Winchikn
Songster
Hello - I think I'm dealing with Mareks and need advice.
I was dealing with crop and reproductive issues and lost 3 hens in spring/summer. Things had been calm and quiet for a few months until my flock went into molt and some issues started showing up. I'm not very experienced with online forums but please see my other threads from this year, including this most recent one (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/molting-hen-with-crop-issues.1600338/).
There's more details in my other 2023 threads that will paint a fuller picture, but long story short is that I am now seeing neurological symptoms in my flock, along with crop issues, some watery stools , general lethargy/affect, some blue tinges to crops several weeks back, some sneezing (no discharge), and laboured breathing. All things seem to line up with Mareks. I have 9 chickens in total, mixed breeds, mostly 4 years old with one 2 yr old. About half the flock have had some oddity in the last couple of months, that I had wracked up to hard molts and crop issues until the nerve issues really presented a couple of days ago.
I have read the 'Everything about Mareks' post and am trying to get my head around all of this - and I have some questions (quoted with slight revisions from the thread linked above but it is now somewhat stale so I wanted to copy them here - I hope that's not bad form):
I'm guessing I'll have many more questions as I wade further into this awfulness - but those are a start.
As always, an ocean of gratitude for the support that is available here.
I was dealing with crop and reproductive issues and lost 3 hens in spring/summer. Things had been calm and quiet for a few months until my flock went into molt and some issues started showing up. I'm not very experienced with online forums but please see my other threads from this year, including this most recent one (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/molting-hen-with-crop-issues.1600338/).
There's more details in my other 2023 threads that will paint a fuller picture, but long story short is that I am now seeing neurological symptoms in my flock, along with crop issues, some watery stools , general lethargy/affect, some blue tinges to crops several weeks back, some sneezing (no discharge), and laboured breathing. All things seem to line up with Mareks. I have 9 chickens in total, mixed breeds, mostly 4 years old with one 2 yr old. About half the flock have had some oddity in the last couple of months, that I had wracked up to hard molts and crop issues until the nerve issues really presented a couple of days ago.
I have read the 'Everything about Mareks' post and am trying to get my head around all of this - and I have some questions (quoted with slight revisions from the thread linked above but it is now somewhat stale so I wanted to copy them here - I hope that's not bad form):
- if some of my flock are not showing symptoms, how much of a difference will it make for me to cull the symptomatic ones - especially the one hen showing the nerve symptoms? (I fully understand they are all infected)
- I've been giving vitamins in their water the last 2 days - what else can I do to support the flock's immunity?
- what are the chances of remission, if a chicken has started showing neurological symptoms?
- should I treat for coccidiosis, given a float with low levels? could this help support immune function?
I'm guessing I'll have many more questions as I wade further into this awfulness - but those are a start.
As always, an ocean of gratitude for the support that is available here.