Marek's.... how does it progress.... and how quickly?

[amyduck]

I'd appreciate any info and suggestions...
Background: I only have 3 hens now, an older really mean alpha hen and two pullets I bought from the same farm, they are about 9-10 months old.
"Blondie" started to show signs of Marek's about 5 weeks ago... my partner and I had planned to visit my family for christmas, but now he will probably stay behind to care for her... he's also starting a new job in the new year, so we are wondering what to generally expect with this disease: how does it progress and how quickly? I can't see euthanizing her unless she is in pain, or really struggling in some other way... Can you please tell me your experiences? At some point do they start to convulse repeatedly, have trouble breathing, etc.? When did you decide to euthanize your chicken(s) or did your chicken recover? And how bad did it get before they did recover?

FWIW, Blondie started by seeming clumsy, crash landing etc. but it has progressed to the point where she now falls on her side or her back and she can't get up. My partner probably picked her up some 30 times this week, which is more than the week before. We also don't let her sleep with the others, even though she really wants to, because she sometimes falls off the perch (onto sand) ... The vet we took her to a week ago Thurs. said she would probably die in 2-3 weeks... but aside from falling over, she eats well, chirps, wants to be with the other hens, runs, flies etc.
However, aside from falling and not getting up, when she falls, Penny, the alpha hen attacks her - so we can't leave them alone unsupervised.

Once my boyfriend starts working, if she lasts that long, the only choices I think, are to enclose the "mezzanine" in the coop and keep her there the whole time - and since she won't be running about very much, maybe she would fall over less, but I think she would be really unhappy... it's about 4x4 and next to the laying boxes, so I know she would see her friend Penny at least once a day and of course she could see them at night when they come to roost and each morning. They might also come in for dust baths in a bin on the floor.

Alternately, I also have a small coop we can put her into during the day and where she can see the other two during the day, but since she can see them, she may just pace back and forth until she falls and can't get up... so I tend to think the mezzanine is better. Finally there is the back room of the house, but then she would be completely alone...

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Criticalicious]

Scary stuff. See if the answers to your questions are in this long FAQ on BYC.

 

[amyduck]

Scary stuff. See if the answers to your questions are in this long FAQ on BYC.

Yes, thanks, I have seen this, it goes over symptoms, but not the progression of the disease - although I haven't checked the other links, I'll do that now.

for what it's worth, going over the list of symptoms:

Classical Marek's

• Paralysis of one or both legs, and sometimes wings.
  • This can include staggering,
    • YES
  • increasing loss of motor control in one or both legs,
    • YES tho not sure if it is one or both.
  • inability to stand or balance.
    • Hard to balance often.
  • This may present sometimes as one leg forward and one leg back or simple paralysis of the legs.
    • NO
• Going off of food or inability to “connect” with food when trying to eat.
  
  • Good appetite, but does have trouble connecting.
• Difficulty breathing, darkening comb.
  
  • No - although she does seem to yawn.
• Lymphomas / Neoplasms
  
  • No idea.
• Weight loss, “wasting”, depression.
  
  • The vet said she didn't seem skinny, but I should start weighing her.
• Loose, watery, and/or bright green stool.
  
  • Not at all, stool is completely normal

Ocular Marek's :

• Discoloration of the iris. The iris may turn grey or a pale blue color.
  • Yes, one eye is a lighter orange, but not much.
• Deformity of the pupil.
  • NO
• Pupil with no reaction to light changes.
  • slightly slower reaction in one eye
• Blindness.
  • No

Also no on the cutaneous type.

Thanks!

 

[ChickNanny13]

It does sound like Mareks but the only way to know for sure is when/if she passes, a necropsy is done. There are other possibilities ... Vitamin deficiency (Riboflavin) is one of them. Having progressed for 5wks, it's hard to say. You could start her on Nutri Drench, give her tuna, scrambled eggs or even boiled, foods high in Riboflavin.
What are you feeding her?
Picture of her eyes?
Picture of her?

You could make a sling for her to help keep her upright. Sorry this is happening to Blondie. I just took care of a friends chicken that we had no clue if it was Mareks although it was vaccinated. I put her in a sling & treated her for vitamin deficiency, she seemed like she was doing well but wishing a few days she passed. My friend couldn't afford the necropsy cost so we never knew.

CHICKEN - Sling

 

[amyduck]

Thanks, I've been giving her sardines with powdered B2 and tumeric, and lots of spinach, meal worms, seeds etc. If you look at her when she isn't moving or when she is running, she looks fine....and walking around she is unsteady on her feet and can go like that for hours, but then need to be turned over 3 times in one hour! Of course I hope she is wrong, but the avian vet checked her out and as soon as she saw her eyes she said she was sure it was Mareks... plus an old hen I had necropsied had "presumed Marek's) so it probably is.... I feel badly because these two weren't vaccinated and I didn't think to ask when I bought them. Now just wondering what comes next

 

[Eggcessive]

I haven’t seen Mareks in my flock, but did have an older hen who had imbalance and who could not walk around without falling backwards or on her side for 5 weeks. She had to be fed 3 times a day, and stayed in her basket on the floor of the coop. Since last March, she has recovered and walks around all day long, although a little wobbly. She was attacked by her flock when she began walking again, and after spending the summer in her own coop walking in our yard, she has been back with her flock for a couple of months.

Most Mareks can affect each chicken differently, and not all chickens die from it. I will tag a few people who have seen Mareks in their flocks for advice. @rebrascora , @microchick , @casportpony @abraga any advice on how long Mareks symptoms last before death?

 

[amyduck]

Thanks Eggcessive! Also, I'd like to kow if she is going to die, how does it progress...? I just want to prepare myself. Conversely, any idea how to know if she is out of the woods, at least temporarily, as I get that it can recur...?

 

[Eggcessive]

They can experience a transient paralysis or imbalance, that may disappear, then return later. Hoping that some of the people who have treated it will chime in, but it is Saturday evening, so we may hear from them in a day or so.

 

[amyduck]

Just an update, Blondie is still with us! She has a little more trouble standing and is falling more often. But she still has a great appetite, interest in being with the other two chickens, preening as much as she can, normal poops... no obvious pain. She still tries to scratch her ear, and I see little droplets of clear liquid on the floor when she shakes her head, so I wonder if there might be something else going on there. I've been supplementing with B2, St John's Wort, lysine, electrolytes, fish, cranberries, and pomegranates -which she loves.
So I have no idea what to do at this point. My partner was able to watch her during the day, but he just started a new job, so I took her to work so I could check on her periodically. I kept her in a small dog cage, in the back of my SUV with the windows partially open, but I don't know how long I can sustain that... and I think she will get worse from not walking around... unfortunately no one ever chimed in about what to expect...

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she able to be left alone in the coop with the other 2 hens? Can she get to her food and water?