Marek's Questions

[lliauba]

Hello everyone! I'm a first time chicken keeper and unfortunately I lost one of my girls to Marek's disease. It was a very quick onset that started in the morning and I put her down by the evening. All of my chickens are vaccinated for Marek's (including that one). It's been about 2 weeks since this happened and all of my other chickens have been totally fine! When would you all recommend adding back chickens to my flock (if possible) and should they be vaccinated? Thank you all in advance!

 

[The Coop Crew]

I think once you have Mareks in your flock it stays forever. Let me tag some others who know way more than me.
@azygous
@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock

 

[azygous]

Yes, that's correct. These avian viruses attach themselves to the cells of any chicken exposed to them, thus the virus lives in those cells for the lifetime of the chicken.

Marek's is extremely contagious, spread in the air and soil and feces. About the only transmission method safe from Marek's is from hen to egg to embryo. But once the chick hatches, it will contract the virus from the hen as they are brooded.

Marek's vaccine given before a chick is exposed can help prevent Marek's tumors.

 

[nuthatched]

If the symptoms started in the morning and you culled her in the evening, how do you know it was mareks? What were the symptoms? Did you have necropsy done?
If not, there's many treatable issue that can appear similar.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello everyone! I'm a first time chicken keeper and unfortunately I lost one of my girls to Marek's disease. It was a very quick onset that started in the morning and I put her down by the evening. All of my chickens are vaccinated for Marek's (including that one). It's been about 2 weeks since this happened and all of my other chickens have been totally fine! When would you all recommend adding back chickens to my flock (if possible) and should they be vaccinated? Thank you all in advance!

I'm sorry about your loss.

Did you get confirmation of Marek's through testing? (State Lab/Vet)

Some folks do recommend when adding to a Marek's Positive flock that chicks should be vaccinated. Chicks should be quarantined away from the existing flock for at least 2weeks to avoid early exposure and hopefully the vaccine will provide some protection.

The vaccine does not prevent infection from the virus, it does help reduce the chance of tumors forming.

Others cull sick birds and breed forward with the birds that show no signs of symptoms. This takes a lot of time and effort, you may have to cull a lot of birds to build a more resistant flock, but it's worth looking into.

You may find this article helpful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

 

[lliauba]

If the symptoms started in the morning and you culled her in the evening, how do you know it was mareks? What were the symptoms? Did you have necropsy done?
If not, there's many treatable issue that can appear similar.

Hey nuthatched! I have a lot of neighbors with chickens and they've had way more experience than me in the matter, and I talked with them explained the symptoms and that's how we deduced it was Marek's. I opened the coop in the morning and the hen was on her back on the coop floor and her legs were mostly paralyzed. She managed to hobble out of the coop somehow and got into the run, but she couldn't stand up on her legs at all. I tried giving her food and water but that didn't help at all. She slowly got worse and worse throughout the day and by the evening I couldn't handle how much pain she was in. What other issues do you think it could have been? Thank you!

 

[lliauba]

I'm sorry about your loss.

Did you get confirmation of Marek's through testing? (State Lab/Vet)

Some folks do recommend when adding to a Marek's Positive flock that chicks should be vaccinated. Chicks should be quarantined away from the existing flock for at least 2weeks to avoid early exposure and hopefully the vaccine will provide some protection.

The vaccine does not prevent infection from the virus, it does help reduce the chance of tumors forming.

Others cull sick birds and breed forward with the birds that show no signs of symptoms. This takes a lot of time and effort, you may have to cull a lot of birds to build a more resistant flock, but it's worth looking into.

You may find this article helpful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

Thank you so much! I'll definitely take a look! I appreciate ya!

 

[lliauba]

Thank you so much! I'll definitely take a look! I appreciate ya!

Also, we did not have her tested to confirm it was Marek's. I wasn't sure where to go with her and I didn't have any way to preserve her body for testing unfortunately!

 

[azygous]

Lots of things can produce paralysis. Heat stroke, vitamin B deficiency, exposure to toxins, but they don't usually result in much pain. However, egg binding can cause paralysis with a lot of pain.

 

[lliauba]

Lots of things can produce paralysis. Heat stroke, vitamin B deficiency, exposure to toxins, but they don't usually result in much pain. However, egg binding can cause paralysis with a lot of pain.

That's what I was thinking initially! My hens aren't at laying age yet, so I ruled out egg binding. But it certainly could be more closely related to heat stoke since it's been getting pretty hot. Thank you!