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Post by boskelli1571 on Sept 18, 2018 7:59:20 GMT -5
I would look into Cornell. They may have some kind of poultry studies. Yes, they do. I took 2 birds there last year for necropsy cost me $160.00. Well, my 3 'hospice' birds are hanging in there. One of them always runs to greet me, but if she bumps into anything she falls over and stays there just like a turtle - so that's her name. So I flipped Turtle over yesterday to see what was wrong with her feet and I noticed the toes are curled inward - no wonder she has trouble staying upright! So riboflavin deficiency will cause it - possibly inherited from her parents. I hadn't noticed it before I guess I was so focused on LL. Off to get her some leafy stuff today, won't cure it but can help. Fingers crossed they are all going to survive...
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Post by Sylie on Sept 19, 2018 21:10:12 GMT -5
Good luck!
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Post by maryellen on Sept 20, 2018 5:26:21 GMT -5
Here is VITAL information for MAREK'S Testing and PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! This lab: www.vetdna.com/test-type/avian-birdfor 20.00 can test your bird or birds for the MAREK'S virus. You have 2 choices for testing. Blood or dander swabs. The blood test will tell you if your bird indeed has MAREK'S. The swab test will tell you one of two things: the dander on your bird has been exposed to the Marek virus in the environment and is positive/negative OR your bird is positive/negative for MAREK'S. (The dander if positive could be from the environment or your bird is shedding the virus)( in either case the bird has been exposed and will acquire the virus) After talking to the laboratory veterinarian in detail(45 minutes)he suggested the best test to confirm your bird is Marek positive is by a blood sample. I discussed with him an alternative blood sample procedure that is easier for backyard chicken keepers and he agreed with me this alternate sample submission will be sufficient.(Yeah!) Acquire a sterile swab from your local veterinarian or local medical equipment supply store. It will be a sterile q-tip in a dry plastic tube.(see example picture below) Clean one of your birds toes and nail using alcohol/soap,cleanser and dry. Clip your bird's nail short so it bleeds. Dab up the blood to soak the swab with the fresh blood then place the swab carefully back into the tube. You can then use corn starch or "kwik stop" to stop the bleeding of the toenail.( It will be fine and stop bleeding on it's own as well.) You then can place this tube in a yellow padded envelope along with the submission form filled out. See attached example below for sample submission of blood swab) You only need to submit one form for your birds. If you want to test more than one bird write on the form(see attachment), label each tube by name or number and attach a list of the names of additional samples. Example: tube 1: Millie, Tube 2: Poly and so forth. The testing only takes 24 hours and you should get your results very quickly. Each test costs 18.00 each bird. You do not need a veterinarian visit to test your birds! |
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Post by maryellen on Sept 20, 2018 6:16:35 GMT -5
Sue try this too ive used it with great results for curled toes which is vitamin deficiency. And poly visol no iron works too . Its in the child med section in most pharmacies and stores  |
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Post by boskelli1571 on Sept 20, 2018 6:46:06 GMT -5
Sue try this too ive used it with great results for curled toes which is vitamin deficiency. And poly visol no iron works too . Its in the child med section in most pharmacies and stores ME - thanks for all the great info - extremely useful  I got the revised necropsy report yesterday. The first report was based on gross dissection findings and said LL. Immunoassays were also taken and the second report shows the findings of those tests to be Mareks. Apparently on the dissection part the bursa of Fabricus was badly infected but no neural involvement hence the original diagnosis. So Mareks is actually grim news but way better than LL thankfully. With your info I will be able to determine who is/isn't infected and breed accordingly.
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Post by seminolewind on Sept 20, 2018 11:40:36 GMT -5
I guess breeding wise, it's better to have Marek's than LL. It's interesting to know how they came to that decision. I've had birds that showed no neural symptoms but died from Marek's.
No matter which bird, if they're all exposed to Marek's, the eggs are still fine and can be hatched in an incubator no problem.
ME, that's outstanding instructions! May help soooo many people!
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Post by maryellen on Sept 20, 2018 12:41:48 GMT -5
I copied it from a fb forum im on lol. I figured it would be helpful here
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Post by maryellen on Sept 20, 2018 12:42:11 GMT -5
Dam sue so that means the breda from waltz had mareks??
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Post by boskelli1571 on Sept 21, 2018 5:02:36 GMT -5
Dam sue so that means the breda from waltz had mareks?? At least some of them do. I have 3 that look very healthy - no symptoms and the other 3 that are hanging in there and 4 dead. I expect at least 1 of the 'hospice' birds to die, she is very thin, the others are still mobile especially Turtle and she seems to be holding her weight at the moment. However, I can't prove that. They were quarantined way over the 1 month period and theoretically could have got it from my current flock, but I have not had any birds die from Mareks like symptoms in my original flock. I have not received any acknowledgement from Waltzs' at all.
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Post by maryellen on Sept 21, 2018 7:15:32 GMT -5
I would test the birds from her. The price is cheap enough to do at least 2. This is too much of a coincidence that all the birds you got from her that a few are sick and dying. Test 2 of your original flock and 2 of hers.
I believe Sylvester might be right when she said she got sick birds from her too.
And especially the fact that you dont randomly buy birds from strangers. Its just very odd her birds are sick and dying.
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Post by seminolewind on Sept 21, 2018 12:01:30 GMT -5
Have you treated your hospice birds for cocci?
That's a tough one when either they came with it or they got it at your place. And if they are vaccinated, birds can come in and out and no one would know. In a group of birds sharing the same airspace or yard, if one is positive they are all exposed.
Marek's is a Herpes virus and those viruses remodel the "factory" where b cells or t cells are made (antibodies) and make that place produce virus instead.
Marek's virus "acts" like HIV/aids in that a bird can be exposed like to HIV in a person would not get symptoms but able to carry and spread HIV. If the body is unable to keep the HIV from becoming AIDS, a person gets aids and dies from it.
If that Breda person has Marek's in her flock, she'd be best to incubate the eggs at a friend's house or safe place and use super quarantine measures prior to sending the chicks, like gowning, gloving and Medical hair covering. It can be done, but it's more complicated, but would not be sending carriers. She could even vaccinate them so if they are exposed to Marek's in a buyer's flock, they will live if that's wanted.
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Post by boskelli1571 on Sept 21, 2018 18:01:44 GMT -5
Have you treated your hospice birds for cocci? That's a tough one when either they came with it or they got it at your place. And if they are vaccinated, birds can come in and out and no one would know. In a group of birds sharing the same airspace or yard, if one is positive they are all exposed. Marek's is a Herpes virus and those viruses remodel the "factory" where b cells or t cells are made (antibodies) and make that place produce virus instead. Marek's virus "acts" like HIV/aids in that a bird can be exposed like to HIV in a person would not get symptoms but able to carry and spread HIV. If the body is unable to keep the HIV from becoming AIDS, a person gets aids and dies from it. If that Breda person has Marek's in her flock, she'd be best to incubate the eggs at a friend's house or safe place and use super quarantine measures prior to sending the chicks, like gowning, gloving and Medical hair covering. It can be done, but it's more complicated, but would not be sending carriers. She could even vaccinate them so if they are exposed to Marek's in a buyer's flock, they will live if that's wanted. No I haven't treated for cocci -and since Cornell said nothing about concurrent infections I hadn't thought about it. I have some work to do, but next year I will be breeding Breda from the healthy stock that I have (they will be tested first). I thought I was done building coops..... |
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Post by seminolewind on Sept 23, 2018 11:54:40 GMT -5
Cocci is always my first treatment with any bird because poor resistance, like in Marek's birds get the most common infestors first, cocci, staph, aspergilli E.coli, clostridium, etc.
Years before, I had gone thru a "stupid" stage (not really) in that if they were wasting away, I just assumed it was Marek's. But I've had more problems with secondary infections killing the birds, so now I treat them with anti coccidial, and an antibiotic or two as long as they cover all the common infestors.
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Post by seminolewind on Mar 7, 2019 1:38:57 GMT -5
I have to say this about Marek's suspicion birds. Get your chicks vaccinated. The ones I did were all great except the one with the mega pock. They may not suffer paralysis, wasting, no neck control, no depth perception, etc. The ones that do always pounceaiments right away like coccidiosis at any age, enteritis, e. coli infection, or staph infection. Anything they get will be a more simple ailment than some weird bacteria.
Chances are you will lose chickens from common diseases that they should have outgrown. I've had more die that way than from Marek's symptoms. I have to say that with my last batch of "marek's vaccinated" chicks from mcmc, I lost a few from Marek's . So I think I'll redo their vaccine when I get them.
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Post by boskelli1571 on Mar 7, 2019 11:04:10 GMT -5
I thought you could only vaccinate once? I know it can be done after Day 1....
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Post by seminolewind on Mar 7, 2019 11:08:52 GMT -5
Yes you only have to vaccinate once. But the last batch I got from mcmc had 2 confirmed Marek's demises. So I'll just make sure. I'm not saying that mcmc is a bad place , all these hatcheries are pretty good. I guess I just want peace of mind.
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