The Poultry Keeper

sunnyside · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 255 Location: Birmingham

My hens have been exposed to a bird who went down with mareks a few days after arrival. Some of them are vaccinated. some not.
all are over 6 months old.
Does anyone have any idea how soon I will see mareks in vulnerable none resisitent birds? (hopefully I won't)
I want to get another cock-a vaccinated one-but am uneasy doing so until I am reasonably sure my gang are clean.
As soon as the bird became ill I isolated, vaccuumed and disinfected the houses out with virkon-scrubbed everything-do you think I will get away with it-I only had the bird with them for a few days.
worried sick-my gang are pets as much as anything and I would hate to lose any of them.

Aussie Chick · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:47 pm Post subject:

I don't know anything about it..sorry,....Deb is sleeping at the mo ( in America) but she knows loads.

It sounds like you did the right thing and maybe until Deb comes back some other friendly peeps will be able to help.

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

Hi Sunnyside,

Sorry to hear about the exposure. All the scrubbing in the world won't stop it unfortunately. Mareks is an airborne disease. That means, just by you handling the sick bird and then going into your other coops, they were exposed.

To limit the impending disaster, you can get your other girls fit by getting them on a mix of canned cat food, ACV, and a vitamin/electrolyte supplement also added to their water.

I have been through this three times, three years in a row. This last go around, I received the very helpful information of feeding up the other girls with that mixture and anything else that would boost their immune system and make them stronger. I only lost 5 in that go around, and I think that is only because the signs were there before I received the info.

It will take up to two weeks to run it's course. If you do not have any go down in that time frame, then you can start breathing a bit easier. If one does go down...then the two week period starts all over. Keeping the coops and runs very clean of droppings will also help you with the battle. As their secretions will also contain the virus. As they scratch around, the virus becomes airborne again.

Vicious battle, you have to be very vigilant and have nerves of steel...as you ride the roller coaster of this disease. I don't wish it on anyone.

Hope this helps,
Deb

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

sunnyside, I am so sorry you are having to deal with this in your chickens. Follow Debs advice, as you read she has had first hand experience of mareks, and hopefully your girls will come through. Keep us informed as to how you are doing

sunnyside · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 255 Location: Birmingham

Thanks folks, its about 2 weeks since I had him now. I'm worming the whole gang-they are on top rations and on poultry spice in their feed.
I had them on extra protein the week after exposure and have been giving them hot mash to encourage their feeding.
Sounds like I'm hopefully doing more or less the right things then as I've also doubled my cleaning regieme to try and limit feather dander and had sprayed /scrubbed the pens with anti viral disinfectent.
I'll look into the vinigar-its not something I've tried before.
Its certainly made me think hard about buying in extra birds-once I have my cockerel I think I will be going to no live chickens in-only eggs and rear totally seperate till I'm certain nothing nasty has arrived with the eggs.

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Check my post about if you suspect Mareks