What is Marek's Disease? Should you be worried?

Marek's disease is an infectious disease of poultry caused by a herpesvirus that attacks nerves and causes paralysis or initiates widespread tumor formation.
Should you be worried? It is something that can happen, but doesn't always happen. I have only seen very little of it in the last couple years of farming.
Like most things this video is to try and help educate just so you can keep an eye out, not because you should be constantly worried. Learn who the poultry vet for your area is and what resources you have available just in case something bad happens.
For more information you can visit:
web.uconn.edu/p...
and
farmmarketingso...

[@kerbyheath]

Getting our first backyard flock next week! You and Dr. Mike have been a great resource in my hundreds of hours of poultry research! Our 4 chicks are being vaccinated by the hatchery. Thanks for shedding some light on the disease for is newbies!👍

[@vegigaming1144]

Mareks is the pain of my life. We rescue hens and we have now had our 4th hen showing signs of this, 2 of them have pulled through, sadly one didn't make it, I just hope the one we have now makes it

[@kenricher4626]

Thank you for responding to my question and all your help

[@rcqyt4686]

Wow

[@Bearworf1]

Love the videos! I am planning on raising chickens and the information you are providing is priceless for new homesteaders. Will be watching for more.. Thanks! Steve

[@kit2130]

Baytril, is saving my chicken right now. She isn't dying anymore/wasting away on her side weak & helpless. Now she has her appetite back & after 2 weeks of treatment is holding her head up & gaining strength. She got under 2 lbs at her worst.

[@jerreyhiatte7644]

were do you get baytril

[@ashlol5700]

I need to try this My lady Pecker is so sick but it might be to late

[@kristyyoungers9593]

Sent a passed 15 wk hen for necropsy came back Meraks Mycroplasma MG MS? Any advice? All purchased at same place same time. Not sure how this happened. Chickens left look healthy. They are not laying yet. Can you eat the eggs?

[@nateb4485]

Something to consider is riboflavin(b2) deficiency can cause feet curling/walking problems, it causes nerve damage just like mareks. So for people having issues it might be Marecks, but possible they need b2. If it is b2 its alot easier to treat.

[@charlesfoster8814]

He said "leave your questions and comments below) but I see he has not replied to anyone! Its sad the creators of these videos never check and reply to questions! I have ask a ton of questions to different "chicken eggsperts" with very few willing to reply. Especially if they have a channel that is popular enough to be monetized! 😢

[@colesbackyardcoop]

Good video for awareness. I always opt to have my chicks vaccinated when I order from a hatchery. Well worth it. Thanks for sharing.

[@HBrownie83]

Thank for the information, where do I purchase the vaccine to give to my chicks after they hatch?

[@greenfish13]

Wow, I love your videos! Thank you for the great valu you put into these. I subscribed as of last last night.

[@buho8410]

Such a nice video and I have questions. What is the geographical distribution for this MD? is it endemic, epidemic or pandemic? And which country faces this disease?

[@kdiverdown]

We are 99% sure we have marek’s in our flock. We didn’t realize at the time we brought home unvaccinated chicks who we kept in the mudroom brooder right beside 2 chickens that we thought were just having eye pecked injuries.. turns out it was Merek’s. Both of those sick hens passed. So the 4 chicks were definitely exposed. We are currently dealing with another chicken in the coop who is exhibiting symptoms- leg paralysis, droopy wings, one slow blinking eye 😢.. My question. It is nearly time to integrate the chicks into the coop. What should we do? Should we dispatch the poor chickens who is limping around and sleeping most the time? (Mitigate virus shedding) Wait to integrate unfazed chicks who have been exposed anyway and expect 20-30% mortality? How many of the remaining 1 yr old flock should I prepare my heart to lose 😫? Thank you.

[@JerydSmithJLS]

What should one do if Marek's shows up in their flock? We had one with the symptoms, but thought it was an injury, now we have a second chicken with the same symptoms.

[@Eddiedoherty22]

What we're symptoms in your birds if I might ask.

[@kenricher4626]

I want to no what to do if I suspect my bird has it

[@JerydSmithJLS]

@@Eddiedoherty22 it resembled a neurological problem... inability to stand and general loss of motor functions. Took the chicken to the vet and they treated her for a possible spine injury, but suspected it was merek's. The suspected diagnosis was correct and the chicken went through all the stages of a dying animal until I put it down. This was 3 years ago and I ended up losing all but one of the chickens that is purchased from a local farm. I only buy from places that vaccinate now and even my chickens that are born on my farm are healthy. Have not seen any cases of that disease again.

[@JerydSmithJLS]

@@kenricher4626 from what I can tell, there's nothing that can be done, if Marek's is present. Make sure it's not some other environmental issue before putting the bird down though. We've had birds show signs that looked like the onset of Marek's, but a little extra attention and a break away from other birds did the trick to bring the birds back, on a few occasions. Since the initial loss of several birds to Marek's, we've not seen it pop up again. We've only bought birds from sources that vaccinate and the ones born on our farm have never shown any signs of it.

[@jenniferbenfield8071]

I am currently suspicious that one of my hens my have Mareks even though all of my flock was vaccinated before leaving the hatchery. Taking to the vet this coming week.. time will tell..

[@IMMuslimah]

My hen's legs were not working from past 2 weeks i searched and round this she is unable to eat itself so we feed her biscuits with milk. Doctor what should I do about this as we never had poultry before so we didn't know about these diseases. Our poultry survived from CRD & foul pox now this . Can you pls suggest something

[@kristivaughan3839]

Definitely get vaccinated from the hatchery you choose. Totally worth it. I'm down 2 chickens recently from Marek's and not sure when this will end.

[@lococrazygreenacres3830]

I wish you answered if there was a treatment. Or recovery. Otherwise great video.

[@WeepingWrangler]

There is no treatment. Best thing you can do is cull the affected chickens, for they won't get better. I'm not certain about isolation, but if you can't cull them, it's certainly better.

[@PaulPetrea]

John, I am an American living in Cambodia. Here, I don't know if Marek's is common here. Never heard of it. However, Newcastle is rampant. If you do not inoculate against Newcastle, it will kill every chicken in your flock. We have some birds get twisted neck. Not so often, though. Thanks for the video. Fairly recent subscriber, but watch your videos often.

[@juliapicard8438]

Same here I think one of my chickens might have it

[@PaulPetrea]

+JAZZY LUNA WINDSOR SHOW, Newcastle? If you think that, separate that chicken NOW. Do not wait. Isolate the bird from all others immediately. That disease WILL destroy your entire flock. I know from personal experience.

[@juliapicard8438]

+Paul Petrea okay

[@juliapicard8438]

+Paul Petrea one had it already she died but couple years later one got it but she's fine now one has it, and will she die, she was running and eating bread to toady

[@juliapicard8438]

+JAZZY LUNA WINDSOR SHOW today she was running and u get a sub

[@samanthawerner9015]

Hey John, I just started my backyard flock almost 2 weeks ago. I purchased 2, 3 mo old hens from a private breeder. Everything was fine the first 4-5 days, but then I noticed one of my girls, Lacey was tripping and stumbling and basically just wanting to lie down. I didnt know what to do, and I contacted the breeder....we brainstormed and thought maybe it was that she had eaten some azaleas...I didnt know they were poisonous and they were in my backyard. The other hen is totally fine and ate the bush as well. But Lacey 4 days ago was on her deathbed. She wouldnt move and it started raining, so I brought her in. I started syringe feeding her around the clock....after a day of this she finally opened her eyes. Now she is alert, but she can not control her legs and her necks twists around funny all the time. Still the other Hen has not shown any problems. Does this sound like Marek's? Has a chicken ever recovered from it? If this is poisoning, I dont know if this is permanent and I am trying to decide if I should put her down. Any suggestions?

[@loa81]

Samantha Werner Introducing other birds into your flock can cause all kinds of problems. The pecking order is disrupted and worms, viruses, and other illnesses can infect your flock. I have always introduced my new birds without delay and let them sort themselves out. I guess I haven’t been very smart! I watch a lot of videos here and try to learn more, so one of the ideas I’m planning to implement with future introduction is to keep the new birds away from my regular flock in a totally isolated area until they’ve been doing well for awhile. I’ll even keep their food and water supplies with the quarantine birds to avoid transferring while I handle the noobs. I’m not sure how long is enough, so I’ll have to do some researching. I hope all your feathered friends are thriving! 🐔🐔🐔🦋🥰🌸🎄 Regards...

[@animaldailylifechannel5535]

NO One yet, had mentioned if its OK to vaccinate after the first day of hatch let us say before the week 6.also, how to decontaminate the infested area ?what is the best substance to do so?

[@lesleybreen]

We had our birds vaccinated when we bought them. They are 3 years old. We have a hen that is stumbling around and losing balance. She has lost a lot of weight even though she is eating well. Our vet saw her last week and said it wasn't bumblefoot. He felt a lump in her belly and we think it is a tumor because she hasn't been laying eggs for a year. We isolated her but noticed the other day that our rooster is now stumbling around in the same way. Our vet is away for a month because of a vacation/holidays. Can already vaccinated, 3-year old chickens get Mareks? Or could this be something else? We have a small flock of 7 chickens and we are heartbroken and want to keep the others safe. We are wondering if this is Marek's or if are we dealing with something else. Any info/advice is much appreciated!

[@LeahMarshals22]

How soon do symptoms show up after infection? Example, leg paralysis caused by Sciatic nerve tumors can’t possible show up over the course of 24 hours. So what is the incubation period and what are the symptoms that show up in order from first to last?

[@mrs.garcia6978]

It literally shows up overnight a lot of times. Sometimes they’ll get the head turn-back before they go down.

[@stangirl2005]

They have some natural immunity for the first 3 wks of their life. Then it usually takes another 3 wks for the virus to grow and the bird to start to show symptoms. 2-5 months is when the bird is most likely to show symptoms. Older birds can die of it too.

[@AnneluvsKatz]

I’m about to get my first 4 chickens and am wondering if I need to vaccinate them. I do NOT plan to bring any other birds into my flock. Are they still at risk?

[@farmmarketing]

There is always a minor risk with contamination from wild birds. Wild birds are the carriers. That said, in my experience Marek’s is not very common, and you could never experience it in your flock. With 4 birds I wouldn’t be too worried.

[@joanntucker-scholes5221]

My one hen can't stand, or get around, the other hens are picking on her, she tries to eat and drink...is it mareks, what about the rest of the flock?

[@annalaursen119]

How did it all go?

[@KandiLand777]

Was also wondering if you got answers or maybe a vitamin deficiency?? Hope all is well 🙏🏽

[@kenricher4626]

If an older bird is infected with Merrick what do you do with it I thought it could not be vaccinated once it's too old

[@portugeeprepper6821]

So I have a 12 week old hen that is showing signs of marek's disease from what I can gather, she's always sitting she'll walk a little and sometimes just fall to her side, she's still eating and drinking. I had 6 other hens and a rooster with her in the coop I have removed her from the others but they were all raised from chicks together. If it is marek's what's the probability that the others will die from it. And would they have already shown symptoms having being raised with her. All the others look really healthy and are acting and walking normal. Please any help or advise would be appreciated, I've never had a chicken with this, I initially thought she was injured since she was the runt(bottom of the pecking order) and is close to half the size of the others . Thanks John

[@mariovaccariello7367]

Did you ever figure out what was wrong with her?

[@honeytoone8610]

Would a purple comb be a symptom ,too?

[@holmancreekoutdoors5333]

Once mareks is in an area, how long can it survive in that space without any chickens being in that space and open to the sunlight?

[@BrikaEXE]

Good question , it can survive for months and months , thats why you need to clean everything in addition

[@raysgr]

Hi thanks for the video, was wondering how old the birds would be before symptoms begin to show and what would be the first signs. Thanks

[@HupfDole87]

I bought 5 chickens. After 3 weeks the first one showed signs of marek. I had to put it down after a week. 4 weeks later the second bird showed signs and it had to be put down as well. The seller said that he had vaccinated ALL his chickens against mareks disease. The other 3 chickens plus the two chickens I got for compensation (same seller) show no signs of the disease. Now the question... this was 3 Months ago. I cleaned the coop, but not with chemicals and the chickens remain as well. Are these chickens infected as well? How likely is it that a vaccinated chicken can still get the disease and how likely is it that it can transmit it to other chickens? I wanted to get a couple of new chickens, but these ones are not vaccinated against mareks disease. They are 6 months old.Typically mareks disease shows symptoms between 6 weeks and 6 months... how likely is it that unvaccinated chickens older than 6 months get mareks disease? It is not 100% certain that the chickens died to mareks, but it is highly likely. Even the vet said that it looked like that, but no report was filed. Now I regret it not testing them... My take on this is, that I can only buy chickens that are vaccinated against mareks. Unvaccinated chickens will catch it and die to it even if they are older than 6 months. Im just not sure and would be thankful to any help here :)

[@robertcastello2961]

Is it age specific. Is it only in young birds and what are other reasons for a chicken not able to stand but eating well

[@Theredeemer68]

Are there tests for live poultry?

[@maxiramonzapata3880]

where can I go for vaccination for my flock? I leave in southern California and it costs me $99 per chicken if I go to the local vet?

[@kenricher4626]

What should I do if I suspect I have a bird with merek

[@jordanlloyd9951]

Great Job Mike! Very informative. Kyle and Tiffany Mann:)

[@bobbywalden1981]

I have also read that wild birds can bring it in too,so maybe make sure they cannot get inside the pen,and the food out of their sights.

[@emlo9103]

I am a little concerned one of my chckens does not have bumble foot although her ankle and middle toe look swollen. i performed surgery on the bird using all the pro per methods iodine etc. I took out a large what looked like a lipoma from her foot I let that wound heal. Then I performed a second surgery to try and pull out other sebaceous material.Her foot still looks swollen not as bad before the surgeries she seems so full of life I am just concerned because I do not want is if I take her out of her cage will the other chickens get it?

[@mandiiER]

Why day 18? Also, why within the first 24 hours would it work?

[@n1coboss]

my chicken is 7 years old and both of her legs are paralyzed. what to do?

[@Brisbanesdaddy]

I have 26 birds. 2 laying hens have had 1 leg paralyzed each and I dispatched them. Do I need to worry about my other hens and my rooster? I dont know if all of my birds have been vaccinated. I got 6 from TSC, 16 young pullets and a cockeral from a private individual and 3 guinea hens from a private breeder. Thank you

[@latishaloria5185]

Can curly toes paralysis look like mareks in the leg paralysis. I have a chicken who has leg paralysis but no other signs of this disease. She has has had leg issues since she was about 3 weeks old but still eats and drinks. And still can move wings and neck. Please help my vet wants to just put her down without finding out

[@Vean440]

Marek is a very popular name here in Poland :D

[@oz457]

you forgot to mention at what age they can get this disease. I have a chick of 4 weeks, can they get this disease at that young age, or is it only at a later stage?

[@BlameSomeoneElseForTheRest]

Just got started on my first ever broiler pack I got em at tractor supply for only a dollar now i thought it was a good deal but now I'm worried if i made a good choice. They are on their second day n still alive I am feeding them the chick starter feed from TS. I am a city guy I don't kno anything about farming all we got in the city is pigeons and sparrows. I'll take any advice it would suck if all my chicks die on my first attempt of being a countryman

[@joeday397]

Any idea where to buy the vaccine online without having to buy enough to treat 500 birds?that's the biggest thing that's stopped me from vaccinating against mareks in the past.I only hatch 100-200 a year,but it would be an advantageous selling point when selling breeding or show stock.

[@gregstickels5706]

If the shelf life of the vaccine lasts several years it should not be an issue with the number of birds you hatch. On the other hand, have you had any problems with your unvaccinated birds?

[@Valkyriepedersen]

my chickens are limping starrting with the right leg, last night one fell over and tonight its head is curved all the way back. I have been giving it corid and vetRx wiil start the pedolite

[@xogalleros9146]

Thats mareks u need to get rid of them they wont survive

[@Valkyriepedersen]

@@xogalleros9146 I have been getting rid of them each time I catch one with it

[@amyowens3200]

If you are irdering meat birds, Cornish cross, and will very culling them by 12 weeks, is this something they can get within that amount of time?

[@tonyjaoude1238]

Hello , in free range sistem , what are the vaccins that you must give the chickens ?

[@stumax1000]

Great video. Very informative.

[@SavagePoker81]

How do you vaccinnate in the eggs? You mean the needle will go through egg shell?

[@dorie-annray6855]

I have a question hoping you will answer it plz. If you send 1 bird off to be tested and it comes back positive dose that mean all your birds have it? Even when they all look heathy have good weight?

[@Duck.1]

most likely

[@calbri27]

I hatched some chicks out using my incubator and they were all fine. But now at six months old..one has developed splayed leg..or so I thought that's what it was..but starting to think it may be Marek's..any advice?? Does this mean that rest of my flock is doomed???

[@angelfalcon6964]

One of my chickens died from Marek infection,, if safe to consume the others. So I can start in few months we a new flock of chickens?

[@sonofhibbs4425]

I know this is late in responding..but I heard Mareks can be in the coop and soil up to 5 years. Best bet would be to find a place on your property where your infected chickens weren’t and build a new coop and run, get new food and water equipment.

[@thefarmboy9266]

How to apply mareks to my birds..

[@serenityupheld7880]

Hii. I have a chicken as my pet . 19 days back I saw a change in his walking style . And by now his weight has fallen from 2 and a half kgs. To 1 and a half kg. His legs are kind of paralysed. He can not wak at all. He is eating more than usual. Other than that he shows the same excitement when he sees food. Please tell me if it's mareks? Or is it something else. I am giving him birds multivitamins that I got from a medical store nearby. There's no such vet to rely on. Please suggest so that I can Cure his problem

[@k2ggers961]

I'm sorry, but if you do not vaccinate your chicken beforehand once it catches the disease the mortality rate is 100%. There is no cure.

[@serenityupheld7880]

@@k2ggers961 sadly...we have lost our pet... It's been two weeks.

[@scottrossgirvan8009]

Great video. Thanks

[@anitawalters5672]

I was given a little chicken by a friend I traded my rooster too. I think she has marek's but she is the only one left of my three chickens that is still laying eggs. She cries a lot and I carry her around to different places that it's hard for her to get to, like dust bathing or eating grass. The other two pick on her very much, so I try to feed her by herself. When I dig for worms I feed them to her and she just loves them, she gets a varied diet. How long do you think she will live?

[@igameidoresearchtoo6511]

probably 3-5 years at best WAIT 2 YEARS AGO? another miracle if you read this

[@saulgamino5999]

Where do I order the vaccine that gets applied during the incubation period, or who can I call

[@janinagroh4629]

The first person you could ask is your vet. Either he can order the vaccine or he can tell you where to go

[@ashlol5700]

I have a 4 year old hen who I love She has gotten worse and skinny she stopped laying she no longer roost at night and full of lump I can feel them In the her abdomen... I have done everything I do not know what is wrong with her Is this what she has?

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

Sounds like she was egg bound. She needs protein. A bath in warm Epsom salts may help.

[@khanarmy2583]

Please make a video on salmonella related diseases in poultry

[@kateplakinger4219]

Hi , I have incubated and hatched out 28 Pekins, they are in my garage in a pen away from any other birds and my flockis way out back, these eggs are not from my Pekins I bought them in for some new colours to mix with my flock, yesterday everyone was fine doing their chicken thing, today,this afternoon came home and found one on its side, I picked her up her eyes are clear, and looks fine clean backside, but both her legs are facing forward, she cant walk even though on checking her she has moved, I have removed her from the rest and taken all the young birds out of that pen into a brand new one, they are not vaccinated, have had no contact with any other birds wild or domestic, I am worried that it is Mareks, should I give her a chance or is this a definite symptom, as I think it is I have never seen this before, your help would be greatly appreciated, the pen they are in is netted, so no way anything can get in, my other question is for the rest that were with her, are they now going to get it should they be culled if it is Mareks, she is eating a little bit too I gave her scrambled eggs. thank you for your time, Kate

[@crazy808ish]

I'd have to disagree and say the best answer for most is biosecurity. Vaccination is fine if you have large flocks and you're in frequent contact with other pet owners that have the stuff(it's especially prevalent in the west/PNW) but otherwise, it just seems like something unnecessary. Plus, the adults are vaccinated but still contagious you can pretty much say goodbye to hatching your own chicks...

[@ashleysovilla2037]

Yep!

[@walkinharmonyhomestead2888]

I agree. What I’m having a hard time finding is what disinfectant is both safe and effective on the Mareks virus? The two I have found that claim to be are not available (Activated Oxine and Vikron S). I am trying to find out now if Synergize from Neogen, a widely used cleaner and disinfectant in swine and poultry operations, is effective on it or not. I called Neogen and am waiting on an answer. Anyone have other suggestions?

[@RobertBulldoza]

@@walkinharmonyhomestead2888 what did you find out

[@ashleysovilla2037]

Modified live virus vaccines can still shed the virus to other chickens. Viruses also contain synthetic adjuvants so the claim of being “natural “ would be false. The fda may still approve of marketing poultry as natural despite the vaccine but it’s just that... marketing. I would have liked to know more about identifying the actual virus in a chicken, containing a spread, culling a sick chicken, how to sterilize a coop if youve isolated a case, etc... rather than solely having a pharmaceutical agenda pushed.

[@BrikaEXE]

search for biosecurity in poultry for more info on what you are searching for (concerning sterilisation of a coop etc) , identifying can be done either by necropsy of dead animals or laboratory using samples

[@deanna4814]

what can you do if you have Marek's in your flock do you have to start over

[@RobertErnestLewis]

Nothing helps - you have to start over

[@hodzal5258]

I don’t know if my chicken has this because she started not walking about three days ago she can still move her wings and pick her head up and feed herself she can barely crawl so we do have to pick her up and such and there is some movement in her leg but she seems she can’t actually walk so is this Mareks disease or her leg might just be broken?

[@yasirabbasi8233]

Good video

[@الشاعرسعيدابومالك]

hello my friend i'm from egypt i would like to tell you something i have some chicks she has disease

[@abdullahhassan5847]

Plz can some one guide me I have rural poultry of aseel and golden buff breed having age 4.5 month birds are showing lameness can I vaccinate against mericks now ...at this age to healthy remains birds plz

[@nantumbwechristine1480]

Is it okay to vaccinate marex for the second time.

[@cassieshattuck3364]

I've lost four birds, another is sick. I'm getting desperate. no vets in our area will see us, they suggest we take dead birds in for an exam to a college lab but it's $180 and we can't afford that. none of our birds have had leg paralysis or cloudy eyes and we did an exam on the last one at home and saw no tumors inside or out. they're slowly getting sick, one at a time. it's been four months sense the first got sick. they just start acting lethargic and slowly die. one had neck spasms and none want to stand. one had a dark purple comb. we have a flock of about twenty five birds now, with a broody hen sitting on five eggs due to hatch this week. I don't want to loose my flock and am at a loss of what to do! can anyone tell me, if this is Marek's? if it is what do I do?

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

Neck spasms? A vitamin E deficiency, perhaps? Broccoli 🥦 may help. Have you figured out the problem?

[@ChicagoCFH]

Hey John! Love your channel! starting a small backyard flock did some home work, but would love your 2 cents. my 4 criteria in list of importance 1.) cold hardy 2.) great layers 3.) at least somewhat friendly 4.) not too broody. It looks like my search has lead me to Black Australorps and maybe Golden Laced Wyandottes or Buff Orpingtons. though I heard Buffs are broody. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

[@chickensofthewood574]

weve got a lot of rhode island reds. they do great in the snow, also some austrolorps and brahmas. most birds are pretty hardy down to about 10 or 20 degrees. we had some -30 temps last year and didnt lose 1.

[@ChicagoCFH]

Chickens of The Wood thanks for the advice!

[@mitchelloliveira9769]

can guinea fowl get it

[@JosePerez-mw4gm]

I have 13 chickens and one is showing symptoms is it contagious?

[@Duck.1]

I believe yes it is contagious, however i have read if mareks disease is showing symptoms in your flock it is pointless to cull the bird because the disease can live outside the host for 1 year+, the video also states that there is a 30% chance of death, i recommend to do your own research. ps, I hope it is not Mareks and if it is i hope your birds pull through

[@GrandmaGingersFarm]

Hey John, if our chickens have been vaccinated, does that mean they are carriers and can pass the disease to turkeys?

[@crazy808ish]

+Ginger Borgeson Chickens may be immune while being carriers, but they can also be immune without ever coming in contact with the real virus. So they can transfer, but you can't really tell for sure since the chickens won't be visibly affected.

[@bibphil5078]

Ginger Borgeson I

[@eileansilk5951]

can it be caught from wild birds

[@sibghatullahsherazi9586]

I have Patridge with Merck disease symtoms, what should I do now with it? Is it curable now?

[@Houseitch]

They don’t “cure” anything, it’s bad for business.

[@sarahfirebaugh4795]

no boosters??

[@juliegouldener6907]

Help! Marek's got into my flock. I lost 2 beautiful, sweet girls and have one hen who can't use her legs at all. Necropsies confirmed Marek's in both hens who passed. My surviving hen, Violet, showed the same symptoms but she rallied, and 3 months later she is still here, bright eyed as ever. She is a lovely girl, her appetite is great, and she's always happy to see me. However, she can't stand or walk - she really can't use her legs at all. I have to wash her daily and set her up with a children's lounge chair with towels in it and food nearby but it's kind of taking over my life. I worry about her constantly when I'm not home and am constantly washing towels now and bathing and blow drying her since she can't wash herself. What do you recommend for a chicken who seems to have survived Marek's but has paralyzed legs?? Please please any help, thoughts, suggestions are urgently needed!

[@Lorrideekay]

You should put it down. Not only is it going to be scared all the time because it can't move normally, but it going to be a carrier. Then, YOU and your bird are likely to spread the disease to other birds! Wind can blow infected dander up to 1000 ft and cause an infection in another bird.

[@philocybin]

Hey, what happened to her? Did she survive? Same thing here, since almost two weeks legs paralyzed. I am treating her with medicinal mushrooms. Chaga, Cordyceps and ABM. Chaga and ABM are both antiviral, and cordyceps gives strength and stamina. Also artemisinin seems to kill Herpes Virus. She still has fever sometimes but generally she is doing better. Just not sure if the leg paralysis is going to go away...

[@jenniferbenfield8071]

@@philocybin what was the out come of your chicken with Mareks?

[@debbiewhitfield6191]

I sadly lost 16 of my 🐓due to this horric disease they wasnt vaccinated when i bought them i was a new 🐓 mumma & within a year they were all dead heartbreaking 💔 this was diagnosed with mareks as i took one to the vet

[@biglou4452]

thanks for great info keep up the great work you do with awesome video's:')✌👍

[@marionisabelzipperlephd6041]

What do I do when when I have lost several chicken to Marek's. Can I birds to this flock that are vaccinated? Would love it if you share your thoughts.

[@sallyarmontrout9223]

Would you also have Dr Mike address Coccidiosis. If it is in a flock but I have an excess # of birds & want to sell a few, how do I make sure m birds are clean or

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

Apple cider vinegar in their water, perhaps?

[@sahralethgo7144]

I've got 2 young hens that seem to have eye sight problems but they walk and eat and drink fine. Is there a way to help with thieir eye sight problems?

[@igameidoresearchtoo6511]

probably not wait 3 years ago? a miracle if you read this

[@fernandovelasco3006]

Can you please help? I have 7 healthy chickens not vaccinated. I plan to buy vaccinated (Mereks) chicks to eventually introduce to my flock. Any issues with this since the new chicks will be carriers of the Mereks?

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

Did your older girls get it?

[@fernandovelasco3006]

A few died out of the sudden and a few are doing okay like nothing happened All of my vaccinated chickens died except the rooster

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

@@fernandovelasco3006 aw, I'm sorry.

[@daly540am]

Wao .thanks for that inf.

[@debbiemarchbanks8538]

What needs to be done to your coops IF you have a death from Mareks? Thank you for the info!

[@mommamorris3]

I was wondering the some thing.

[@loriakers4952]

I've lost 2 so far to mareks, and now a 3rd chicken is starting to show the same symptoms. I need to know this too.

[@walkinharmonyhomestead2888]

A year later, no answer. This seems to be the pertinent question! Other videos mention cleaning and disinfecting, but don’t say with what! What is safe yet effective on a virus that can “live” for years, which outfits itself with a lovely little “hard seed” to protect itself?! The two products that claim to “kill” the Mareks virus (Activated Oxine and Vikron S) appear to have disappeared! (Cannot find available anywhere!) Anyone listening here?! Knowing what it is is all fine and dandy, but we need to know what to DO ABOUT IT!

[@kdiverdown]

I need to know also!! Please help!

[@ericnoonan4704]

if you have flock that is vaccinated will the chicks from the parents carry the immunization ? or do they need to be vaccinated?

[@moonroach4839]

If they live and are carriers can they spread it or is it dormant ?

[@farmmarketing]

Good question. I believe if they get it then they get it and they're done for. I'll have to do more research.

[@moonroach4839]

John Suscovich yea I had a rooster get sick and displayed all the symptoms and he eventually died regardless of all I did to help him. He was in a pen with a hen (should have separated but I didn't) and she has no sign of being sick at all in fact she acts the same as she did before still as active as ever. I'd hate for it to be mareks because I won't sell infected birds but my whole income on the birds come from breeding and selling. Cheers

[@frloplady]

from what I have read and understood to this point, yes they would be carriers. I have a few that seem to have survived. but they will be eliminated from the flock

[@abigailnormafung3077]

Hi what about layers chicken swallon an running watery eyes

[@portugeeprepper6821]

Hey John do you get your Cornish cross vaccinated too or just the layers

[@farmmarketing]

I get the cornish vaccinated typically.

[@guusj3]

My chicken just died today...😭

[@MrZiZoo1]

I'm so sorry for that! 😢

[@annalaursen119]

Im so sorry

[@igameidoresearchtoo6511]

poor chicken :( sorry for that

[@mukeshmohapatra5597]

Mine also died today 😭

[@makenabrock9697]

Guusje we had to euthanize two of our hens because of mareks,I swear it's like they're dogs,I don't really think of them as chickens,more of pets

[@samuelahnialum8216]

Is it treat able??

[@farmmarketing]

Preventable but not treatable to my knowledge.

[@kimber45ish]

My hen can walk but stops periodically to lay on her side...l

[@powerbreed]

What if your birds are vaccinated and still get it ?

[@afreesie32]

Once you see this in one of your birds, is it a pretty safe bet that all of them have it? And at that point what should someone do? Cull and sterilize the whole area?

[@crazy808ish]

+Andrew Frees Don't diagnose your whole flock with it unless you're 100% sure it's marek's. Chickens can get all sorts of illness that aren't marek's, so unless you do a lab test for the presence of the herpesvirus, that is not a safe bet. But if you're sure it's marek's. yes, it's best to cull and wait a year or so before raising birds again. You're not gonna be able to sterilize the place against every single flake of chicken dander around.

[@kagomefan112]

Where can I buy these vaccines? I live in the Verde Valley with 40 vets and not one of them does chicken so I can guarantee you they are not going to vaccinate them.

[@lesley232]

I have a chick almost a week old ,it can't move it stays lying down all the time and it also looks like something is wrong with it's wings and sometimes it seems like it's having a seizures...I don't understand

[@jenniferbenfield8071]

What was the outcome of your chick?

[@azucargonzalez5680]

Marek's disease vacconation name??

[@bobbywalden1981]

This is why I thought about just keeping them in the coop and run and feeding all they need.

[@valerie4975]

Mine are in a coop and run and still got it.

[@JOLEBLON62]

None of my chickens have any symptoms… I had 1 chick hatch 2 months ago & is showing signs of mareks.

[@Maverick-g7o]

Can a chicken who was not vaccinated get mereks disease from one who is vaccinated?