Mareks disease.

[SirVixofVixHall]

I had a hen die at the end of last year, she essentially wasted away, lots of vet visits but nothing worked.
A month ago the hen’s sister looked a bit off, walking slightly awkwardly. I took her straight to the vet, they thought she might have a protozoan infection so she was treated for that, but got weaker, although still eating, and then died overnight. Because it was quite similar to her sister, we had a post mortem done which has shown Mareks. I have two chickens left, one very elderly male (about twelve or so) and another middle aged hen. Both seem very well. However from what I have read it seems they will both have picked up Mareks but could be asymptomatic? And could spread it to the wild birds in my garden? I have also read that I can’t bring in any other birds, which will be very stressful if my old boy dies. I normally bring in two more when I get down to two, to avoid ever having a poor solitary chicken.
Any advice ? I am worrying about it. I don’t know how or when my hen picked it up, it seems likely that her sister also had it, but the person they came from (as adult birds of about three) hadn’t had any problems with her flock. I have had the odd hen die of something unknown but that seems normal for hens ? This is the first time I’ve had a PM done, I’ve had chickens for 15 years.

Personally I would have culled them all, but if you haven't the stomach for that I'd watch very carefully and cull at the first sign of illness. Regards one being left good breeders vaccinate against Mareks so you could get a chicken that is vaccinated (they still can get infected and still carry and spread it but don't become sick themselves)

I think my other two may have been vaccinated, but I got them both as older birds. My worry is that as it is a “leaky” vaccine, they will now almost certainly be shedding the virus into the wild population. Mine are pet hens, bantams. I only have a tiny flock. Having the other two culled seems so awful when they are well, my cockerel is so old and a real character.
I just don’t know what to do .

When did you get the two hens that had Mareks? It's possible they caught it from your resident hens if they had already been vaccinated, in which case they would have been shedding for years in the wild population. Are they free range?

I did come across quite cold then, I get that chickens are pets as well.

We have Marek's in our flock; I don't know where it came from but we've had 3 deaths from it over the last couple of years. We have over 30 chickens though so the majority of them aren't being affected.

I wouldn't cull. Apparently it can survive in the soil for 30 years, so culling two birds isn't going to make much difference at this stage.

I’ve had the two that had Mareks for two years or so. Yes they could have caught it from my cockerel if he has it asymptotically. The two hens who died came with the third hen who so far is completely well. She had been reared by a different person, but taken in as an adult by my friend who reared the other two I think. The cockerel I took in ten years ago, again as an adult, because he was unwanted and getting bullied where he was. So I had all of them as adults, My cockerel was two or three when I got him, the owner couldn’t remember.
They do roam free range in my garden. Obviously they were not out during the housing order but normally they come out for short bursts.
Can they get Mareks from wild birds ? Or is it most likely that they have it from other hens ? Possibly my Cockerel is a carrier in that case. Or the two hens already had it but it took a while to manifest, I am not sure of the timescale of disease progression.
The vaccine seems to have made everything worse, as it doesn’t stop infection it has made the actual disease more lethal by the sound of it.

Thirty years ! That is terrible. I have a garden full of wild birds.

Agree about the vaccine making it worse longterm, short term it saved lots of money.

People can be carriers if they visit other flocks and if they don't practice good biosecurity, but that is harder when they are truly free range (mine are as well)

From my understanding most likely to get it from another chicken but wild birds can't be ruled out.

I guess wait and see and be prompt with any sign of sickness.