AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

I posted this at the end of PA's sticky on Mareks, above, then realised it would be better off here... sorry. Here's the question..

Does Marek's ever affect older birds, that is, about 3 years old? I recently lost an Aaraucana hen who lay on her side with her legs out as though clumsily dustbathing and then sat still and declined. Symptoms were only noticeable over a few days. Now my Araucana rooster is ill. Took him to the vet who said his temperature was off the scale on her thermometer, she had never seen a bird so hot. He was severely dehydrated, ungainly, stopped eating and drinking and his comb was dull and sunken. He was previously seen by my daughter laying on one side and thrusting his legs out.
He was dunked in water and held in front of a fan to get his temp down, given long acting antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids and hospitalised overnight. The vet seemed to dismiss Marek's as a possibility when she found out his age. The next day he was eating and cool, and came home. He has spent the last two days in the laundry with a fan on and is gradually improving. He is walking normally but still standing on one leg occasionally. I have not seen him jump, and he has not roosted above floor level although the side of the tubs is covered with towel and would be comfortable for him. He is eating and drinking (at first he would only drink if my daughter stroked his back!) and crowing to the flock outside. We are experiencing a severe heatwave, so he won't go out at least until it is cooler tomorrow, but the hen died before the extreme heat set in so heat exhaustion alone shouldn't be the problem. Also cool conditions with misting and plenty of water and shade have always been available. We lost 6 adults and 3 chicks to fox attack a week earlier, could stress have been a factor?

This rooster, Lavender, is a real favourite of ours due to his gentleness and good nature towards the flock and to us. I would hate to lose him.


Any thoughts?

Just an update -
Lavender recovered well enough to rejoin the flock after 4 days. After a little posturing (with me anxiously hovering with the mop in case of carnage) the other roosters backed off and let him be boss again.

A month down the track he is mostly normal, but on some days still walks stiff legged, with his legs swinging outwards, and gets clumsy over any obstacles. The next day he'll be ok again.

Everyone else is apparently fine.

Please, does anyone have any ideas?

I don't think he would have Mareks as he is too old but having said that he may have had Mareks at a younger age and it has damaged his nerves. Mareks causes damage in many of the nerves and the damage is untreatable and permanent.


Denny

Thanks for your reply Denny. His full brother, with whom he was raisedto maturity, belongs to friends of ours and has no problems, and we have not had any problems with any of the many chicks of his we have hatched or any of the hens we have bought in over the years we have had him. They have not been vaccinated.
If he has been affected by Marek's, will the illness continue to progress in him and be infectious to others?

I know very little about mareks but I am learning from here. The virus can remain alive in the environment for as long as eight months from what I have read, so I don't think he would still have it just the side effects of it