Hi I'm new to this forum and hope somebody can offer some direction with this. In June we bought seven bantams at five weeks of age and we have lost four now to disease. The first one we took to vets he had mycoplasma first saw symptoms as he had a frothy eye. He had tylin orally by syringe twice and was separated from rest he got better started crowing again and two weeks later put back with flock. Three weeks later he went downhill. Was bought in again his breast bone was like a keel of a boat with a lump in the crop he was grey around his eyes not the iris and I had to get a friend to end it for him. Three to four weeks later my other two cockerels did exactly the same. The weight loss happened literally in a day and again they were too far gone. Yesterday one of the hens didn't come out of there coop I checked her and around her eye area was grey and weight loss incredible her breast bone was sharp and small lump in crop. She died overnight and I feel terrible that I couldn't put her to sleep yesterday myself. After being so concerned after losing the other three. I have been checking my hens so regularly she was ok christmas eve and running free range with others and wasn't thin. I'm thinking mareks? My daughter is devastated the bantams were bought for her seventh birthday. And I feel sick as the other three I feel are just waiting to get ill if they aren't already. I also have three large hens that are laying and are vaccinated will they be ok"
Thank you for reading I really hope someone can help xxx

This does not sound anything like Mareks to me. Mareks is a herpes virus, and the symptoms can be seen gradually with increasing loss of balance and paralysis on one side.

Mycoplasma is a highly infectious disease, so if one has had it, others can catch it.

The loss of weight and condition is very worrying, and I find it hard to believe it can happen so quickly.

I would recommend not allowing ANY contact between your large girls and bantams and take your remaining bantams to a vet urgently.

I'm unsure what it could be without more info to be honest.... Could be a parasite.... Red mite can make them lose condition.... But knowing you ave had myco diagnosed by a vet... I would think its either that infection or a subsequent infection. But it does not sound like Mareks to me (I have lost 2 girls to Mareks)

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Debs

Lives with a wonderful husband, 2 adorable rescue kitties Harry and Sabrina, and a flock of pampered pet chickens.