Managing Leukosis

[PurpleCArTires]

My story.... Its a long one, so grab a coffee!

I believe it all began my first year raising chickens. I didn't know about biosecurity and I "rescued" 6 battery hens from a meat farm down the road (I was so impatient with wanting eggs). I put them in with my 3-4 month old chickens. All was well. We lost the battery hens, one by one over a period of about 2 years, but everyone seemed relatively healthy. During that first year I also traded with a local homesteader for 3 easter eggers. One ended up being a rooster, so I kept him. Our second year in, he was our main breeder and started to notice about 1/3 of his chicks would not thrive, be very thin, and start dying around 16-20 weeks. My neighbor also had a weird death which was necropsied by the state and shown to be Mereks. This was in 2021 when I closed my flock (in fear I had Merek's too) and didn't sell anymore eggs for hatching.

Fast forward to 2023...
But after this past year I am most certain that my flock is infected with Leukosis, not Mareks.

I have high loss right at 20ish weeks (just before laying). And older birds are dying off during their molt (becoming nothing but skin and bones). I necropsied about 50% of those who have died or been culled and a majority have varying levels of tumors.

To top it off, I have about 50 laying aged hens at any given time and only get 8-12 eggs a day. (they aren't hiding them, I have done periods of lockdown so they could only lay in the coop/fenced run, just to be sure). I am spending a fortune on feed, with little to no return.

In a sad attempt to get some freakin' eggs from this flock, in spring of 2023 I brought in 20 new hatchery chicks and have lost over half just before laying. I also have lost about half of the chicks hatched from my flock. I had read introducing them to the flock very early can increase their resistance. That didnt work.

Death is all around us. It seems at least once a week I am putting down a chicken or finding one who didn't make it overnight.

I am feeling defeated.

I have come to the conclusion I can continue this cycle and feeding these birds just to have them die before they lay, or start over.

So my plan for 2024....
I have decided to cull the older birds and any chickens at the first sign of any sickness. Move the survivors to a secluded area far from the main coop. Do a complete deep clean and sanitize the entire main coop and let it sit empty for at least a month. Then I plan on buying a completely new flock of chicks from Murry McMurry hatchery and start over.

I'd only keep survivors of the old flock going until the new chicks started laying. Then cull anyone who remains.

For those of you who have dealt with this disease, do you think this plan will work. Or am I wasting my time, money, and efforts. Should I just completely cull the old flock and have the entire farm free of chickens for at least a month before getting new chicks?

I don't want to give up on chickens completely. I truly enjoy watching them and getting fresh eggs each day. But I cant keep a ton of non-producing birds around, just to watch them waste away.

I appreciate your insight!

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. I would suggest first getting a necropsy by the state vet on a bird with symptoms that is culled. That way you would know what you are dealing with. Mareks is spread is the dust and dander of infected birds. If Mareks is confirmed, then I would not buy new chicks. The disease lasts in the environment for years. Leukosis, as I understand, is usually not evident until the chicken is at least 4 months old. It‘s other name is big liver disease. Mareks tends to cause neurological symptoms first and can strike from 5 weeks through the first year but may happen later when a carrier is brought in.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

Sorry for your loss. I would suggest first getting a necropsy by the state vet on a bird with symptoms that is culled. That way you would know what you are dealing with. Mareks is spread is the dust and dander of infected birds. If Mareks is confirmed, then I would not buy new chicks. The disease lasts in the environment for years. Leukosis, as I understand, is usually not evident until the chicken is at least 4 months old. It‘s other name is big liver disease. Mareks tends to cause neurological symptoms first and can strike from 5 weeks through the first year but may happen later when a carrier is brought in.

Thanks! I agree, I first thought it was Mareks (since that is what my neighbors chicken was diagnosed with (who also died around 5-6 months old)). But all of my sick chicken losses are around laying age. I rarely ever have any issues with the younger chickens (only really lost them to my goat water bucket -- since have added cinder blocks). Also, they dont have neurological issues. They just lose a crazy amount of weight super-fast, then pass (if I dont cull first). Those that survive go on to lay with no issues until Molt. We've lost five 1.5 year old chickens this year during their molt. My guess is there system is just under too much load and they pass.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

Sorry for your loss. I would suggest first getting a necropsy by the state vet on a bird with symptoms that is culled. That way you would know what you are dealing with. Mareks is spread is the dust and dander of infected birds. If Mareks is confirmed, then I would not buy new chicks. The disease lasts in the environment for years. Leukosis, as I understand, is usually not evident until the chicken is at least 4 months old. It‘s other name is big liver disease. Mareks tends to cause neurological symptoms first and can strike from 5 weeks through the first year but may happen later when a carrier is brought in.

I am looking into RAL Labs for testing. I just asked a question on another thread, but I might just call them later to get the details. If it is Mereks, it would be a real shame, since keeping these chickens is heartbreaking and expensive.... and we cant get new ones

 

[Eggcessive]

I know that @azygous has a flock positive for leukosis that she has dealt with for awhile. RAL does offer testing where you collect samples and send in to them. You could think about switching to another type of poultry for eggs. I suppose.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

I know that @azygous has a flock positive for leukosis that she has dealt with for awhile. RAL does offer testing where you collect samples and send in to them. You could think about switching to another type of poultry for eggs. I suppose.

Most of mine now are mostly a barnyard mix of larger birds.

If I start a new flock, I am focusing on smaller birds that are high egg layers with good free ranging. I am thinking about the following (since I like my rainbow egg cartons):

• Leghorns (white eggs)
• Whitings True Blue (blue eggs)
• Whitings True green (green eggs)
• Black Sex Links (Brown Eggs)

 

[lisa69]

My flock is AVL positive .as per RAL PCR testing . I'm into generation #4 for with no symptoms or losses for 15 months. Last November all 28 hens where laying. Iv been testing each generation randomly. They are all 100 percent positive still.