I'm so sorry that you had to do that. I feel your grief. It's hard and never gets easy. You just get to the point where you understand that it's what you have to do and you do it.
Shot gun? Whow. I accidentally put one down with a .45 and learned the same lesson. That's why I use a .38 now and do a head shot to the back of the skull. They don't know what hit them blessedly. Many do not even do the post flopping around. I do not want my birds to suffer at all when the end comes to them.
I always tell my birds to fly free and find my flock at the rainbow bridge they will make them welcomed. Makes me feel a little better.
Okay, understand. If I was face to face with you, I would reach up, gently clasp your face in both hands, look you in the eye and say. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. Period. Marek's is everywhere. It's carried on the wind it's carried on wild bird dander, it's carried on your clothing. You can't get rid of it you can't beat it. All you can do is outsmart it by breeding a resistant flock.
To this day I do not know where my infection came from. My birds were bought from a reputable NPIP breeder who was breeding for resistance. They assured me that I wouldn't have any problems, yet a year later my birds were dropping like flies. I figure it was carried in from a surrounding farm by wild birds but I will never know. It started when my birds were about 14 months old and lasted for 3+ years until the deaths suddenly stopped. I haven't had a definitive MD death for at least 5 years now.
You just can't get away from the stuff. One article I read and God I read a lot of articles said that veterinarians and researchers figure that every farm in America has been exposed to Marek's disease. The key is back to resistance again.
I agree that something to consider is Egyptian Fayoumis. They are genetically resistant to the disease and several other avian diseases. These birds aren't cute and cuddly. They are pretty birds but they are all business. Mine will take treats from my hand but that is it. They are not lap sitters or shoulder setters. Mine scream bloody murder when I dare touch their royal person and the hens have a scream that will make your teeth hurt but by golly they will live and they will give you 2-3 eggs a week. I've lost two from my small flock. One to parasites (you do have to worm them like any other chicken) and one last spring to some weird infection that I still has me puzzled. I lost a rooster at the same time to the same symptoms but they were the only two of a flock of almost 50.
See, a flock of 50. There is life after Marek's disease. You just got to learn how to out fox the fox as the saying goes.
Don't worry. They will find what is happening to your flock and hopefully if not MD it will be something that can be controlled.
Just hang in there.
Shot gun? Whow. I accidentally put one down with a .45 and learned the same lesson. That's why I use a .38 now and do a head shot to the back of the skull. They don't know what hit them blessedly. Many do not even do the post flopping around. I do not want my birds to suffer at all when the end comes to them.
I always tell my birds to fly free and find my flock at the rainbow bridge they will make them welcomed. Makes me feel a little better.
Okay, understand. If I was face to face with you, I would reach up, gently clasp your face in both hands, look you in the eye and say. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. Period. Marek's is everywhere. It's carried on the wind it's carried on wild bird dander, it's carried on your clothing. You can't get rid of it you can't beat it. All you can do is outsmart it by breeding a resistant flock.
To this day I do not know where my infection came from. My birds were bought from a reputable NPIP breeder who was breeding for resistance. They assured me that I wouldn't have any problems, yet a year later my birds were dropping like flies. I figure it was carried in from a surrounding farm by wild birds but I will never know. It started when my birds were about 14 months old and lasted for 3+ years until the deaths suddenly stopped. I haven't had a definitive MD death for at least 5 years now.
You just can't get away from the stuff. One article I read and God I read a lot of articles said that veterinarians and researchers figure that every farm in America has been exposed to Marek's disease. The key is back to resistance again.
I agree that something to consider is Egyptian Fayoumis. They are genetically resistant to the disease and several other avian diseases. These birds aren't cute and cuddly. They are pretty birds but they are all business. Mine will take treats from my hand but that is it. They are not lap sitters or shoulder setters. Mine scream bloody murder when I dare touch their royal person and the hens have a scream that will make your teeth hurt but by golly they will live and they will give you 2-3 eggs a week. I've lost two from my small flock. One to parasites (you do have to worm them like any other chicken) and one last spring to some weird infection that I still has me puzzled. I lost a rooster at the same time to the same symptoms but they were the only two of a flock of almost 50.
See, a flock of 50. There is life after Marek's disease. You just got to learn how to out fox the fox as the saying goes.
Don't worry. They will find what is happening to your flock and hopefully if not MD it will be something that can be controlled.
Just hang in there.
