Whew! Sometimes, I get carried away with the Marek's information that I have gathered from my flock suffering that I tend to forget that there are others' feelings involved.
Oh, I almost forgot. I did read in one thread about a lab in TX that does blood testing for Marek's. I don't know who it was or how much it cost or even how it works. I just remember it being a possibility. First, though, you would need to find the place to ship it to and a vet to draw the...
I'm so sorry I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I was just trying to give you some more information. Everyone of the chickens I have lost were named and lovingly raised in our kitchen. I have spent the last year losing, crying and burying my friends. I don't have a clue how to stop it...
My poultry vet informed me that the more 'rare' the breed/color is or the more genetic altering was involved in getting the colors/birds, the more likely Marek's would wipe them out. The constant striving for perfection has rendered their immune systems lacking.
I have found that not all Marek's cases fit the perfect Marek's profile. My reports came back the same, LL or Marek's. However, those were the birds that didn't go the 'right' way for Marek's. They were strong, healthy birds...dead the next. Since I have also had classic Marek's in my flock...