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That is great news. I'm so pleased for you and hope your flock continues to be healthy.

@emount Hi again. I'm very much like you in respect of chicken management and processing excess cockerels. I'm 3 years down the line with Marek's now. I've had decent success with breeding for resistance and particularly broody rearing within the flock, so that they are exposed from day one...

@emount I don't think there can be any certainty that a non symptomatic hen (particularly an older bird) in a flock that has Marek's will test positive for Marek's, because I'm not sure all birds that have been exposed to it will be carriers. You might be wasting your money on the pathology...

Have you tried vitamin supplements? Particularly Vit B complex Vit E and selenium I believe are the key ones for neurological problems. I would be loath to treat for coccidiosis now without more obvious symptoms.....I was just suggesting that it was not necessarily the breeders fault if your...

Hi So sorry to hear about your problems. I don't think all the blame can be dumped at the door of the breeder although clearly there must be some issues there. Were they NPIP certified? Not that it guarantees healthy chicks but indicates people are trying to do things properly. Coccidiosis is...

The third hen's intestines sound normal. I assume she didn't have that huge fluid blister either. I've not opened up a hen with ascites before so I don't know if it's normal for their intestines to be so impacted. I have one that has an obvious swelling but she is getting about OK and eating...

Yes, intestines should be thin walled and soft and floppy, so that was obviously another problem, or perhaps the water was all draining into that big blister and her intestines hardened as she became dehydrated and impacted . I can see them between your fingers in the photo but it was difficult...

It's a common misunderstanding but crop and gizzard are two very different things. The crop is basically like a hopper for food to be stored in until it goes down into the digestive tract and is located in the neck/chest area and you can feel it and palpitate it quite easilty and usually see...

Hi Sorry to hear about your hens that died. It doesn't sound like Marek's to me as it usually affects youngsters under the age of 12 months. One sounds like she may have had ascites (water belly) or perhaps egg bound. Bloated and walking like a penguin are indications of those and if so...

Hi again So pleased I was able to offer you a bit of hope and direction. When my outbreak started, like most people, I hadn't heard of Marek's and didn't know anything about it. I let the chickens out one morning a year gone Sept and one of my young pullets was hobbling badly...

Hi I believe that you are right in thinking that the preceding health problems (respiratory, cocci and maybe even worms) were as a result of a compromised immune system and it does sound like Marek's but I'm not sure what makes you think it's a particularly aggressive strain. I have what I...

Well this seems to be the worst time of year for my flock for outbreaks. I'm pretty confident that the chicks I mentioned earlier have it but thankfully they have not declined further and seem to be holding their own and the POL pullets are not showing any signs yet although I'm almost paranoid...

That is sad but as you say not bad odds and a relatively peaceful passing. I have had 24 broody reared chicks this summer all within the flock with no vaccine or special precautions and I have one that dropped a wing 2 weeks ago and is now a bit unsteady on her feet but still free ranging with...

I'm sure you are right that there are different and more virulent strains and I'm pretty sure my flock has a milder one than many on this thread although I have had birds with tumours. The first pullet I had with it started with lameness and got worse pretty rapidly and then wry neck also...

I really hope I'm not tempting fate but I'm finding the same as Sonya9. I've had 4 broody reared clutches within the flock this year, all cross bred mutts and none vaccinated. The oldest are 3 cockerels that are very hale and hearty at 6 months old and will sadly be going in the pot soon but...

So sorry to hear your little girl has gone too but at least her suffering and yours has ended. That "to cull or not to cull" dilemma is horrible. I managed it once and it was really difficult but it wasn't a pullet that I had come to know and love over a period of months of special care. And...

Many thanks for your support and mark of respect to her. She was a fighter and did well to rally twice from the disease. I feel sad that our last significant interaction was me doing something to her that distressed her but we had lots of good times and I try to dwell on those. Unfortunately...

Quote: Thanks for that punk00. I had already given her a warm Epsom salt bath and despite being my favourite and most well handled bird, she was not relaxed. I think being in the warm water was making her breathing more laboured. I have bathed other birds that have appeared to enjoy it but she...

Hope's eggs are very pointy at one end and very round at the other but there is a thick seam of shell which is around the middle joining the two ends together. The shell is pretty thick in general but this middle section has a slightly less dense, more porous texture. I thought initially that...

Sad to report that my little CCLxRIR pullet, Hope, is going down hill again. Not Marek's per se but secondary problems. She has yellow discharge from her vent which looks like it might be egg yolk peritonitis and she is sneezing all the time and wheezing a little, so maybe MG as well. I always...