2 month old welsummer pullet sick, is it mareks?

[steph5253]

What kind of chickens do you raise? Just curious.

-Kathy

This is my first flock and I am set up to small scale hatch black copper Marans (including blues/splash) as well as black/blue/splash ameraucanas (this was the one new breeder chicken I got), and olive eggers.

Since I just started this year I was selling the pullets I am choosing not to breed from. I was excited about hatching next year :-(

 

[casportpony]

Quote: So sorry!

-Kathy

 

[Nambroth]

I'm so sorry. It was my dream to breed birds too eventually, and now I can not with good conscience (I too have Marek's).

Maybe someone in your area that already has Marek's exposed birds would be interested, if you find you have too many. I would, but I am not at all local...

 

[seminolewind]

Sorry about the Marek's. I, too, only bought one outside chicken from a breeder. The others were either hatched here, or hatchery day olds. Hopefully, you can sell eggs and maybe you can find someone who can incubate and hatch chicks for you at their home , and sell them. Marek's makes things so difficult. But there are ways to work around it.

 

[casportpony]

It sure doesn't help when feedstores, like the one I go buy unvaccinated chicks and house them with Marek's positive birds. To add insult to injury, they will also knowingly sell sick birds to the public. If I had a sick bird, and I mean really sick, I could take it there today and get $5 store credit for it. Of course I never would, but plenty of people do.

-Kathy

 

[Nambroth]

It sure doesn't help when feedstores, like the one I go buy unvaccinated chicks and house them with Marek's positive birds. To add insult to injury, they will also knowingly sell sick birds to the public. If I had a sick bird, and I mean really sick, I could take it there today and get $5 store credit for it. Of course I never would, but plenty of people do.

-Kathy

Oh, that's just lovely. Good grief. Imagine how many people that just don't know any better bring home nasty and life-long (in diseases that don't go away, like Marek's and many respiratory ailments) problems to their flock this way. I have a history of parrot keeping and knew about quarantine and common disease vectors, but most pet owners that are used to cats, dogs, etc... don't!

 

[6of6chicks]

Oh, that's just lovely. Good grief. Imagine how many people that just don't know any better bring home nasty and life-long (in diseases that don't go away, like Marek's and many respiratory ailments) problems to their flock this way. I have a history of parrot keeping and knew about quarantine and common disease vectors, but most pet owners that are used to cats, dogs, etc... don't!

I brought home a sick chick and didn't know any better. These are my first chicks and prior to this I've only had dogs. I've had two out of six that have gotten sick, but my first sick chick was sick from day one. The feed store guy told us that one was "special" and would be "extra sweet because she's so tame." At the time I didn't know what he called "tame" was actually lethargic - and sure enough she developed a full blown case of coccidiosis. It's my fault because I didn't recognize the signs and should have known better. But, I guess you could say, the feed store guy saw us coming from a mile away.

Thankfully she is recovered and spunky as all get out. But the other sick one - there's still a worry that it's Mareks (she's limping). I'm just crossing my fingers, doing all I can to properly isolate & treat her (coccidiosis as well) and hoping for the best.

 

[steph5253]

I guess many of us experience this. It is just so frustrating. The breeder chicken I got was purchased day old and the breeder did not vax it, though I asked for it (he claims he thought I said no vax) and I did quarantine for 7 weeks before integrating. I don't think it came from this chicken with these circumstances and disease timing in my other chicken. Buuuuut I did find this breeder on craigslist and when I called to tell him I had a mareks case he got defensive... If it is from this breeder shame on him, as I am sure he would know mareks was in his flock (or property since the chicks were kept separate).

I would never do that to people, it is so wrong. Look at me with my first flock and now my property is forever contaminated :-(

 

[steph5253]

Thanks for the ideas about hatching, I could def hatch out of a few fam members' houses ;-)

 

[Vasili]

If the iris is grey and not the typical yellow color, that is a telltale sign of Marek's disease.