I wonder what others experience has been with Alchemist Farms unvaccinated (for Mareks) chicks. I bought 4 Bielefelders feom them last year and 2 Azure Eggers this year. I just buried one of my Azure eggers (of course she was a favorite). I discovered that I have Marek’s in my flock… She had the classic signs of leg paralysis and gasping. I babied her but she still died within about ten days… Her vaccinated brooder mates and the other Azure Egger are fine. Both Azure Eggers came down with what I then thought was a vitamin deficiency when they were just a few weeks old. I now wonder if it was Pseudo Botulism, which is a form of Marek’s. Signs were head dangling in the bedding progressing to them getting so weak they were completely flat lying down, only eyes moving. One chick completely recovered with babying within 24hrs, the other took 2 days. The one who took longer is the one who just died. Hmmm. When I look at the Bielefelders, a year old now, one has a roach back (developed at about eight weeks old), otherwise fine, one developed ascites a couple of months ago, one went into a sudden early heavy molt and is now regrowing feathers but skinny and pale, one seems completely fine. One of them (don’t know which, probably ascites girl) is laying a flat, thin shelled egg. So three hens with issues out of four. Marek’s makes chickens more susceptible to other illnesses, because it compromises the immune system, so that could be in play here. My older vaccinated big hatchery birds are all fine, so are my pullets and cockerel from Greenfire (also vaccinated). As much as I love Alchemist Farm, and especially because they are local and we don’t have to have the chicks shipped, I don’t think I dare buy unvaccinated chicks anymore. It is just not fair to the birds and it’s too rough on me, too. Have you guys had better luck?