American serama thread!

[Chicklette 1]

Babies are about the same today. Took them out of their crates and put them in places that they can at least see the world around them . I have been giving them vitamin B sprinkled on their food and I did give them a dose of vitamin E. I'll give them another dose of E today. They eat , they drink, and they poop. Just cannot walk. I also noticed one time that when I stood her up, she had the one leg front and one leg back. I have been reading about Merecks where ever I can and this does not look good. They can sort of get around on one leg which is stronger. They can open their wings by themselves. I am just sick and my poor little house chicken Lucky has been exposed to them all along. From what I read, some of them have some natural immunity to MD and will survive it but they will probably be carriers of it. So what do I do with all the chickens that survive it. One article suggests that the ones that have the immunity are the ones to breed and each time the new generation has less and less because the immunity can be passed down but you will probably lose some in each generation. This is a terrible thing and I cannot figure out what brought this out in them as they are in a garage with only the original three that I had and the babies from their hatches. The hen is right on target for the disease as she is probably at the pol.
I have eggs in the incubator and I am going through with hatching them as it does not affect the embryos. My stomach is in my mouth!!! I've learned all I could so far about the vaccine and it does not seem to be the answer necessarily. I will just go on taking care of my 2 that are sick and hope I am all wrong. As long as they do not seem to be suffering, and are eating and drinking , I will not cull them. The only diagnosis is by symptoms or necropsy so going to my vet at this point would seem futile. Have not tried antibiotic and may consider that but between the vitamin B and E, I really did not want to overload them. Thank you everyone for all your help and good wishes. Hope I can return them some day and be there for all of you. I will keep you posted.

 

[Chicklette 1]

Cherie, since yours were vaccinated, I think they can carry the disease but not actively have it. Any of your other birds who were not vaccinated are at risk. Some have an immunity to it naturally so they won't get it. The incubation period is anywhere from 2 weeks to.........? I am hoping that some of my birds have the immunity. Wouldn't you know, they are my favorite hen and rooster that I hatched. The hen was getting to the laying age and the male was at the teenage stage. The stress on them can cause the disease to come on. I hope you have something else that is easily treatable. You should use the B and E vitamins. The vets can't do anything for us if it is MD. I was unaware that it could be diagnosed from a blood test and will be in touch with the vet and bring in my bird for testing if that is the case. Good luck to both of us!!

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

I had Mereks around 2 years ago and it killed around 100 birds. It would hit at a few weeks but then it would also hit around 4 months and thats when I noticed the spralled leg. When they were chicks they just died. I had to clean all coops and could not use dirt floors because it is in the dirt. I put floors in the bird bard and then started vaccinating every bird I hatched by a week old. I would buy the vac. from jeffers by 10's. All chicks and youth stayed inside on hard floor until they were 3months old and then they went outside in a growout pen. I have not lost a bird to mereks in at least a year but I still vaccinate because i dont want to go through that again. There are so many things they can get and it cost so much to test all the birds. Maybe a blood test? My vet her is teriffic with helping me any time and she explains everything too. I hope and pray its not mereks. Please see if you can get a blood test.
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[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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Please take what I say/suggest with a grain of salt as I am far from an expert...I am still learning so much that at times I think my head will explode.

I had my own Marek's scare. a gentleman who sells eggs bought 7 orps from me. He also introduced into his flock (at the same time) some hatchery babies that had been vaccinated - mine had not. He lost a couple of birds - sent 2 in for necropsy - he lost 1 orp and he sent it in and one of his other birds he had lost. The orp came back with Marek's. He came and told me. I freaked as I assumed it came from me.

I had 1 sick pullet. After much nursing...she passed. Since I had just been warned of the possible Marek's just down the road from me (even though I had NO symptoms other than not walking, weak) I sent her in for necropsy. She was egg bound. It would have been her first egg. I got so freaked out about Marke's I did not even think about it. She was at POL. Again I have learned more.

What I have learned - Please ANYONE correct me if I am wrong - You can go outside, go to someone else's place, out in public...and you can bring home Marek's germ home on you. Wild birds can be carriers. It is spread through "sluffed" off skin cells from around the shaft of the feathers. I am sure you already know all this.

Could your pullet be at POL and egg bound? Keep giving them the vitamins...maybe that it is.

I was also told that after 6-8 months that they are kind of "in better shape" to fight the disease and are less likely to get it. but they can all be carriers. I also learned too, that the vaccine does not necessarily make them immune to it...just keeps them safer.

Please keep us updated - this is how I learn. I hope that all of yours is a positive outcome.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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It is interesting to see that you vaccinate. I have asked many. It is so split. yes/no to vaccine. I think I am going to start vaccinating. I vaccinate my kids to protect them, my cats, my dogs. Why not my birds. I would love for others to speak up on this.

The reason for the "NOs" was to have the birds to build up natural immunity and the stronger live. I can totally understand this thinking. But if my daughter's Seramas totally pets were to get sick and die....she would be devastated. I still need to tell daughter that our old dog had to be put down on Christmas day (sory another story). Older diabetic dog, horrible seizure Chrismas eve. Called in and had her hospitalized Christmas eve. Dr. calledme Christmas morning to update. Brandy (dog) had another seizure during night and was mentally "check out". We figure she had a stroke. She also was horribly hypoglycemic and had lost 1 lb (a lot for a 10 lb dog) in little over 2 months. We had her put down. she will be cremated and will sit on our mantel next to her "house mate" whom we lost 2 years ago.

ETA: I am sorry for the loss of so may birds. I would just be devastated. that is just awful.

 

[Chicklette 1]

Quote:
Please take what I say/suggest with a grain of salt as I am far from an expert...I am still learning so much that at times I think my head will explode.

I had my own Marek's scare. a gentleman who sells eggs bought 7 orps from me. He also introduced into his flock (at the same time) some hatchery babies that had been vaccinated - mine had not. He lost a couple of birds - sent 2 in for necropsy - he lost 1 orp and he sent it in and one of his other birds he had lost. The orp came back with Marek's. He came and told me. I freaked as I assumed it came from me.

I had 1 sick pullet. After much nursing...she passed. Since I had just been warned of the possible Marek's just down the road from me (even though I had NO symptoms other than not walking, weak) I sent her in for necropsy. She was egg bound. It would have been her first egg. I got so freaked out about Marke's I did not even think about it. She was at POL. Again I have learned more.

What I have learned - Please ANYONE correct me if I am wrong - You can go outside, go to someone else's place, out in public...and you can bring home Marek's germ home on you. Wild birds can be carriers. It is spread through "sluffed" off skin cells from around the shaft of the feathers. I am sure you already know all this.

Could your pullet be at POL and egg bound? Keep giving them the vitamins...maybe that it is.

I was also told that after 6-8 months that they are kind of "in better shape" to fight the disease and are less likely to get it. but they can all be carriers. I also learned too, that the vaccine does not necessarily make them immune to it...just keeps them safer.

Please keep us updated - this is how I learn. I hope that all of yours is a positive outcome.

She is probably near or at pol so I will check her for that......thanks. They are both managing to scoot around with their 1 stronger leg. No other symptoms.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

The vaccination is NOT a garentee they wont get it but I guess I was lucky. Yes, You can get it on the shoes at the auction and bring it home so like every other chicken diease you just gotta watch out!
Quote:
Please take what I say/suggest with a grain of salt as I am far from an expert...I am still learning so much that at times I think my head will explode.

I had my own Marek's scare. a gentleman who sells eggs bought 7 orps from me. He also introduced into his flock (at the same time) some hatchery babies that had been vaccinated - mine had not. He lost a couple of birds - sent 2 in for necropsy - he lost 1 orp and he sent it in and one of his other birds he had lost. The orp came back with Marek's. He came and told me. I freaked as I assumed it came from me.

I had 1 sick pullet. After much nursing...she passed. Since I had just been warned of the possible Marek's just down the road from me (even though I had NO symptoms other than not walking, weak) I sent her in for necropsy. She was egg bound. It would have been her first egg. I got so freaked out about Marke's I did not even think about it. She was at POL. Again I have learned more.

What I have learned - Please ANYONE correct me if I am wrong - You can go outside, go to someone else's place, out in public...and you can bring home Marek's germ home on you. Wild birds can be carriers. It is spread through "sluffed" off skin cells from around the shaft of the feathers. I am sure you already know all this.

Could your pullet be at POL and egg bound? Keep giving them the vitamins...maybe that it is.

I was also told that after 6-8 months that they are kind of "in better shape" to fight the disease and are less likely to get it. but they can all be carriers. I also learned too, that the vaccine does not necessarily make them immune to it...just keeps them safer.

Please keep us updated - this is how I learn. I hope that all of yours is a positive outcome.

 

[barbieszoo]

I can't seem to get rid of mites on my 2 little Serama girls, especially my little silkied one. They are tiny round and gray and are out during the daytime so it seems they are Northern Fowl Mites. I have dusted both girls thoroughly with the Livestock and Garden permethrin dust 3 times now, 10 days apart. I also cleaned out and dusted their nighttime crate and I clean out their cage (they are in the garage with a heat lamp on these cool days) daily. They have a plastic container of sand in their cage at all times for dust baths, and I added wood ash for 3 days this past week to help suffocate the mites. They love their dust baths and take full advantage of their sandbox. These 2 are not in direct contact with any other birds and have not even been outside in their outdoor 2-story rabbit hutch since the cold weather hit. I hold and play with them almost every day in the house and just started noticing the mites around the silkied girl's vent about a month ago. After 3 treatments of permethrin, wood ash dust baths, cage and crate cleaning and dusting, and also some diaper rash ointment on their vent area to suffocate the mites/keep the skin from getting scabby, I am not sure what else to do and am getting frustrated with these mites not going away. The silkied one seems to have more of them because I see some around her vent. never actually see any on the smooth girl.So far they are not causing the girls any problems but I know it's got to be itchy! Any other ideas anyone?

 

[welasharon]

I use seven dust or if I am lazy I will use ivomec pour on. I have a friend with silkies that found ivomec under the wing was about the only thing that worked. Now, I don't know if there are different types of mites or not? These worked for ours.
sharon

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

My silkied serama girls get them bad so I wash them in the sink with liquid Garden permethrin. Works great I also put it in a spray bottle when its to cold to wash them. I put it on their butts.
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