Hello everyone!
** The Question **
For those of you who have purchased Legbars, did you experience any seemingly inexplicable deaths at 16+ weeks? Where did you obtain these birds? If you didn't experience any deaths, please state where you got them from anyway as a recommendation (either hatching eggs or chicks).
** Backstory **
Back in March, after a long and exciting waiting time, I received my order of Cream Legbars from McMurray hatchery. I ordered 15 pullets as well as a few cockerels, but they weren't able to hatch enough so the March 18th delivery contained only 8. But they made good on it and shipped the other 7 in the beginning of April.
Some died the day of arrival, some were taken by predators and a few I culled for lack of vigor. I was left with 7 pullets and 2 cockerels. At least 4 of the pullets were from the April delivery, but both cockerels and 2 of the other pullets were from the March 18th delivery.
The 2 pullets from the March 18th delivery started laying on schedule, at around 22 weeks. About a month later, I had one of the pullets from the April shipment die suddenly, after 3 days of moderate lethargy. She was around 23 old and not laying yet. I posted her myself and the necropsy revealed grossly enlarged liver and spleen, indicative of lymphoid leukosis. Another pullet from the same shipment (also not laying) died within several weeks of the first one with the same symptoms.
I am now left with at least 2 pullets, possibly three, from that same shipment. They are the best ones, but I am thinking of culling because of the possibility that they are carriers of lymphoid leukosis. The ones from the March 18th shipment as well as some cockerels from another breeder were unfortunately in with these, so it's possible that the disease has already spread.
My current plan is to hatch from the remaining 2 pullets like mad and keep the offspring separated until 30 weeks of age. They would be raised in groups of 6-8 and any group that showed symptoms would be immediately culled, as well as the dam they came from. The remaining chicks from groups that don't show symptoms would not be allowed to breed with any potentially exposed birds. It would be easier if I could get all the birds tested and cull carriers now, without this long waiting process, but I am not yet aware of a testing center that will do this.
I still have 3 Legbars (2 Golden Crele cockerels and 1 Cream pullet) from a Cream Legbar Club member that have not been exposed and don't appear to be showing symptoms. These I intend to keep separate, and I am messaging the breeder to ask whether she has had any young birds die apparently for no reason.
The issue is that it appears at least several hatcheries AND breeders are having issues with this, not only McMurray. Possibly even Greenfire, and probably MyPetChicken. It can be hard to tell because one person can get 10 chicks with no issues, and another can get just one who has been vertically infected and then spreads it to the other chicks in the brooder. So any hatchery whose reviews indicate birds that have died or failed to thrive at laying age is off my list.
If I find a good source, I might just start over. I am fairly confident I know which birds have been exposed and thankfully the Legbars were raised separately from other chicks in the brooder. I look forward to hearing your experiences!
** The Question **
For those of you who have purchased Legbars, did you experience any seemingly inexplicable deaths at 16+ weeks? Where did you obtain these birds? If you didn't experience any deaths, please state where you got them from anyway as a recommendation (either hatching eggs or chicks).
** Backstory **
Back in March, after a long and exciting waiting time, I received my order of Cream Legbars from McMurray hatchery. I ordered 15 pullets as well as a few cockerels, but they weren't able to hatch enough so the March 18th delivery contained only 8. But they made good on it and shipped the other 7 in the beginning of April.
Some died the day of arrival, some were taken by predators and a few I culled for lack of vigor. I was left with 7 pullets and 2 cockerels. At least 4 of the pullets were from the April delivery, but both cockerels and 2 of the other pullets were from the March 18th delivery.
The 2 pullets from the March 18th delivery started laying on schedule, at around 22 weeks. About a month later, I had one of the pullets from the April shipment die suddenly, after 3 days of moderate lethargy. She was around 23 old and not laying yet. I posted her myself and the necropsy revealed grossly enlarged liver and spleen, indicative of lymphoid leukosis. Another pullet from the same shipment (also not laying) died within several weeks of the first one with the same symptoms.
I am now left with at least 2 pullets, possibly three, from that same shipment. They are the best ones, but I am thinking of culling because of the possibility that they are carriers of lymphoid leukosis. The ones from the March 18th shipment as well as some cockerels from another breeder were unfortunately in with these, so it's possible that the disease has already spread.
My current plan is to hatch from the remaining 2 pullets like mad and keep the offspring separated until 30 weeks of age. They would be raised in groups of 6-8 and any group that showed symptoms would be immediately culled, as well as the dam they came from. The remaining chicks from groups that don't show symptoms would not be allowed to breed with any potentially exposed birds. It would be easier if I could get all the birds tested and cull carriers now, without this long waiting process, but I am not yet aware of a testing center that will do this.
I still have 3 Legbars (2 Golden Crele cockerels and 1 Cream pullet) from a Cream Legbar Club member that have not been exposed and don't appear to be showing symptoms. These I intend to keep separate, and I am messaging the breeder to ask whether she has had any young birds die apparently for no reason.
The issue is that it appears at least several hatcheries AND breeders are having issues with this, not only McMurray. Possibly even Greenfire, and probably MyPetChicken. It can be hard to tell because one person can get 10 chicks with no issues, and another can get just one who has been vertically infected and then spreads it to the other chicks in the brooder. So any hatchery whose reviews indicate birds that have died or failed to thrive at laying age is off my list.
If I find a good source, I might just start over. I am fairly confident I know which birds have been exposed and thankfully the Legbars were raised separately from other chicks in the brooder. I look forward to hearing your experiences!