Bad Luck Bantams

[BDutch]

I'm not gonna lie, I completely dropped the ball on that. I was so distraught over the whole ordeal with Willow that it slipped my mind. Do you know if they can blood test for it? I was under the impression that it needed to be done postmortem. It would mean she brought it with her from the hatchery, which would be absolutely insane. She had symptoms on Day 1.

Just so I'm clear, you're suggesting I give Dandelion a friend to hang out with before trying to merge everyone back together? Her and Poppy still get along, though I know Poppy would be very distressed to be separated from her best friend, Clover. It's really difficult to manage when I'm running on fumes with flock numbers!

I don’t know enough about Mareks disease to give proper advice.

@RoyalChick , can you read about the problems and shine your light on this ?

 

[BDutch]

In the meantime, I need to figure out WTF I'm doing with my coop. I can't just snap and put a better one in its place. At a bare minimum, I'm going to open the nest side. This makes it very, very close to the 4 sqft/bird, but I don't get that vertical element that I really need. It's harder to beat someone up when you're perched in the air.

Inside coop space and run space can add up.
Important: make the run super safe for 24/7 opening up or ad a auto pop door with a daylight sensor to open up during the day. Cover the run at least with a strong net.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

It would mean she brought it with her from the hatchery, which would be absolutely insane. She had symptoms on Day 1.

Meyer vaccinates for Marek's (unless you opted out). I know it's not 100%, but if you had the chicks vaccinated at hatch, it seems pretty unlikely that Marek's would the culprit...

 

[BDutch]

They're also the only place I've seen for sexed bantams. I've wondered, since other hatcheries don't sex bantams, and I've read in many places that they're so tiny that it's considered dangerous, is that contributing to them being sickly and weak? Like maybe the chicks would be better off if they just sold them straight run?

Because the chicks are so small, its very painful for them to open up the vent to see the gender. There are only a few breeds with obvious characteristics to sex the chicks.

The transport is often bad for them too.
Depending on the time and weather it can have an impact on their health.
In the Netherlands its not allowed to transport chicks by a shipping company for that reason. Only pick up or delivery by the hatchery employees themselves is allowed.

I never bought day old chicks anyway. I rather pick up some hatchery eggs to give to a broody if I want more chickens. This is the best way to bring no diseases in. With older chicks or pullets you need to quarantine.

You need to be certain you don’t have Marek in tour flock before you decide to do the same. Bc if the broody was infected and healed she is carrier of Marek and passes it to the chicks. You also need to make plans about for the cockerels.

 

[BoundlessLove]

Putting them together daily doesn’t work. They remember the situation over and over again. And the chickens get stressed every time you make a change.

It takes at least 3 weeks to forget. And it also gives Dandelion a chance to recover.

I’ve had no problems with daily supervision when integrating chickens.
Each flock is different and depends on the circumstances.
Sorry it hasn’t worked for you, but doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work for other flocks.

 

[BDutch]

I’ve had no problems with daily supervision when integrating chickens.
Each flock is different and depends on the circumstances.
Sorry it hasn’t worked for you, but doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work for other flocks.

I wasn’t talking about integrating chickens, but about breaking unwanted or nasty habits.

 

[BoundlessLove]

I wasn’t talking about integrating chickens, but about breaking unwanted or nasty habits.

Ah, gotcha

 

[RoyalChick]

I don’t know enough about Mareks disease to give proper advice.

@RoyalChick , can you read about the problems and shine your light on this ?

I haven’t had time to read everything so am not entirely sure if the situation. But to answer a couple of questions.
You can tell from your Meyers order confirmation if they were vaccinated for Marek’s or not. It will be listed as a separate item on the order and the receipt.
Yes you can test for Marek’s with a blood test. Many of us use this lab. https://www.vetdna.com/ You can call them and they will answer questions over the phone. You purchase swabs from them (about $20 for a packet) and then collect the sample and send it back to them. For Marek’s you can just use the regular mail - it doesn’t need to be overnight. There is a form in the website so you can select all the tests you want.
It is extremely unlikely that a chick came from a hatchery with Marek’s. It is not transmitted via the egg and hatchery chicks are hatched in sterile conditions away from any adult hen.
Also, how old are these chicks. Marek’s is rare to show itself before 4 weeks and is most common around 12 weeks. It depends on the strain of virus so that isn’t a hard and fast rule.
Hope that helps for now and so sorry you are having problems.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Important: make the run super safe for 24/7 opening up or ad a auto pop door with a daylight sensor to open up during the day. Cover the run at least with a strong net.

Done! The only thing that can get into my run is a bear, which will be a concern in the next month or so if they're not locked in their coop at night.

Meyer vaccinates for Marek's (unless you opted out). I know it's not 100%, but if you had the chicks vaccinated at hatch, it seems pretty unlikely that Marek's would the culprit...

I chose not to, only because I was worried that shipping + vaccination would be too much stress on bantam chicks. I would 100% elect to vaccinate large fowl chicks, though.

In the Netherlands its not allowed to transport chicks by a shipping company for that reason. Only pick up or delivery by the hatchery employees themselves is allowed.

You guys are way ahead of us on things like that. Most chicks in the US do not have a kind start.

I wasn’t talking about integrating chickens, but about breaking unwanted or nasty habits.

So to my point, you're thinking it could take up to 3 weeks for Hornet to "forget" about bullying Dandelion. I'm also hoping Dandelion and Clover can reset as well. Clover could be laying eggs in 3 weeks for all I know, and that could give her a complete personality overhaul where she won't take guff from Dandelion.

~​

I do realize the simplest path is to rehome Dandelion, who has multiple arrows pointing at her. It feels quite unfair though. She hasn't done anything wrong; the coop fiasco was my fault. Going to keep mulling things over and will keep the thread updated with any decisions or progress.

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I very much appreciate everyone that bothered to read and comment. I really didn't expect anyone to respond to my blathering. You guys are so kind and knowledgeable. I hope this ends in some big breakthrough where I learn a valuable lesson and everything is sunshine and rainbows once again, but please don't be disappointed if I decide to just throw in the towel. I want my birds to be happy, but I feel I deserve some peace after all this as well.

 

[thecatumbrella]

It is extremely unlikely that a chick came from a hatchery with Marek’s. It is not transmitted via the egg and hatchery chicks are hatched in sterile conditions away from any adult hen.
Also, how old are these chicks. Marek’s is rare to show itself before 4 weeks and is most common around 12 weeks. It depends on the strain of virus so that isn’t a hard and fast rule.
Hope that helps for now and so sorry you are having problems.

Thank you! We were discussing Willow, who you helped me with months ago when she was having neurological issues. She did show symptoms directly from the hatchery.