Big Bad Mareks

[2ndTink]

I have not vaccinated any of my home hatched chicks. Any chick that I do hatch out here I do not plan to vaccinate. Some things I’ve read and so far has held true for my lf is that if the parents are vaccinated they seem to pass on some sort of resistance on to their offspring.

Any new chick that I bring I bring in will be vaccinated but I do want to try to breed for resistance too.

I've read that Egyptian Fayomis (I may be spelling that wrong) have good natural resistance, I've looked at them already from hatcheries, if home vaccination doesn't work, I may try this breed vaccinated from the hatchery.

I wasn't going to hatch eggs from my oldest BAs but they are super healthy and still great layers, so I may need to find the right rooster to cross with them. I don't want silkie BA crosses, and my only other option is a 3yr old EE rooster, which might be a decent cross. The oldest BAs and the EE rooster have never seemed off or sick or anything and the hens from the same purchase as the rooster are great layers and healthy as well. I may put the BAs and EEs together with the EE roo to get some good layers going.

 

[Bkaye]

I've read that Egyptian Fayomis (I may be spelling that wrong) have good natural resistance, I've looked at them already from hatcheries, if home vaccination doesn't work, I may try this breed vaccinated from the hatchery.

I wasn't going to hatch eggs from my oldest BAs but they are super healthy and still great layers, so I may need to find the right rooster to cross with them. I don't want silkie BA crosses, and my only other option is a 3yr old EE rooster, which might be a decent cross. The oldest BAs and the EE rooster have never seemed off or sick or anything and the hens from the same purchase as the rooster are great layers and healthy as well. I may put the BAs and EEs together with the EE roo to get some good layers going.

From people I have spoke with that have marked their mixed breeds seem to do best. I pm’d @microchick when I first learned I had Marek’s, she has dealt with it for years. She has Egyptian fayoumis . From my understanding hers has done really well and she has bred them with her resistant Amish birds.

I really wanted to do the fayoumis however I cannot let my birds free range due to a lot of cats in the area that are feral and they do not do well at all in a non free range environment.

 

[Debbie292d]

I've read that Egyptian Fayomis (I may be spelling that wrong) have good natural resistance, I've looked at them already from hatcheries, if home vaccination doesn't work, I may try this breed vaccinated from the hatchery.

I wasn't going to hatch eggs from my oldest BAs but they are super healthy and still great layers, so I may need to find the right rooster to cross with them. I don't want silkie BA crosses, and my only other option is a 3yr old EE rooster, which might be a decent cross. The oldest BAs and the EE rooster have never seemed off or sick or anything and the hens from the same purchase as the rooster are great layers and healthy as well. I may put the BAs and EEs together with the EE roo to get some good layers going.

I never knew there were ones more resistant than others. Nice! Maybe this is an idea if some better Marek's cures or treatments or preventions don't come out and it keeps spreading, why not switch to birds that resist it?

I'd be sad to switch but if I lost them all and had to start over, I'd sure look to make my life easier.

 

[TwoCrows]

I like to suggest to all of you that have Mareks in your flocks to use pro and preboitics on your flock. 70% of the immune system lives in the gut and will not only be responsible for keeping this monster at bay but will aid this system to keep vital proteins and hormones to function for healthy brain, muscle and tissue responses to inflamation and other negative side effects to the body from the Mareks.

I wouldn't go overboard with probiotics, more is not better, but a steady low dose continuing to flow into the body will keep the immune system functioning as well as possible. All probiotics are the same for humans, cats, dogs, etc.... Try and use a probiotic with many strains in it for the best results. Ginger is a wonderful prebiotic, it feeds the probiotics. As we all know its' a wonderful herb to help with nausea and appetite but it also helps with digestion. It helps the intestinal tract to better absorb nutrients, and creates healthy digestive juices. Chickens are known to have fast moving waste systems and many nutrients go unabsorbed even in healthy birds. I use ginger on all sick birds, it makes a big difference in how they feel. You can grate a bit over some warm oatmeal or grits, dust their feed with a bit of it, it doesn't take a whole lot, a pinch is wonderful. If you can get a hold of Dandilion greens, they are super high in prebiotics, have wonderful trace minerals. Dandelions act as a wonderful blood detox and regular feeding is thought to help control internal parasites in your flock. They stimulate the digestive tract and are a wonderful addition to your flock's diet to improve their intestinal health.

 

[Debbie292d]

About to Google Odoban! New Year, new ways to improve my flock care and health it's too cold to fully spray out the coops, but maybe I could do a lighter spray instead of a soak, and do a full hose out and sanitization once it warms up again.

If there's no info in using it on eggs I don't think I'd want to try it, but I'd love to fully cleanse the coops!

I think I'll test this. Per their instructions for viruses, I'd mix 5 oz in a gallon of water. It doesn't say hot or cold, so I'd use cold. It takes 60 seconds to kill viruses so I'd dip the eggs for 60 seconds, rinse them, and let them air dry before putting them in the incubator. I will be running it next week when those buff eggs get here so I can test this on a couple of my own and keep them away from those shipped eggs. I don't see the harm in this except wonder if the bloom would still be intact. They would be sterile, but if no bloom, could pick up germs from the other eggs. We shall see.

If they hatch and don't come out glowing, I think we're good!

 

[Debbie292d]

I like to suggest to all of you that have Mareks in your flocks to use pro and preboitics on your flock. 70% of the immune system lives in the gut and will not only be responsible for keeping this monster at bay but will aid this system to keep vital proteins and hormones to function for healthy brain, muscle and tissue responses to inflamation and other negative side effects to the body from the Mareks.

I wouldn't go overboard with probiotics, more is not better, but a steady low dose continuing to flow into the body will keep the immune system functioning as well as possible. All probiotics are the same for humans, cats, dogs, etc.... Try and use a probiotic with many strains in it for the best results. Ginger is a wonderful prebiotic, it feeds the probiotics. As we all know its' a wonderful herb to help with nausea and appetite but it also helps with digestion. It helps the intestinal tract to better absorb nutrients, and creates healthy digestive juices. Chickens are known to have fast moving waste systems and many nutrients go unabsorbed even in healthy birds. I use ginger on all sick birds, it makes a big difference in how they feel. You can grate a bit over some warm oatmeal or grits, dust their feed with a bit of it, it doesn't take a whole lot, a pinch is wonderful. If you can get a hold of Dandilion greens, they are super high in prebiotics, have wonderful trace minerals. Dandelions act as a wonderful blood detox and regular feeding is thought to help control internal parasites in your flock. They stimulate the digestive tract and are a wonderful addition to your flock's diet to improve their intestinal health.

When I read an article on here about how fermented feed/grain helps chickens absorb so much more of the nutrients, plus adds probiotics/prebiotics, I started doing it and stick mostly to that every other day. I've never heard much about ginger though so definitely I'm getting some and can just grate some on top of the ferment when served. Every little bit helps!!

 

[TwoCrows]

When I read an article on here about how fermented feed/grain helps chickens absorb so much more of the nutrients, plus adds probiotics/prebiotics, I started doing it and stick mostly to that every other day. I've never heard much about ginger though so definitely I'm getting some and can just grate some on top of the ferment when served. Every little bit helps!!

Yes the little things do add up for good health! It certainly can't hurt to add ginger, better to throw everything natural at this as possible, you never know what can make improvements. It's a proven fact that Ginger has antiviral effects in humans, I'm sure it will dull the Mareks down as well.

 

[2ndTink]

From people I have spoke with that have marked their mixed breeds seem to do best. I pm’d @microchick when I first learned I had Marek’s, she has dealt with it for years. She has Egyptian fayoumis . From my understanding hers has done really well and she has bred them with her resistant Amish birds.

I really wanted to do the fayoumis however I cannot let my birds free range due to a lot of cats in the area that are feral and they do not do well at all in a non free range environment.

I was wondering about them being ok to keep penned up. We have a lot of hawks and some eagles, and recently we've seen foxes right next door so we keep everyone locked up endless we are outside with them.

I've read and re-read microchick's article and thread on Mareks.

 

[Debbie292d]

I think I'll test this. Per their instructions for viruses, I'd mix 5 oz in a gallon of water. It doesn't say hot or cold, so I'd use cold. It takes 60 seconds to kill viruses so I'd dip the eggs for 60 seconds, rinse them, and let them air dry before putting them in the incubator. I will be running it next week when those buff eggs get here so I can test this on a couple of my own and keep them away from those shipped eggs. I don't see the harm in this except wonder if the bloom would still be intact. They would be sterile, but if no bloom, could pick up germs from the other eggs. We shall see.

If they hatch and don't come out glowing, I think we're good!

I kept reading and low and behold, they do not mention eggs but way down in the instructions I found applications and this:

HATCHERIES: Use 5 oz. of OdoBan® per gallon of water to treat hatchers, setters, trays, racks, carts, sexing tables, delivery trucks and other hard surfaces. Leave all treated surfaces exposed to solution for 60 seconds or more.

 

[microchick]

From people I have spoke with that have marked their mixed breeds seem to do best. I pm’d @microchick when I first learned I had Marek’s, she has dealt with it for years. She has Egyptian fayoumis . From my understanding hers has done really well and she has bred them with her resistant Amish birds.

I really wanted to do the fayoumis however I cannot let my birds free range due to a lot of cats in the area that are feral and they do not do well at all in a non free range environment.

Thank you for mentioning me Bkaye.

Regarding the Egyptian Fayoumi birds. If you have a roomy run, they will do fine. I don't free range my birds. I tried to free range my bachelor roosters two years in a row. First year I lost a lot of them to predators. The ones who got some 'smarts' about them concerning predators I let out this spring and lost 3 of them to a fox. That was enough for me with the venture into free ranging.

If you have a roomy run, make sure that you cover it or clip wing feathers because EFs are strong fliers and the grass on the other side of the fence is just too tempting. Mine will even study the net for holes and fly up through the netting in order to escape. What's funnier is they remember where their escape point and will head back for it when caught.

Dumb they are not.