California - Northern

[debs_flock]

She also said they are starting to vaccinate in the egg over day old because day old has already been exposed. I do not know how you vaccinate an egg. I suppose I should look it up.

They pierce the shell with a fine needle, the same as doing embryo dyeing for identification.

 

[debs_flock]

OK, here is an artical for vaccinating eggs, if you thoguth it was as weird as I did.
http://www.aaes.auburn.edu/comm/pubs/highlightsonline/winter99/ibdv.html

Wow, I should just wait for you to post

Every time I post an answer, I come back and find you were typing at the same time, LOL

 

[ronott1]

Well, that was an interesting conversation.

She said there is no point culling the other girls, because it's everywhere and the strains in the US are not very different. The exact words were. "they have all already been exposed before you got these chickens. They will either get symptoms or not."

She also said they are starting to vaccinate in the egg over day old because day old has already been exposed. I do not know how you vaccinate an egg. I suppose I should look it up.

I Thought I had done something weird when I vaccinated for newcastles, I didn't even think of other neural diseases.

It's my understanding that's it's so common in the environment that there wouldn't be much point in that. Just continue to cull any birds that show symptoms. Stress, crowding, shipping, many things can cause it to present. It can have a rapid onset to where it's even possible he contracted it at this end (not saying that's the case, just a possibility).

I think the best thing is to continue to breed for resistance.

They also say it's helpful to run turkeys with your chickens, so you're good there.

Good luck!

I had one Golden Comet that died of Mareks Cancer. The Necropsy report made it sound dire and that all birds that came to my place would need to be vaccinated. Other than the one death from cancer, I have not had any active cases of Mareks. They have all had it I am sure.

Shantih, do not worry about it!

 

[chiqita]

SILKIE/SIZZLE PEEPS!!! Please help. I posted it in the other thread, but I need opinions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/797524/help-my-gorgeous-sizzle-what-is-it

I'm pretty sure that ALL 5 silkies I bought are boys!!!

I'll go have a look. ( I did, that looks like a boy, but a very low testerone boy)

It's my understanding that's it's so common in the environment that there wouldn't be much point in that. Just continue to cull any birds that show symptoms. Stress, crowding, shipping, many things can cause it to present. It can have a rapid onset to where it's even possible he contracted it at this end (not saying that's the case, just a possibility).

I think the best thing is to continue to breed for resistance.

They also say it's helpful to run turkeys with your chickens, so you're good there.

Good luck!

Well, I Have been following psycandygirls's fight and study on MG, and I know from that there are a TON of variations of some diseases. I didn't want to expose them to a different strain of Merriks, sort of terroir gone wrong.

And yeah, deb, I expose all my chicks to the turkeys early for just that reason. I also call the ag department quarterly to see if there have been any changes in the blackhead status of my area....

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
I believe if you do not have Mareks in your flock already (which as Deb said it is very common) you can still hatch eggs from your new birds - even if they do carry Mareks. It does not transmit through the egg. If you have a "sacrificial" chicken you can put it in with the quarantined birds - and see if it gets sick from what they carry - or if they get sick from what you already have in your environment.

I also wonder about vaccinating the young chicks. I have been reading that if you vaccinate you have to keep them away from any exposure to Mareks for 7 days as they will get it worse than they would from exposure without vaccinating.... Since they are now saying the chicks are exposed at birth (if present) - it seems odd to vaccinate unless you do it 7 days before they hatch

and how do you do that?

I have also been reading that broody raised chicks are exposed to all the immunities carried by their mother in the first few days - by being exposed to her broody poop. They always get it on them somewhere - and eating it to clean it off gives them the same immunities that the mother carries. Its why most broody raised babies do not get sick. Hmm.. I wonder if the broodies would mind if I collected it and brought it into the brooder

I do hear that the turkeys carry a modified strain of Mareks that gives chickens exposed to them a natural immunity to Chicken Mareks. Perhaps if your birds carry that immunity your sacrificial chicken will pass that immunity on to them?

and

too.

 

[debs_flock]

Keep in mind that any bird having shown any symptom and recovered is a silent carrier for life, the Typhoid Mary's of the poultry world.

Although, like they say, Marek's is probably everywhere and they have all been exposed anyway. A good reason for not taking extraordinary efforts to nurse any one bird along. Better to cull and only keep resistant birds.

It is supposed to be more common in LF than bantams, so not sure what that says with the silkies.

 

[Grandmas Basket]

I follow this thread daily. I learn a lot reading the posts. I bought 5 chicks from Molly 10 weeks ago. I got 3 pullets from them, making me perfectly compliant with the 3 hen limit here in the city. My first little bantam roo was a beauty but a bit of a bully and not too hard to part with. Today Tango began beginner crowing so I'm going to have to figure out somewhere to place him. I wanted to hold onto him longer to see how his Cochin frizzle pattern develops. He's such a sweetie and really gets along with the 3 girls. I put him out in our yard to try and get some photogenic shots under the Japanese maple. He wasn't having anything to do with it and immediately ran for the girls in his run - peeping in distress until I opened the door to let him back in. I took the photos below as he rejoined his buddies.

I'll post to Craigslist but also want to know about other options. I believe the Orangevale Small Animal Exchange is held on the 2nd Saturday monthly. If so, that's out as we are renting a house on the coast for our wedding anniversary that weekend. Are there any other options available? I'll gladly drive anywhere in No Cal to find a home for this little guy. Thanks!

 

[debs_flock]

I believe the Orangevale Small Animal Exchange is held on the 2nd Saturday monthly.

I don't think there's an exchange in July anyway, so not again until Aug 10th.

He's a cutie, good luck in finding him a home. It shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Grandmas Basket]

I don't think there's an exchange in July anyway, so not again until Aug 10th.

He's a cutie, good luck in finding him a home. It shouldn't be too hard.

Good to know. This morning, when I put him down outside for a photo shoot, Tango took off peeping and zigzagging across our backyard, heading directly for his run and the other chicks. I couldn't help but laugh and be proud that he had such an immediate homing instinct! Instead of handing out with me, he chose confinement lickety split. I'll see what Craigslist brings. I will gladly drive him anywhere to a new home. He's got funky looks going and a killer personality. (I wish we could keep him and see how he feathers out as a full grown roo).

I love my 3 little hens and am fortunate they get along so well. TIlly is a CL, Inga a NJ, and Ting another bantam Cochin, but not frizzled. Molly hatched them all 10 weeks ago. Tilly has a crest and is my biggest. Inga is going to be smallish for a LF, but I believe Norwegians lay full size eggs. Ting is solid black and already looks bigger than she really is owing to her fluffy feathers. I figure we should have our first eggs in the next 10 or so weeks. That will certainly take my mind off of having to part with Tango.

 

[chiqita]

good luck with placement! It is always tough.