Chicken Whisperer?

[blackstone]

Not really but that's what I tell my daughter because I talk to my chickens.

Hello, all.
This looks like a great place loaded with good helpful info about chickens.

I live about 50 miles north east of Pittsburgh on my little 3 acre estate.
This is where I grew up and my parents had chickens when I was young.

So, after about a 50 year hiatus, I've had my own chickens for the last 5 or 6 years.

Right now, I have 9 Slow White hens.
I lost my 3 roosters one at a time over the last 3 weeks which prompted my visit here.
Someone elsewhere suggested Marek's.
I don't know.

These birds are a year old and only roosters affected.

Fortunately, I have eggs in the incubator.
Bad news is I read the article on hatching in a Styrofoam incubator and I'm hoping it's not too late to make adjustments

I've been hatching my own for 3 years now and haven't had great success as a percentage of eggs incubated.

I've been considering changing my focus a little.
I think I may buy 15 Cornish X from McMurray and keep a few layers from the ones I have and hope to hatch around after I take care of the Cornish.

Thank you for providing this great place to learn and share

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Sorry for your loses in roosters. Mareks is a very devastating disease. Contagious too. So you might consider a good ground cleansing with a 10% ammonia solution in water or even a burn and scorched earth method.

Good luck with your hatch! Stop by an article in our learning center on hatching eggs if you run into any troubles along the way...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

We also have an Incubating Eggs forums if you need to ask any questions about your hatch or incubator...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/5/incubating-hatching-eggs

Good luck with the hatch and welcome to our flock!

 

[blackstone]

Thank you for the welcome, TwoCrows.

And also the suggestion.

The rooster thing has me befuddled to say the least.
No sign of fighting or blood or anything.

Yesterday, I opened the coop and the poor guy was laying on his side.
One leg was stretched out and one wing but he couldn't get up.
Several days ago he was fine

I picked him up and he squawked but unable to move at all.

The others were real lethargic and moved like old men when they moved.
Eyes are kind of glazed

 

[TwoCrows]

You might post these symptoms in our emergency section here on BYC....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

I am no expert, but what you are describing sounds like Mareks disease.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Good luck in defining exactly what it is that you are dealing with.

 

[blackstone]

Thank you.
I will do that.

But, it's probably too late.
Unless my hens start showing symptoms, too.

I do need to be proactive and be ahead of it just in case though

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Sorry about the problems you are having with your flock, hope you are able to figure it out.

 

[Fluffers]

 

[gander007]