jcasaglov
In the Brooder
I had posted a few times earlier about my young chickens' health and why they are dying. I had sent one of my pullets for necropsy and the initial report showed high levels of coccidia, but after a week of adding Corid to their water I was still loosing more pullets. The next report (I guess the necropsy can take weeks to get the final report) has confirmed Marek's. I have now lost over half of my flock (started with 27 and as of this morning I am down to 12)
I am a chicken newbie- I started with a converted shed where I know there hadn't been chickens before. I had an enclosed run built for them to keep away from predators. I did everything "by the book" and made sure the chicks had the best. No one told me to buy vaccinated chicks- I had no idea about Marek's or how horribly contagious it is. I now know more about it than I care to but as I am reading the BYCarticle (thank you!) I just have to wonder HOW my chickens got the disease? If they were hatched at a hatchery and the transmission isn't vertical (they can't be born with it from their mother) and they are around other newly hatched chicks- how could they have come into contact with a bird with Marek's? I bought from a feed store who says they don't always vaccinate their chicks. The tech who did the necropsy said the likelyhood of a wild bird passing it is incredibly small. I just don't understand how my chickens got this horrible virus.
My neighbors who have chickens are now very nervous about contracting it via air. We don't go to their chicksn and they haven't come over here so transmission via shoes, clothes will be unlikely. I feel like they want me to cull the rest of my flock to keep theirs safe, but since it stays in the soil for so many years I would have to give up on all chickens for the next 2-3 years. And I feel like I should give the rest of my chickens a chance at survival.
I didn't sign up for this! I am so upset- I've had to euthanize 3 of the chickens myself and this is taking a toll on me not to mention my two kids ages 8 and 9. They have been out everyday feeding the chickens all kinds of food to help their immunity. Is there anything I can do to help boost the chickens immunity so they won't get symptoms and die? I know they will be carriers, and stress can worsen it but any homemade immune boosters or foods I can buy would be greatly appreciated. I already add chick probiotics, and extra vitamins in their water and they are getting organic, non-soy, non-gmo, chick crumbles.
If you have read this far, thank you. I don't have a lot of people to "vent" to who understand what I am going through. Death is hard and at this level when we have gotten to know the chickens personalities and my kids have named them, etc.is really tough. I just wanted some fresh eggs - like i said, I never signed up for this
I am a chicken newbie- I started with a converted shed where I know there hadn't been chickens before. I had an enclosed run built for them to keep away from predators. I did everything "by the book" and made sure the chicks had the best. No one told me to buy vaccinated chicks- I had no idea about Marek's or how horribly contagious it is. I now know more about it than I care to but as I am reading the BYCarticle (thank you!) I just have to wonder HOW my chickens got the disease? If they were hatched at a hatchery and the transmission isn't vertical (they can't be born with it from their mother) and they are around other newly hatched chicks- how could they have come into contact with a bird with Marek's? I bought from a feed store who says they don't always vaccinate their chicks. The tech who did the necropsy said the likelyhood of a wild bird passing it is incredibly small. I just don't understand how my chickens got this horrible virus.
My neighbors who have chickens are now very nervous about contracting it via air. We don't go to their chicksn and they haven't come over here so transmission via shoes, clothes will be unlikely. I feel like they want me to cull the rest of my flock to keep theirs safe, but since it stays in the soil for so many years I would have to give up on all chickens for the next 2-3 years. And I feel like I should give the rest of my chickens a chance at survival.
I didn't sign up for this! I am so upset- I've had to euthanize 3 of the chickens myself and this is taking a toll on me not to mention my two kids ages 8 and 9. They have been out everyday feeding the chickens all kinds of food to help their immunity. Is there anything I can do to help boost the chickens immunity so they won't get symptoms and die? I know they will be carriers, and stress can worsen it but any homemade immune boosters or foods I can buy would be greatly appreciated. I already add chick probiotics, and extra vitamins in their water and they are getting organic, non-soy, non-gmo, chick crumbles.
If you have read this far, thank you. I don't have a lot of people to "vent" to who understand what I am going through. Death is hard and at this level when we have gotten to know the chickens personalities and my kids have named them, etc.is really tough. I just wanted some fresh eggs - like i said, I never signed up for this
