Confirmed Mareks

[hi-its-erin]

Hello - I'm new to chickens and my youngest chick (cream legbar) just died a rather horrible death last week. Necropsy confirmed it was Mareks. I'll give you all the unnecessary history and am hoping to get the best advice on how to move forward.

We have 80 acres and chickens are my first livestock adventure and I've loved every minute, starting each morning with coffee with them and ending it with wine. Best parts of my day!!! I started my flock with chicks from Tractor Supply - assuming unvaccinated. My husband built us the Taj Mahal of all coops with a very large attached run. We don't free range - we have too many predators here - (including my dog). They have been happy and healthy from day 1 and get the best vitamins, supplements, and feed money can buy.

First flock of 8 - All Buff Orpingtons and 1 Speckled Sussex.

When this flock was around 12 weeks, I purchased 4 new pullets from a local breeder that included:
3 week pullet: Easter Egger
3 week pullet: Black Copper Maran
Baby chick: Dark Brahma
Baby chick: Crested Cream Legbar (the one who died)

The breeder does not have any signs of Mareks at her hatchery. For the life of me, I do not know where this came from.

I separated the 3 week olds and the 1 week olds in separate galvanized tubs in my guest room. After a month, the 3 week olds went into a separate part of the run blocked off with a wired dog pen, separate water, separate food. The little ones stayed in the guest room for another month and about 2 weeks ago I rotated them out. Older pullets transitioned into the flock and babies went into their pen where they have been for 2 weeks. The Legbar was separated out the moment I saw her wobbly and put back into our guest room. She was sick about a week before she died. Her Brahma roommate stayed alone for another 10 days and then broke her own neck sticking her head through the dog pen - probably because she was lonely. Not a great week for chickens at my house.

Here is my question - because I cannot believe the bad luck:

1. Is it safe to get vaccinated chicks at this point or should I just give up chickens all together? I know chickens are at the bottom of the food chain but it still feels somewhat irresponsible to me to introduce new chicks knowing our flock is exposed. But maybe I don't need to think that? (I really want chickens!!!)

2. Would you advise getting EF chickens moving forward as I just read they are resistant. I'm not really drawn to their looks or the size of their eggs but again, I really want chickens.

3. Apparently all that I have left are especially susceptible so is it just a waiting game on who will pass next? They just turned 20 weeks.

None of my flock is even old enough to lay yet and this happens. I have not seen one single egg yet.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mareks is said to be everywhere and can blow in on the wind or be brought in by wild birds. You cannot avoid it. What I learned after dealing with it in a few birds is you need to be careful bringing in birds from multiple sources. I personally prefer hatchery chicks as they are technically sterile.

Private individuals may have Mareks carriers and they may not even know it. Many chickens will develop an immunity to it. Stressed birds are more likely to succumb.

We culled symptomatic birds. After a few seasons it seem to have disappeared. Chicks that I got at a swap meet, and some of the ones from the TSC showed symptoms. I'm not blaming any one place or reason, but both situations produce a lot of stress on the young ones, and they are in contact with many people.

I personally would see out this year with what you have. Cull any that show symptoms. Next year order from a reliable hatchery. Your choice to vaccinate or not. Vaccinated birds can still come down with Mareks, and they can be carriers.

Mareks has many different strains, some more virulent than others. It is something most keepers eventually deal with I think. It is possible to continue to keep chickens afterwards. You just need to be able to cull those that show symptoms asap so they don't continue to shed the virus.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Here's a good article about it,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/