Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[seminolewind]

Hmm, DW wanted to make a couple homemade pizzas for dinner, didn't have any pepperoni or mushrooms and didn't want to run to town. But we do have lots of bacon in the freezer. Bacon and onion pizzas
View attachment 2098037

Absolutely! Yum!

 

[dirkandlorie]

From what I am reading online from several legitimate websites, this isnt over by a longshot. Sure, the "plan- demic" will end people will slowly get back to work, but the food being dumped, wasted, or slaughtered because of "no demand" will cause a bigger food shortage and a huge food insecurity surge.
Dairy is being forced to dump milk.
Beef cattle arent going to market. Or if they are, the beef farmer isny getting anything decent for price because the packers control the market. They make hundreds while the farmers take a loss.
Vegetable crops are being plowed under due to no demand or no one to harvest them.
Meat chicks are being destroyed because the facilities that process them are closed due to sick workers.
Smithfield has closed two processing plants due to sickness.
Its all about CONTROL.
Control the food, control the people.
The government announced it will be buying excess food from the farmers, tho, and distributing it to food banks. Sounds socialistic doesnt it?
Seed is hard to find.
Some states have banned buying seeds or vegetable plants because its "non-essential". Its not essential to grow food for your family? Hmmm.
Next will be a "miracle" vaccine to eradicate this virus. Be wary. Theres more to this vaccine than they will tell you.
Not to mention that the ARAs are working to take away your pets and any and all animal products from you( dairy, eggs, meat, wool, leather, fur).
I may sound crazy to some. Others not. I see whats coming and its not good. But....people will be brainwashed into thinking its ok, for the best. Young people will grow up thinking its always been this way, not realizing how much of thier freedoms were gladly handed over to the government willingly by their parents.
Getting off my soapbox now.

God, I really love a good conspiracy theory! Really makes you think! Thank you

 

[FortCluck]

Just sold 4 dozen hatching eggs Lots of reservations too. This is absolutely insane.

 

[ShrekDawg]

All of my birds survived the initial infection, @KDOGG331. 4 developed ocular Marek's disease and died when they were 3 years old. The others died between the ages of 2-3 of cancers and infections secondary to the initial infection.

I learned that the 'fix' isn't permanent.

Best advice, close your flock. No birds in no birds out unless you hatch them from your own eggs, then be on guard. My initial flock of buff Orpingtons hatched chicks like crazy. Only two survived. My birds were not vaccinated. The 9 hens that survived out of 23 were resistant but they did not pass that resistance on to their offspring. I knew they were shedding the virus in spite of them surviving to 4 years of age and began weighing the benefits of keeping them around. They weren't laying anymore for the most part. They didn't want to free range. Instead they set in the coop eating and pooping. They went to freezer camp. No regrets.

Marek's....go figure. I brought Egyptian Fayoumis into my flock. They are naturally Marek's resistant. I've also added some vaccinated bantam OEGBs. So far so good. I have second generation from them and so far, no signs of Marek's

I highly recommend that you read the Marek's Fact article here on BYC.

Thank you!!! This is extremely helpful. I think I actually found that article earlier but it wasn’t really clear if they should definitely be culled when they’re as bad as he is?? He can barely walk

 

[ShrekDawg]

It is ALWAYS better to have a for sure answer.
We could all guess all day long and wouldn't make a difference.
You need to know FOR SURE.

Yeah, I’m gonna send him in for testing.

Absolutely! I find that Bronson Animal and disease clinic the most thorough and most reasonable. I have been with them for 9+ years.

Can you send to them from out of state?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Sorry if your Birds have Marek's. It's been in my flock for about 9 years. I've had times of babies die and times they haven't. That's what's confusing. This virus has a mind of it's own.
If you have a chicken who's positive for Marek's , your whole flock has it and it will never leave. It's spread by dander, so it's everywhere. The best you can do is Vaccinate day olds or buy chicks from a hatchery vaccinated and quarantine for at least 4 weeks. Or keep a closed flock. No one in , just the original flock. If you add another chicken from a non hatchery, it's easy to get Marek's. If a hen hatches eggs, there is nothing to protect them from Marek's.

If you have a chicken added they can infect the flock. Whether the chicken has symptoms or not. If a vaccinated chicken is with a flock that has Marek's , they are exposed and will not die of it but can carry the virus and expose others to it. . But a vaccinated chicken will not spread Mareck's from the immunization itself.

You can guess if your bird has Marek's. Some symptoms are blatant.
Like leg paralysis., inability to aim for food and pick it up. I've had some that had gasping before they got paralysis. Some have lost nerve control of other things such as wings or neck . I've had a year old vaccinated hen that died and was diagnosed with Marek's.

If I hatch from an incubator and keep those chicks completely quarantined absolutely, they are still saleable. Any chick that has not had contact with your flock in any way shape or form, they are sellable. I have used an apron and gloves when handling , as well as hatching in a non contaminated room and actually had hatched in my closet because that was still untouched.

Culling the chicken it's too late. Your flock has it by contact. Many adult birds can survive it because immunity they've developed over time.

I think you can get a blood sample for Marek's. For bodies, I recommend Bronson animal disease clinic, in Kissimmee Florida. They have done more than 10 for me. For $50 or less, they do a full necropsy. If you think Marek's, they will diagnose for that as well. I really like them. The overnight or 2nd day air is expensive, however Bronson animal disease lab has a plan where they pay it and it's cheaper for them. (that's something new)

If anyone has any Marek's question, ask me . I've lived with it for 9 years and read every piece of information as well. And I think that chicken people want the book stuff but also the true life of been there, done that. In my signature my friend has put the Marek's information -all of it in one spot and did it some years ago. I think it's the best info we can get at this time. I could go on and on if asked but I'll stop here for now.

Thank you so much!!! This was so helpful!! And I think your friends article was actually the one I came across rather than the one @microchick mentioned. Whoops.

I thought he had a sprained or broken leg but now it is both legs and he can barely walk and can’t even seem to stand fully now. Also seems to use his wings to stabilize himself and his comb is darkening and some green poop.

He’s also not vaccinated so I think the probability he has it is pretty high.

I made a separate thread about it though with pictures and videos if you want to see him or maybe help confirm?

I’m mostly struggling with whether to put him down or not and also whether I even want to deal with hatching again and risk more dead birds and heartbreak.

I hatched him myself.

I would really be devastated if Jack comes down with it though. I also hatched him and Wilma so they are also unvaccinated. so far seem fine but I know it’s a risk.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/marek’s-or-something-else.1363364/

 

[Folly's place]

There'sore than one possible diagnosis here, so having him tested is the right thing to do, and a university lab will have more resources...
Mary

 

[microchick]

I'm glad you are sending him in, @KDOGG331. I know how hard it is. I was lucky. My husband is a retired eye doctor. He was able to diagnose the ocular Marek's for me as it infects their eyes the same way ocular Herpes does. Marek's is a herpes infection in chickens afterall.

You are not going to know for sure unless you have a necropsy done. Or a vet can get a diagnosis for you.

Do you have a vet around you that deal with exotics such as chickens? He or she would be able to give you a tentative diagnosis while the bird is alive, put it down for you and send it off for testing.

 

[featherhead007]

Absolutely! Yum!

BACON! Yum !

 

[featherhead007]

I'm glad you are sending him in, @KDOGG331. I know how hard it is. I was lucky. My husband is a retired eye doctor. He was able to diagnose the ocular Marek's for me as it infects their eyes the same way ocular Herpes does. Marek's is a herpes infection in chickens afterall.

You are not going to know for sure unless you have a necropsy done. Or a vet can get a diagnosis for you.

Do you have a vet around you that deal with exotics such as chickens? He or she would be able to give you a tentative diagnosis while the bird is alive, put it down for you and send it off for testing.

Red? please NO!