Cream Legbars

[Sylvester017]

I will refer you to the Marek's article on BYC to explain more in depth, but some breeds/strains/birds are more susceptible - including some Cream Legbars. I had never had chickens before, nor did any occupants of the property for 30 years before I owned it, but there are chickens in the neighborhood. My first birds were Cream Legbars, and two of three got it. (They were vaccinated as chicks.) It tends to become symptomatic at POL most frequently.

All my other non CL birds are totally fine - in a yard with a couple birds that in retrospect were massively shedding the virus while ill - so they are likely resistant. I have one CL hen who has not gotten sick, and rooster is fine, so I'm pinning hopes of my backyard CLs on this pair. If that doesn't work out, I may need to back out of keeping CLs...

I will point out that because it wasn't collected quite ideally, while my personal necropsy results indicated Mareks, I didn't send a sample off from Paula to get tested. If/when this girl passes, I will get a necropsy and testing performed to ensure it is not avian leukosis (just so I know, as they're a bit different).

- Ant Farm

My vet didn't bother wasting my $$$ to do blood tests, x-rays, or necropsy on 2 hens I took to him this past year and I didn't insist. He says the results many times indicate cancer but not always conclusive as to what the cause might be. He also said that Marek's is not a disease that every chicken in the flock will display symptoms but that birds that survive the symptoms may still die later in 2-3 yrs from cancer growths yet other hens may never contract the disease or have symptoms. Sometimes a report states Marek's "suspected" but nothing conclusive - so frustrating since so many other maladies display the same outcome. Marek's vaccinations as chicks have to be followed up with "booster" shots but I don't know the details. It is difficult but the best route seems to be trying to breed for disease-resistance since the Marek's vaccination is not guaranteed to deter all 5 different strains of Marek's.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
As a follow up, I took the pullet to the Texas A&M Poultry Diagnostic Lab this morning, and preliminary results indicate Avian Leukosis - caused by a virus that causes lymphomatous tumors like Mareks, but somewhat different in cell type and distribution. It's important to know the difference because Avian Leukosis is transmitted in hatching eggs (and then the chicks are infected), while Marek's is not. When they are infected at a very young age, it leads to the tumors, as I understand (still have more reading to do, but that's what I've gleaned so far).

I'm very happy to have access to such a good lab and vet pathologist...

- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Yep, I had read that as well. But not all birds breeds are affected - there's susceptibility, and also how young they were infected. I have a group of CLs approaching POL that were infected in the egg. I've got some hard decisions ahead of me...

- Ant Farm

 

[Sylvester017]

As a follow up, I took the pullet to the Texas A&M Poultry Diagnostic Lab this morning, and preliminary results indicate Avian Leukosis - caused by a virus that causes lymphomatous tumors like Mareks, but somewhat different in cell type and distribution. It's important to know the difference because Avian Leukosis is transmitted in hatching eggs (and then the chicks are infected), while Marek's is not. When they are infected at a very young age, it leads to the tumors, as I understand (still have more reading to do, but that's what I've gleaned so far).

I'm very happy to have access to such a good lab and vet pathologist...

- Ant Farm

Good to have a lab nearby. Our nearest college has an agricultural department for livestock studies but hasn't expanded research to poultry yet but have plans to expand so I keep following their agricultural studies until they start a poultry division. The next county over about 1.5 hrs drive has Redlands University that does necropsies but they want a sick chicken to study/monitor in the laboratory until it dies and then do a necropsy. With my pets I don't have the heart to leave it in a cold laboratory environment with strangers to poke and prod at it daily until it finally dies sick, confused, and alone. My vet worked in the poultry industry before he was a vet and has a broad knowledge of the types of diseases/symptoms common with meat and layer chickens - I am comfortable when he talks "chicken" as it verifies research I've already done on my own. When he or I mention a disease to each other its like neither of us has to explain what it is to the other.

 

[sol2go]

His crest is getting crazier and crazier!

That's good!

 

[sol2go]

May I ask which is prefered on a roo?



Or

The first one looks like he has better type and better barring.
The second one has more correct cream color with matching saddle and hackle feathers.
They are both workable for breeding groups if you have hens to help balance specific elements that you would like to work on.
With time, you may be able to then cross the two groups.

 

[sol2go]

I was able to get some pics of my birds this morning. Any critiques are welcome I'm pretty happy with my little roo right now and I've been surprised by how straight his comb has stayed considering how large his crest is. The girls are doing good too, and looking good. They are 10 weeks old now.




Not the best picture but you can really start to see the cream coming in in the little rooster's saddle.

Yes, he looks cream, with some chestnut.

 

[sol2go]

Good to have a lab nearby. Our nearest college has an agricultural department for livestock studies but hasn't expanded research to poultry yet but have plans to expand so I keep following their agricultural studies until they start a poultry division. The next county over about 1.5 hrs drive has Redlands University that does necropsies but they want a sick chicken to study/monitor in the laboratory until it dies and then do a necropsy. With my pets I don't have the heart to leave it in a cold laboratory environment with strangers to poke and prod at it daily until it finally dies sick, confused, and alone. My vet worked in the poultry industry before he was a vet and has a broad knowledge of the types of diseases/symptoms common with meat and layer chickens - I am comfortable when he talks "chicken" as it verifies research I've already done on my own. When he or I mention a disease to each other its like neither of us has to explain what it is to the other.

Hi, are you aware of the UC Davis labs? They will provide a necropsy for free. While it won't save the chicken, it may help with the rest of the flock. Let me know if you need the info. The bird can be shipped or you can deliver.

 

[ChickenGrass]

Hi all
I breed and show cream legbars
And this is the best hen of this years hatching.
What do you think of her
Would you think she is good enough to to show?
And tell me where I would get marks and loose etc
Thanks in advance
Just to say she is 17 weeks.

 

[Sylvester017]

Hi, are you aware of the UC Davis labs? They will provide a necropsy for free. While it won't save the chicken, it may help with the rest of the flock. Let me know if you need the info. The bird can be shipped or you can deliver.

TY! Yes, I'm aware of UC Davis and how to pack for shipping. I'm down here in SGV. I just choose not to use UC with my own vet only 10 minutes from home. He's tended my hens for 5 yrs and has done much to correctly diagnose and treat them. He's NOT Kavorkian quick to euthanize and does everything to save an animal. He's worked in the poultry industry before being a vet so I trust his expertise. He is really a bird lover and has a disabled Starling he raised from a baby out of the nest with a broken leg that he keeps at the office. He sees dogs/cats, guinea pigs, reptiles, hatched his own turtles, and of course sees our chickens and other poultry. He does surgeries too - he performed nasal surgery on our CRD Silkie. She gets sick once a year like clockwork with symptoms and he's treated and kept her alive and well for us for nearly 5 yrs. With emergencies with chickens waiting an extra day to see the vet can mean death for a bantam chicken and he's never refused to see us in an emergency even on busy days that he has heavy surgery schedules. Being in the suburbs his office has fun having a chicken visit their hospital! He hasn't wasted our $$$ on blood tests, x-rays, or necropsies where he was pretty certain what the diagnosis was. He isn't comfortable with test results that sometimes return inconclusive which can happen often with chicken necropsies - unless I insisted on it - but he hasn't felt comfortable recommending with the hens I've brought to him so far.