Cream Legbars

[Fire Ant Farm]

Sad day today - one of my Cream Legbar pullets approaching POL looks like she has Mareks and is doing very badly - she's looking just like her mother did the day before she died, dropped wings, pale floppy comb, and really, really thin when picked up. (I hatched this group before losing her mother to Mareks, so I didn't know at the time). She's separated and in the brooder in the mudroom - if the time course is similar, she doesn't have long. All the pullets in that group (7) are daughters of either the hen who died or the hen with ocular Mareks (still alive). I am really, really not looking forward to this. (At least I have four younger pullets from the hen with no sign of disease.)

Breeding for resistance is necessary, but it's NOT fun.

- Ant Farm

 

[rottlady]

if you have Mareks on the property why don't the chicks die up it sooner? I'm a dog person more than a bird person so don't know much about Mareks we had chickens my whole life up til I was in my 20's (have them again now 30 years later) and birds died from time to time but not more than 1-2 at a time (unless by a predator) and nothing obviously contagious. Never quarantined, never practiced bio security. Lucky or had sturdy birds I guess

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

if you have Mareks on the property why don't the chicks die up it sooner? I'm a dog person more than a bird person so don't know much about Mareks we had chickens my whole life up til I was in my 20's (have them again now 30 years later) and birds died from time to time but not more than 1-2 at a time (unless by a predator) and nothing obviously contagious. Never quarantined, never practiced bio security. Lucky or had sturdy birds I guess

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

 

[mellcrowl]

May I ask which is prefered on a roo?

Or

I'm going to be the black sheep and say, I personally prefer the bottom rooster color wise. My reasoning being that I am focusing on producing double cream, lighter colored hens.
I remember reading a while back about how some lines produce good hens and some produce good roosters, but it's hard to do both because they work against each other for what the standard wants. I really like the "silver boys" though as they just look clean to me. But again, that's personal preference and it works for what I'm trying to produce in my flock.

 

[mellcrowl]

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.

 

[duluthralphie]

I'm going to be the black sheep and say, I personally prefer the bottom rooster color wise. My reasoning being that I am focusing on producing double cream, lighter colored hens.
I remember reading a while back about how some lines produce good hens and some produce good roosters, but it's hard to do both because they work against each other for what the standard wants. I really like the "silver boys" though as they just look clean to me. But again, that's personal preference and it works for what I'm trying to produce in my flock.

I was not able to see the top rooster very well at all until you reposted it.. Thanks

I am going to say the top rooster is better. Strictly on color, the bottom one is silver not cream. It almost looks like one that someone crossed to a silver a few generations ago it is so light. IN addition to the silver color to work out, you would need to lengthen the body and get that tail to lay down some. The comb on the bottom is only 5 points. the top has 7.


All in all I like the top one a lot more. I think I would keep it if these were my choices

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Update: I drove to Gonzales this morning to the Texas A&M Poultry Diagnostic Lab (it took about 1.5 hours to get there). The director/vet, Dr. Ficken, came out to get the info and history from me while the person behind the desk was getting my other info. He was great - we talked through what I had seen in Paula's necropsy, and then he told me what findings he would look for that would indicate Avian Leukosis vs. Mareks. He started on it right when I left, and he called me on my phone with results before I even made it back to San Antonio! (That's quick!).

Preliminary findings indicate it was Avian Leukosis (NOT Mareks). I need to digest this and its implications for my flock, and do some more reading. What a drag - but I'm very glad to have gotten the necropsy and to know that I was wrong and it's not Mareks.

- Ant Farm

 

[Bantambird]

I had to destroy a flock that had leucoma virus. It was very depressing, and from then on, I was very careful about where I got my birds. I am tremendously sorry you are having to go through this. It could have happened to anyone.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I had to destroy a flock that had leucoma virus. It was very depressing, and from then on, I was very careful about where I got my birds. I am tremendously sorry you are having to go through this. It could have happened to anyone.

Thank you. In fact Paula, the first one who had it (in retrospect) and who has now likely passed it on to her chicks, was my very first chick. Ever. Heck of a way to start a flock.

I don't sell hatching eggs or chicks, so I'm going to see if I can salvage all the non-CLs who have not been in contact, not sure how to think about the rest. I have reading and thinking to do.

- Ant Farm

 

[rottlady]

Update: I drove to Gonzales this morning to the Texas A&M Poultry Diagnostic Lab (it took about 1.5 hours to get there). The director/vet, Dr. Ficken, came out to get the info and history from me while the person behind the desk was getting my other info. He was great - we talked through what I had seen in Paula's necropsy, and then he told me what findings he would look for that would indicate Avian Leukosis vs. Mareks. He started on it right when I left, and he called me on my phone with results before I even made it back to San Antonio! (That's quick!).

Preliminary findings indicate it was Avian Leukosis (NOT Mareks). I need to digest this and its implications for my flock, and do some more reading. What a drag - but I'm very glad to have gotten the necropsy and to know that I was wrong and it's not Mareks.

- Ant Farm

I am very sorry.

This says that this virus is in almost every poultry flock
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/neoplasms/lymphoid_leukosis_in_poultry.html
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