Dixie Chicks

[seminolewind]

Quote:

so what happens with the mareks? do they just kinda like with aides die of cold n other complications?

Mine are strictly pets, I don't even care if they lay eggs.

Ambergem- YES!!! That's exactly it. If they are exposed and don't get paralysis, tumors, or ocular Marek's, simple microbes kill them. Like Cocci, Enteritis, and e. Coli.

For a year now I've been trying a new approach. If any of mine look even side ways at me, I put them on a "cocktail" of Sulfadimethoxine and Tylan or Amoxicillin. After doing 5 necropsies last year, I am treating them for the microbes they died from. Except Aspergillosis which is a fungus. So far it seems to work. I've had chickens get real thin for no reason and found they could have been living with the microbes for a long time in a chronic condition that includes wasting and not laying eggs. So far, it's been working but I'm not willing to say that it's a cure or a sure thing or I know what I'm doing. Those 2 antibiotics I'm using cover most bacteria that kill chickens.

I've had so many deaths in the past 6 years that I had to start burying in rows so I could remember where I've buried them. And it was all my fault. I swore that I would only get chicks that I hatched or came from a hatchery as day olds-a closed flock. I made the mistake of bringing one pullet home from a swap that must have had Marek's and a few months later I had some deaths , and after a year or so, I figured out what they had.

 

[Amberjem]

btw love love the pictures @Austinspoultry I was waiting for you to figure out how to upload the water thingie ...I'm on and off here planting watering, chicken gossiping, turkey chasing and generally hanging out with all y'alls kewl cats

 

[minihorse927]

What are fly ties?

fly ties are the birds that are butchered out and they use the Cape and saddle to make fishing flies. They're feathers have no webbing and hold up to years of abuse in water. I'm raising them cause I like them. They are considered long tail.

 

[minihorse927]

Oh, and fly ties are super rare. Rarer than any cemani. The only way they leave the fly fishing farms is dead. TM sweet talked a local farm that was going out of business into selling her a few before they all got butchered.

 

[Amberjem]

Mine are strictly pets, I don't even care if they lay eggs.

Ambergem- YES!!! That's exactly it. If they are exposed and don't get paralysis, tumors, or ocular Marek's, simple microbes kill them. Like Cocci, Enteritis, and e. Coli.

For a year now I've been trying a new approach. If any of mine look even side ways at me, I put them on a "cocktail" of Sulfadimethoxine and Tylan or Amoxicillin. After doing 5 necropsies last year, I am treating them for the microbes they died from. Except Aspergillosis which is a fungus. So far it seems to work. I've had chickens get real thin for no reason and found they could have been living with the microbes for a long time in a chronic condition that includes wasting and not laying eggs. So far, it's been working but I'm not willing to say that it's a cure or a sure thing or I know what I'm doing. Those 2 antibiotics I'm using cover most bacteria that kill chickens.

I've had so many deaths in the past 6 years that I had to start burying in rows so I could remember where I've buried them. And it was all my fault. I swore that I would only get chicks that I hatched or came from a hatchery as day olds-a closed flock. I made the mistake of bringing one pullet home from a swap that must have had Marek's and a few months later I had some deaths , and after a year or so, I figured out what they had.

oh man that absolutely bites........... Do you worry about creating other virus and mutated antibiotic resistant strains of chicken illness by doing cocktails at them? I think that would worry me about a situation like that.......I'm no chicken expert by any means n bio-security has been a worry for me..but I do the best I can and I figure if hopefully it never does I'd put down the flock simply because I just dont see having bunchs of infected chickens I cant get eggs or meat from...

respect that you are willing to do so.. How long have you had to live with your flock being contaminated?

 

[seminolewind]

My one poofy headed polish lays just as many eggs as my brownleghorns, everyday, and yeah leghorns are psycho! I don't think polish are dumb, they just can't see lol! Mine is definitely the wellie roos favorite hen, sneak attacked Lol!

Polish are different with hair cuts. I cut their bangs regularly but not the roo's, LOL. My Polish have outlayed my other chickens for months now. Even the 5 old girls who are 7+ years old. Even the 7 year old who had a broken leg. The whole time she was recuperating and being tube fed, (4 weeks) she layed every other day, and never stopped.

 

[Amberjem]

Polish are different with hair cuts. I cut their bangs regularly but not the roo's, LOL. My Polish have outlayed my other chickens for months now. Even the 5 old girls who are 7+ years old. Even the 7 year old who had a broken leg. The whole time she was recuperating and being tube fed, (4 weeks) she layed every other day, and never stopped.

wow...............I've heard the polish can go either way either super good layers or not so good........... I have no idea what makes the difference....... other then breeding and different lines...............
I dont really like the flighty breeds so much though... I have childhood scars of super mean chickens from my grandmother so I really like friendly chickens lol plus I like to beable to handle them just for basic health checking maintenance and chicken cuddles........

ohh do you have pictures of your chickens? we love pitctures here (hint, hint, hint) @Beer can has some super pretty polish but I love the lacing patterns in feathers is capturs my eye and fancy... 50 doesnt like the lacing he thinks they look to busy his fav colors are the buff orpington and the buff brahma

 

[Amberjem]

fly ties are the birds that are butchered out and they use the Cape and saddle to make fishing flies. They're feathers have no webbing and hold up to years of abuse in water. I'm raising them cause I like them. They are considered long tail.

so did you get them for the novelty or do you use the feathers or sell the chickens or or or or? thats interesting about the breeder set up for them..........are they meaty birds? what they do with the carecass dog/cat food? I mean if they are after the feathers exclusively?

 

[bamadude]

I have been sitting here at the waffle house for hours waiting for my date

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
You can eat the meat. Most supermarket chickens are vaccinated for Marek's. There is nothing that has been able to kill Marek's for over 100 known years. Even vaccinated chickens if exposed will carry and can give the virus to others. It's spread as dander in the wind. Not spread by eggs that carry chicks. I think I discovered it in 2009 or 10. Prior to that I didn't know why I had some chickens under a year old wasting and dying.

Antibiotics and bacteria will not cause Marek's to develop different strains. The vaccination may. The strains are actually the strengths of the same virus.

As far as resistant strains go, most resistant bacteria are caused by not finishing the whole course of taking it. Or using the same one over and over again. If my own chickens develop resistance to any bacteria, I've not lost anything. They would have died any way.

You can't kill and burn Marek's off your property. There's really no sense in killing exposed birds because if one's exposed, they all are. Marek's is spread by dander, which means it ends up all over your property and probably your house too. My last hatch was in an incubator in my closet, scrubbed and gowned until they were 3 weeks old, and vaccinated at day one.

Nambroth's link below in my signature covers just about everything needed to know.
Yes, since my flock had it I've been obsessive about information available thru medical research, veterinarian books, and certain reasearcher who do work specifically for Marek's. Nambroth has too, so we keep in touch quite a bit.