ethical practices for marek's

wleigh1021

Songster
5 Years
Jan 16, 2016
302
523
201
New Jersey
I am waiting on a blood test result for marek's as my necropsy was not definite. There were no results mentioned for lesions/tumors. Sciatic nerve was SLIGHTLY inflamed. Bird tested positive for high levels of worms and cocci which I was told is high in the soil in my area. However, I have been losing birds around the 5 month mark, all very skinny even though I have been deworming with valblazen and giving herbs in water and food for preventing cocci outbreaks so I am suspecting Marek's.

My question is once you have a confirmed diagnosis or marek's (still waiting for test results) what are your best practices for preventing spreading? My hopes once were to sell hatching eggs once I settled on a breed, but I'm assuming even shipping these they will have dander on them. I also go to a local farm to pick up processed meat birds (don't like super market birds) and I go to TSC to pick up my feed. If I don't visit my flock and shower before going to these places is that enough? I could buy frozen meat birds shipped, but I like supporting this particular farm which I've already visited multiple times anyways. And getting feed shipped is crazy expensive! Also, once you breed for resistance and years later have healthy birds I'm still assuming they are carriers and you still need to follow same practices? Or do you start testing again and reevaluate your situation?
 
Good for you! :highfive:

Sorry for your losses. :hugs

Thing is that even NPIP places are NOT required to test for Marek's... so they can simply NOT test and deny having it. :barnie And Marek's is considered to be in EVERY poultry environment according to our state poultry vet at UC Davis. Surely all commercial egg hens have been vaccinated and all meat birds are processed before it can present. I respect AND appreciate your thoughtfulness EVEN about shopping for feed... :thumbsup But I would suggest that's a tad extreme and maybe just swap out shoes if it's important to you. And just don't go walking among the birds or throughout the property where you get your meat birds currently. Even if you have already... going forward you armed with knowledge and you can't change the past.

Does the Valbezen you are using treat ALL worms or WHAT species did your bird test high for... EVEN though you HAVE been deworming? Maybe you need a different treatment? Could be the wrong species or maybe resistance has been built already to med you use.

I personally consider hatching eggs and brooder chicks to be safe for sell as long as there has been some attempt at quarantine practice.

Breeding for resistance... my personal choice, NO Marek's vaccinated birds welcome here... to hide the virus. Have you seen this article...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/
It has the best and most accurate info I have seen so far.

I'm glad whoever did your necropsy is getting more testing instead of jumping to conclusions... as I saw on an other thread the vet did claim it was Marek's... but symptoms didn't line up completely regarding birds age... the owner decided to send a few birds off for testing... which confirmed the vet was incorrect THAT time. Hoping you get some answers... and NO MORE losses. :fl
 
Thanks! I appreciate the perspective which is what I was looking for! The state actually didn't send in the blood for the test; I did that on my own. The necropsy said that would check for lesions and report but never did so I decided to send in blood on my own so I can figure out what I'm dealing with. I think my next plan is to get one more breed, something that is more hardy and has a naturally higher resistance. Once test results come back I'll figure out what to do with the birds I don't want to breed and start breeding for resistance.

I think I had hair and pin worms... I know whatever the report said valblazen would treat them and I already have 2 other dewormers that I can use next round to switch it up. Only one poop had visible worms in it, don't know who it was. Death was about 2 months after treating with dewormer.
 

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