Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Very impressive. Really well written!

Does virulent means transmit better and faster? If so, I don't think leaky marek is doing that. Since the virus can live in vaccinated chickens, evolution theory can argue that they'd evolve to be able to the harm the current vaccinated chickens, hence more dangerous.

But I can also see that since the virus is allowed to live, they should remain happy and content and the evolution is more random.

Thank you. I should have been more precise. I think in Marek's it means 'causes more severe disease'. Apparently, according to a range of review papers, Marek's disease has become more fatal over the last 50 years (vaccination started in the 1960s).
The Pirbright Institute who ultimately don't take a view but call for more research describes it as follows: A number of previously unseen hyper pathogenic strains are now circulating which rapidly kill unvaccinated birds.

I don't think evolutionary theory would have the virus evolve to do more harm to vaccinated chickens - the virus lives only to replicate (it has no animosity to the chicken, vaccinated or not). If it rapidly kills its host then it loses the chance to replicate.

I haven't heard a lot about a version of Marek's that kills so rapidly here on BYC - maybe it is a large commercial flock phenomenon, or maybe backyard keepers don't realize that sudden deaths are Marek's because it isn't how it is normally described.

 

[LhickenChicken]

You are quite into it, aren't you?

I like Republihens!!!

Yep

 

[BY Bob]

I honestly thought Aurora was going to tell her to eat the broccoli and be pecked for the privilege of eating something she doesn't like!

That would have been a turn.

 

[BY Bob]

I think they are Indechicks.

This is the answer!

 

[bgmathteach]

Thank you. I should have been more precise. I think in Marek's it means 'causes more severe disease'. Apparently, according to a range of review papers, Marek's disease has become more fatal over the last 50 years (vaccination started in the 1960s).
The Pirbright Institute who ultimately don't take a view but call for more research describes it as follows: A number of previously unseen hyper pathogenic strains are now circulating which rapidly kill unvaccinated birds.

I don't think evolutionary theory would have the virus evolve to do more harm to vaccinated chickens - the virus lives only to replicate (it has no animosity to the chicken, vaccinated or not). If it rapidly kills its host then it loses the chance to replicate.

I haven't heard a lot about a version of Marek's that kills so rapidly here on BYC - maybe it is a large commercial flock phenomenon, or maybe backyard keepers don't realize that sudden deaths are Marek's because it isn't how it is normally described.

This sounds similar to COVID. Most of the more recent strains seem to be less deadly, but much more easily transmissible. Therefore they infect more people, cause fewer deaths, so their hosts live...and ultimately help them infect even more people!

I did read that the majority of virulent variants actually developed in severely imunocompromised individuals where there really wasn't a lot of 'push-back' from the host, and they saw multiple variations...but only some survived....the ones that were more infectious. I will have to see if I can find the article I read about that...

Okay, Marek's/virus taxes, as I probably owe a few!

It's morning, and I'm steppin' on out!

I'll take the unattended feeder, please!

Hey, Mom, got a question for ya

You know I'm getting on in years (I'll be 4 soon!)
Tell me truthfully, am I getting 'old lady/waddle neck'??

Oh, you can't tell from that angle...how about this angle?

Please tell me that isn't my neck/chin flapping in that picture!!!

 

[RoyalChick]

This sounds similar to COVID. Most of the more recent strains seem to be less deadly, but much more easily transmissible. Therefore they infect more people, cause fewer deaths, so their hosts live...and ultimately help them infect even more people!

I did read that the majority of virulent variants actually developed in severely imunocompromised individuals where there really wasn't a lot of 'push-back' from the host, and they saw multiple variations...but only some survived....the ones that were more infectious. I will have to see if I can find the article I read about that...

Okay, Marek's/virus taxes, as I probably owe a few!

It's morning, and I'm steppin' on out!
View attachment 3432854

I'll take the unattended feeder, please!
View attachment 3432858

Hey, Mom, got a question for yaView attachment 3432864

You know I'm getting on in years (I'll be 4 soon!)
Tell me truthfully, am I getting 'old lady/waddle neck'??View attachment 3432865

Oh, you can't tell from that angle...how about this angle?View attachment 3432866

Please tell me that isn't my neck/chin flapping in that picture!!!

Old lady waddle neck.

 

[RoyalChick]

Mareks vaccine tax.
BFTP: Maggie doing what she loved most - sunbathing. Rest in peace my lovely Maggie - I hope you are enjoying constant sunshine and an appreciative ear for all your opinions.
It fascinates me that my current chickens are nowhere near as keen on sunbathing as Maggie always was.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Already Henna tattooing her eggs!

Ha! Kids these days what will they think of next!

It is made more complicated because there are different types of Mareks vaccine.
Small breeders use a turkey virus. Yes it is a live virus vaccine, but the virus does not cause disease so even if the vaccinated chick passes it on it doesn't matter (even to turkeys). It may be less effective at protecting the vaccinated birds but I don't think it is a risk except in the sense that a vaccinated bird could catch Mareks from the environment (not from the vaccine) and instead of dying would live happily but could nonetheless pass that disease it caught on to unvaccinated chickens.
Then there is another type which only the large hatcheries use (it is uneconomical for anyone else) which uses the actual disease forming virus. I have not read the research papers in depth on that one but there is at least a theoretical basis for thinking it might cause outbreaks of disease in unvaccinated chickens. Most of what I have read says that is extremely rare in spite of all the hype around one study that raised the concern.

Thank you for sharing your take on it. Very insightful and coincides with what I surmised after reading a few papers/ studies on it.

That was early in the morning and Aurora was quite grumpy. It was cold, her water was frozen and I was out of corn.

She was not having a good start to her day.

I am with Aurora 1000% I look much the same way nearly every morning before coffee.

 

[featherhead007]

I’m sorry I have been absent from the posts. It’s been so crazy here with flooding and power outages/ internet issues and many streets flooded and dams are dangerously overflowing. I will definitely try to catch up with the thread (but it won’t be easy)

 

[BY Bob]

I think she only missed 1 week..maybe I am wrong

But what I really think it is, is that we enjoy her responses and can't get enough, so it seems like forever between her posts when, in fact, it is only 1 week.

She has only missed 2 weeks since the start of the year.

I really am glad people enjoy them.

As long as I have good questions which inspire me there will be great answers.