Help! Bird is gasping for air for 2 days, she has Marek's and still can not die((((

[schnebbles]

It is horrible! I've lost 2 now from it and I can't stand it. I had 8 chickens from 3 breeders all in OH, none of them have had it.

 

[Natalijaasbj]

btw IT is called "chicken plague " in Russia

 

[Natalijaasbj]

Schnebbles!
It was my first flock - I got pure breeds - from a breeder here, I suspect he had it too, because he said something about vaccinating again ( because he used too) probably next year. You see I was a newbie, I did not know much about MArek's. It should have been a red sign. But you see "all natural: folks see a sickness as a way of the nature to destroy the "weak" ones. So they usually do not tell you what they HAD. I am sure there are breeders out there who are very serious about Marek's. But the philosophy of Harvey Ussery type folks is - Marek is everywhere and we have to breed our flock so it can be RESISTANT for that.
I desagree now. As I see their philosophy is not for me. I found out that the revenue of chicken huge farms had suffered tremendous loss before vaccine was invented. The all-natural folks say that YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER SEE mAREK'S in your flock if your flock is not stressed. my chickens were never stressed and they are free-range. so it did not work for me. I mean their theory did not work.
I lost a half of my flock ( thankfully I dId not have too many - 12) . Some I ate thankfully before they died. But the bummer is I lost 4 of my 6 hens. So much for hoping for eggs. I pray those 2 would stick around.

 

[schnebbles]

my birds aren't stressed either. I'm new as well, just got mine in the spring. I'm going to vaccinate my remaining birds although people say it doesn't help, I don't think it's going to hurt and I got the vaccine so I'm doing it. I think it would be expensive for breeders to vaccinate small hatches, which is probably why some don't do it.

 

[casportpony]

Molting can be a major stressor.

-Kathy

 

[Natalijaasbj]

Where did you get the vaccine? Do you know a good place to get it? Please let me know I might vaccinate the rest of them too.
Kathy! Do you mean that molting will trigger it?
i wonder about it. My lead MAran Roo is molting. It MIGHT have triggered Marek's, because I am noticing he started limping a bit. Itis kinnda early for molting though - he is 7 months old. Anyway - no moreMarek's hospital for me. I am going to butcher him tomorrow, so he does not go to waste. HE still has a good body weight and can be eaten just fine. I know this is gross for some but we are chicken eaters in our family.

 

[casportpony]

I've noticed a spike in Marek's symptoms when it gets cold, wet, during molts and of course during an outbreak of something like pox.

-Kathy

 

[Natalijaasbj]

I heard that after 6 months of age I am mostly out of the woods. not true?

 

[casportpony]

I've had a few mature birds die from it.

-Kathy