How are you and your flocks doing months or years after Mereks

[Elsveta641]

I'm so sorry you're having this problem. I'm curious where you claim to have learned Greenfire farms is knowingly infected with Mareks? I wonder because that is a very serious accusation, but if it's true I'd like to know for sure. I have 3 breeds of bird from Greenfire and haven't had Mareks in my flock yet. We did get Mycoplasma. And I am 100% confident in telling you it was from GoldFeather farms stock, but that's because I had the little corpses tested at the University of Iowa.

 

[34Fam]

I'm so sorry you're having this problem. I'm curious where you claim to have learned Greenfire farms is knowingly infected with Mareks? I wonder because that is a very serious accusation, but if it's true I'd like to know for sure. I have 3 breeds of bird from Greenfire and haven't had Mareks in my flock yet. We did get Mycoplasma. And I am 100% confident in telling you it was from GoldFeather farms stock, but that's because I had the little corpses tested at the University of Iowa.

There is a published paper about their entire flock of cream crested legbars dieing from it. Easily findable.

 

[Elsveta641]

There is a published paper about their entire flock of cream crested legbars dieing from it. Easily findable.

So you do not have a citation or source?

 

[34Fam]

There is a published paper about their entire flock of cream crested legbars dieing from it. Easily findable.

A

I'm so sorry you're having this problem. I'm curious where you claim to have learned Greenfire farms is knowingly infected with Mareks? I wonder because that is a very serious accusation, but if it's true I'd like to know for sure. I have 3 breeds of bird from Greenfire and haven't had Mareks in my flock yet. We did get Mycoplasma. And I am 100% confident in telling you it was from GoldFeather farms stock, but that's because I had the little corpses tested at the University of Iowa.

Also if you search "greenfire Mereks" here on BYC you will find an entire 2012 thread of accusations. Not fact but other peoples expirience. But the cream crested legbars paper is fact. And if they have had it...... It doesn't go away. I am scratching my head at how they could still find it ethical to sell live birds, but that is their choice.

 

[34Fam]

So you do not have a citation or source?

Yes
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw2zYSh4folWv6XEdOaVlw35

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We have Marek’s. Our first birds were hatched from eggs and vaccinated with the cells free vaccine by us. I believe this is the vaccine that GF uses - no Marek’s losses yet from this group at one year old. Next two groups were chicks purchased from an NPIP certified, well known local breeder who does not believe in vaccination. Lost several 2-4 wk chicks (no necropsy) a 4 mo cockerel and point of lay pullet from the first group from this breeder. Cockerel was first official Marek’s diagnosis, pullet also confirmed. At the same time, we were losing separately housed 2 mo chicks from same breeder - coccidiosis secondary to Marek’s, then just Marek’s cancer when coccidiosis under control. Lost almost all of this second breeder group at 2 mo, rest at point of lay.

We are almost one year out now. Survivors appear healthy. We have broody hens and wanted to add within our flock. I got the more effective, cell-associated Rispens vaccine, which is quite the pain, and vaccinated our eggs in ovo at 18 days. Hens hatched eggs. Those chicks are now 2.5 mo old, no signs yet. Another group of chicks is 3 weeks old. Also ordered chicks from the Chick Hatchery, because they use the Rispens vaccine. Those chicks were put with broody less than 48 hr after vaccination. No losses yet but all of our chicks from this year are still young. If most make it a few months past point of lay, I’ll consider a success our little experiment in Rispens vaccination but early exposure to flock and its Mareks.

The biggest impact for us has been that we no longer sell or give away birds since the diagnosis. Overall, Marek’s has been a bummer and the source of a lot of tears, but something we can live with. Best of luck with your flock!

 

[34Fam]

I'm so sorry you're having this problem. I'm curious where you claim to have learned Greenfire farms is knowingly infected with Mareks? I wonder because that is a very serious accusation, but if it's true I'd like to know for sure. I have 3 breeds of bird from Greenfire and haven't had Mareks in my flock yet. We did get Mycoplasma. And I am 100% confident in telling you it was from GoldFeather farms stock, but that's because I had the little corpses tested at the University of Iowa.

We have Marek’s. Our first birds were hatched from eggs and vaccinated with the cells free vaccine by us. I believe this is the vaccine that GF uses - no Marek’s losses yet from this group at one year old. Next two groups were chicks purchased from an NPIP certified, well known local breeder who does not believe in vaccination. Lost several 2-4 wk chicks (no necropsy) a 4 mo cockerel and point of lay pullet from the first group from this breeder. Cockerel was first official Marek’s diagnosis, pullet also confirmed. At the same time, we were losing separately housed 2 mo chicks from same breeder - coccidiosis secondary to Marek’s, then just Marek’s cancer when coccidiosis under control. Lost almost all of this second breeder group at 2 mo, rest at point of lay.

We are almost one year out now. Survivors appear healthy. We have broody hens and wanted to add within our flock. I got the more effective, cell-associated Rispens vaccine, which is quite the pain, and vaccinated our eggs in ovo at 18 days. Hens hatched eggs. Those chicks are now 2.5 mo old, no signs yet. Another group of chicks is 3 weeks old. Also ordered chicks from the Chick Hatchery, because they use the Rispens vaccine. Those chicks were put with broody less than 48 hr after vaccination. No losses yet but all of our chicks from this year are still young. If most make it a few months past point of lay, I’ll consider a success our little experiment in Rispens vaccination but early exposure to flock and its Mareks.

The biggest impact for us has been that we no longer sell or give away birds since the diagnosis. Overall, Marek’s has been a bummer and the source of a lot of tears, but something we can live with. Best of luck with your flock!

Thank you so much. Very helpful.

 

[34Fam]

We have Marek’s. Our first birds were hatched from eggs and vaccinated with the cells free vaccine by us. I believe this is the vaccine that GF uses - no Marek’s losses yet from this group at one year old. Next two groups were chicks purchased from an NPIP certified, well known local breeder who does not believe in vaccination. Lost several 2-4 wk chicks (no necropsy) a 4 mo cockerel and point of lay pullet from the first group from this breeder. Cockerel was first official Marek’s diagnosis, pullet also confirmed. At the same time, we were losing separately housed 2 mo chicks from same breeder - coccidiosis secondary to Marek’s, then just Marek’s cancer when coccidiosis under control. Lost almost all of this second breeder group at 2 mo, rest at point of lay.

We are almost one year out now. Survivors appear healthy. We have broody hens and wanted to add within our flock. I got the more effective, cell-associated Rispens vaccine, which is quite the pain, and vaccinated our eggs in ovo at 18 days. Hens hatched eggs. Those chicks are now 2.5 mo old, no signs yet. Another group of chicks is 3 weeks old. Also ordered chicks from the Chick Hatchery, because they use the Rispens vaccine. Those chicks were put with broody less than 48 hr after vaccination. No losses yet but all of our chicks from this year are still young. If most make it a few months past point of lay, I’ll consider a success our little experiment in Rispens vaccination but early exposure to flock and its Mareks.

The biggest impact for us has been that we no longer sell or give away birds since the diagnosis. Overall, Marek’s has been a bummer and the source of a lot of tears, but something we can live with. Best of luck with your flock!

So, am I reading right when you say you had intitial out break and then a secondary round of deaths at point of lay?

 

[orrpeople]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...y-chicks-vaccinated-for-mareks-disease.73398/
This had some history of the disease as well.

 

[Elsveta641]

Yes
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw2zYSh4folWv6XEdOaVlw35

Actually what it says is that the legbars who were imported were vulnerable to strains of mareks in the USA that didn't exist in Europe where the birds came from. That is not the fault of Greenfire farms and vaccinations are the best they can do with that particular issue. It's the best any of us can do. Every bird youre able to vaccinate you should, or be prepared for the worse to eventually happen.
Another route I suppose is to vaccinate nobody and treat nothing, thereby breeding for resistance. I always opt for the vaccinations when they are offered, but when chickens get sick I rarely treat them. They either get better, die, or are culled in instances of obvious suffering. Maybe all our sympathy as chicken keepers is actually bad for our birds? We are treating the sick out of compassion but really all we do is allow the weak to breed us more weak birds in the future who in turn become infected as well