Well.. Let's start from the beginning, just an FYI...my story has a lot of misdiagnosis from an area vet. (I'm not blaming or shaming here.. They were not experienced with Mareks)
I decided in May this year I would like to have chickens, "It's simple", said my chicken keeping friends, "all you have to do is feed them"! Yeah, OK.. THAT is FALSE!
Not knowing where to get them from, I started getting chickens from here, there, and everywhere. My first chicken death came with a RIR 3 month old pullet. Very runny poop, and then rapidly wasted away, ate a lot, but yet starved to death. (Was Mareks Vaccinated)
Three months later (when I thought I was in the clear), a second 1 yr old RIR started limping. No other symptoms so the vet said she must have a hip or back injury. They said chickens usually recover from injuries though, so just give her time and TLC. Slowly she became immobile. Not getting up and thus not eating enough to stay awake...or alive for that matter. I made the choice to have the vet put her down. (WAS Mareks Vaccinated)
One month later a 7 month old Gold Star started to limp. Vet said I must have bad luck and I had another injury. Same thing... Became immobile, not eating, sleeping a lot. Today I took her into the vet, and she couldn't even handle the ride there. She became limp and died in the vets arms. I requested that testing be done to find an answer. I just thought it was too much of a coincidence to have two limping chickens that wasted away within such short time. (Was NOT Mareks Vaccinated)
Test = Mareks Positive.
The word devastated doesn't begin to describe how I feel. These chickens are like my children. I never knew all the problems that can arise, but I also didn't expect them to be so endearing, such little interesting characters. Our chickens are much loved pets, not dinner. We raise them to be held and hand fed treats. It pains me that chickens are one of the most commonly abused animals in the world. I have a couple serious chronic health problems, and taking care of these girls has changed my life. They (before all the health issues they are having), were how I started my day and how I ended my day and I found it to be a huge stress reliever, and therefore it has helped my health to improve I believe. In a way, these chickens are saving my life... Or help to prolong it anyway... but now I CANT save them?!?!
So...now what? Sure some will say CULL THEM! Well, I read that the Mareks virus can survive on surfaces for YEARS, and it can travel through the air it's so contagious. So what's the point of killing them all? Truth be told, that isn't going to happen anyway. The virus is here, it's all around now. It's too late. I already have contacted everyone that I came into contact with that has chickens. They need to know they have been exposed. Here is what I have left and where they came from:
2 Silkies - 14 months old (From a zoo) (Vaccinated) zoo..dumb move getting them from there I know, these were my first chickens and I didn't know better.
1 Bantam Cochin -8 months old (From a reputable breeder) (Vaccinated)
2 RIRs - 8 months old (From a hatchery McMurry) (Vaccinated)
2 Bantam Mixes - 9 months old (From a local farm) (Presumed NOT Vaccinated)
I know the vaccines don't always work. I think the zoo RIRs vaccines proved not to work, but do they sometimes work? Can I have a shred if hope that some of my chickens will survive? Or should I expect them to slowly die one by one? I also read that the older they are the more likely they are to survive.. But I think that's proven to not be true since I lost one a year old.
Any advice or knowledge anyone is willing to share is appreciated more than you know. I feel so doomed, and like I should give up on chicken keeping. I now have to get up every day and wait and watch for more limping dying chickens. That's a pretty awful feeling.
I decided in May this year I would like to have chickens, "It's simple", said my chicken keeping friends, "all you have to do is feed them"! Yeah, OK.. THAT is FALSE!
Not knowing where to get them from, I started getting chickens from here, there, and everywhere. My first chicken death came with a RIR 3 month old pullet. Very runny poop, and then rapidly wasted away, ate a lot, but yet starved to death. (Was Mareks Vaccinated)
Three months later (when I thought I was in the clear), a second 1 yr old RIR started limping. No other symptoms so the vet said she must have a hip or back injury. They said chickens usually recover from injuries though, so just give her time and TLC. Slowly she became immobile. Not getting up and thus not eating enough to stay awake...or alive for that matter. I made the choice to have the vet put her down. (WAS Mareks Vaccinated)
One month later a 7 month old Gold Star started to limp. Vet said I must have bad luck and I had another injury. Same thing... Became immobile, not eating, sleeping a lot. Today I took her into the vet, and she couldn't even handle the ride there. She became limp and died in the vets arms. I requested that testing be done to find an answer. I just thought it was too much of a coincidence to have two limping chickens that wasted away within such short time. (Was NOT Mareks Vaccinated)
Test = Mareks Positive.
The word devastated doesn't begin to describe how I feel. These chickens are like my children. I never knew all the problems that can arise, but I also didn't expect them to be so endearing, such little interesting characters. Our chickens are much loved pets, not dinner. We raise them to be held and hand fed treats. It pains me that chickens are one of the most commonly abused animals in the world. I have a couple serious chronic health problems, and taking care of these girls has changed my life. They (before all the health issues they are having), were how I started my day and how I ended my day and I found it to be a huge stress reliever, and therefore it has helped my health to improve I believe. In a way, these chickens are saving my life... Or help to prolong it anyway... but now I CANT save them?!?!
So...now what? Sure some will say CULL THEM! Well, I read that the Mareks virus can survive on surfaces for YEARS, and it can travel through the air it's so contagious. So what's the point of killing them all? Truth be told, that isn't going to happen anyway. The virus is here, it's all around now. It's too late. I already have contacted everyone that I came into contact with that has chickens. They need to know they have been exposed. Here is what I have left and where they came from:
2 Silkies - 14 months old (From a zoo) (Vaccinated) zoo..dumb move getting them from there I know, these were my first chickens and I didn't know better.
1 Bantam Cochin -8 months old (From a reputable breeder) (Vaccinated)
2 RIRs - 8 months old (From a hatchery McMurry) (Vaccinated)
2 Bantam Mixes - 9 months old (From a local farm) (Presumed NOT Vaccinated)
I know the vaccines don't always work. I think the zoo RIRs vaccines proved not to work, but do they sometimes work? Can I have a shred if hope that some of my chickens will survive? Or should I expect them to slowly die one by one? I also read that the older they are the more likely they are to survive.. But I think that's proven to not be true since I lost one a year old.
Any advice or knowledge anyone is willing to share is appreciated more than you know. I feel so doomed, and like I should give up on chicken keeping. I now have to get up every day and wait and watch for more limping dying chickens. That's a pretty awful feeling.
