I have to talk POLISH!

[DANNY]

Here are some young Polish from this year.

KAHKI PULLET

GOLD LACED FRIZZLE

SILVER LACED FRIZZLE AND SMOOTH

KAHKI SMOOTH AND A BARRED FRIZZLE

KAHKI FRIZZLE AND SMOOTH CHOCOLATE

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Wow, that's 3 of us?

I got a Tolbunt roo because my flock was already exposed to Marek's and the seller's as well, so she sent him to me. It took her months to part with him. I sent her a happy picture to show her he's fit right in.

I can't sell any birds, they've all been exposed to Marek's. However, when my juvies start to lay, I have a non sibling Crele I can breed to and send eggs. We'll call them "test eggs", LOL

Interesting thing I have learned - if you talk to poultry vets and scientists they'll tell you its rare for a backyard flock to not have been exposed to mareks. Many people have birds with it, and they have no idea because they are non-symptomatic. Also its a misconception that if you vaccinate for Mareks they won't get it, but its not true. the mareks vaccine doesn't prevent it, its main function is to save birds by lessening the amount of shedding of the virus from a carrier bird (spreading) anddampens the growth of lesions in the body (what usually causes death and the paralysis - the main two ways of identifying the disease without autopsy) which makes it even harder to know if birds have been exposed to it, or infected with it.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Danny I am loving those Khaki and Chocolates!

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

I recently required 4 polish chicks all different colors(white crested,buff, silver & golden laced)..and I was wondering how old will they be before I can determine the sex?

Well you just start looking for those red wattles to come in (If they are not bearded). Otherwise the crest shape will tell you MOST of the time.....if that does not work you wait for the crow or the egg lol. By crest and wattles I can usually be pretty sure by 8 weeks, by 12 weeks it is usually painfully obvious who the boys are....but there are those that just morph and keep you guessing....

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
You are absolutely right. And have a very good way of saying it. Many people have a chicken die here and there and wonder why. That was me till I hatched eggs I got from someone and all the chicks died (paralysis, wasting). Then I knew. This year I'm finding out that my vaccinated ones that were exposed 8 weeks later, haven't died from Marek's, but from opportunistic infections due to their poor immune system. I now have to keep all my roos because I can't give them away and hurt someone else's flock. You are so right about not knowing. Let's say you're a breeder and vaccinate every chick. Then sell lots of chicks. And because of the lack of symptoms, those chicks have exposed all those new flocks to virus, and you never had any idea. I really think people just ought to think that they all have Marek's.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:I would love to. I have some silkies that love to sit. I understand the hard to part with part....I never think anyone is going to take care of my babies like I will. I think I remember your posts dealing with Mareks.Does that mean you never can sell birds again or just those that were exposed? I don't know much about Mareks.

I didn't realize how you were with your chickens ! If you have one chicken with it, it exposes all of them. In 4 years, I only bought one chicken-the rest I hatched. Well that's all it took, and I never knew till last summer. So no, I will never be able to sell a bird unless someone has an exposed or vaccinated flock. Just eggs, eggs don't carry it. So I have 5 spare roos, LOL. We like them. I have a bunch of information at the bottom of my posts about Marek's.

 

[welasharon]

You are absolutely right. And have a very good way of saying it. Many people have a chicken die here and there and wonder why. That was me till I hatched eggs I got from someone and all the chicks died (paralysis, wasting). Then I knew. This year I'm finding out that my vaccinated ones that were exposed 8 weeks later, haven't died from Marek's, but from opportunistic infections due to their poor immune system. I now have to keep all my roos because I can't give them away and hurt someone else's flock. You are so right about not knowing. Let's say you're a breeder and vaccinate every chick. Then sell lots of chicks. And because of the lack of symptoms, those chicks have exposed all those new flocks to virus, and you never had any idea. I really think people just ought to think that they all have Marek's.

That is what I though I read. So if everyone's been exposed (whether they knowit or not) why would your chickens be more of a risk to another flock?

 

[welasharon]

I didn't realize how you were with your chickens ! If you have one chicken with it, it exposes all of them. In 4 years, I only bought one chicken-the rest I hatched. Well that's all it took, and I never knew till last summer. So no, I will never be able to sell a bird unless someone has an exposed or vaccinated flock. Just eggs, eggs don't carry it. So I have 5 spare roos, LOL. We like them. I have a bunch of information at the bottom of my posts about Marek's.

I love the roos myself. I am going to give my feral american game to a couple that just started with a few hens. He is getting older and the younger ones are beginning to challenge him so he is starting to pull back from the yard.I want him to have a nice place where he is the only rooster with all the hens to himself. I just can't give my chickens to someone who just sees them as expendable! I am interested in collaborating on the tolbunts though. Here where I am most people have rhode island reds....and they certainly don't name them! LOL

 

[seminolewind]

Quote: I just realized a while ago I offered you the Tolbunt roo. Really stupid. Just wasn't thinking. Thank God he never left!

Your question. There is no way to tell who's got it until they die, are necropsied and tumors or enlarged nerves are found. Not all chickens get the "one leg forward, one leg back". The one I get the most is just wasting away while acting perfectly normal. I noticed a mis-shapen pupil on a roo I lost a few months ago. So if your birds are exposed, and older, you may not lose any or maybe just a few if you get another exposed bird. But if your birds are not exposed and you get an exposed chicken, it can wipe out all your chickens. Especially the young ones.

I can't tell you how many times I've cried in the past year. Vaccinated youngsters who got sick and died from coccidiosis or infection. One morning I found 3 of my Creles who were fine at bedtime, dead in the morning with internal hemmorhaging.

Thank God it doesn't spread thru eggs.

I got a bunch of information at the bottom of my posts.

I have always hated rehoming (in the past) because I wanted my chickens to have a nice home. Well I don't have to worry anymore. No one's leaving.

 

[welasharon]

I just realized a while ago I offered you the Tolbunt roo.  Really stupid.  Just wasn't thinking.  Thank God he never left!

Your question.  There is no way to tell who's got it until they die, are necropsied and tumors or enlarged nerves are found.  Not all chickens get the "one leg forward, one leg back".  The one I get the most is just wasting away while acting perfectly normal.  I noticed a mis-shapen pupil on a roo I lost a few months ago.  So if your birds are exposed, and older, you may not lose any or maybe just a few if you get another exposed bird.  But if your birds are not exposed and you get an exposed chicken, it can wipe out all your chickens.  Especially the young ones.

I can't tell you how many times I've cried in the past year.  Vaccinated youngsters who got sick and died from coccidiosis or infection.  One morning I found 3 of my Creles who were fine at bedtime, dead in the morning with internal hemmorhaging.

Thank God it doesn't spread thru eggs. 

I got a bunch of information at the bottom of my posts.

I have always hated rehoming (in the past) because I wanted my chickens to have a nice home.  Well I don't have to worry anymore.  No one's leaving.

I guess in a way this is like with my cats. I have had tons of cats....twenty years or so ago they started having odd sicknesses. I finally found out they had FLV. I finally got them all fixed (the ferals were hard to catch) and closed my flock...so to speak. No new cats in unless they were positive for it...and none out. Now they have eventually died out so I only have 7. They are older (16 or so) and will die here. I'm sorry but like you say at least you can do eggs.