Living with Marek's: Need real life experience

[Lil Halawakee]

I've researched for six months after our diagnosis. I've leaned on our poultry department at our local university, top scientists, and local extension offices. I'm a prof, myself. And here's the one thing I cannot find anywhere:

How do we live with it if we decide not to cull??

Half of my flock (thirty) lived through the virus. We have been vaccinating our babies and trying to raise them out to join the herd. I'm just not seeing any success stories--or any stories, really, past "is this Marek's?" Because, in our case: yes. It is.

Please. If anyone has had any success raising their own vaccinated chicks and letting them rejoin a Marek's positive flock, let me know your experience? I don't want to cull my babies. It wouldn't really work, anyway, as the virus lives for so long on the property and we are staying put. So. Please. Any stories, any lessons, any hints on how to now go forward are so welcome.

Thanks, Kat

 

[h2oratt]

I've researched for six months after our diagnosis. I've leaned on our poultry department at our local university, top scientists, and local extension offices. I'm a prof, myself. And here's the one thing I cannot find anywhere:

How do we live with it if we decide not to cull??

Half of my flock (thirty) lived through the virus. We have been vaccinating our babies and trying to raise them out to join the herd. I'm just not seeing any success stories--or any stories, really, past "is this Marek's?" Because, in our case: yes. It is.

Please. If anyone has had any success raising their own vaccinated chicks and letting them rejoin a Marek's positive flock, let me know your experience? I don't want to cull my babies. It wouldn't really work, anyway, as the virus lives for so long on the property and we are staying put. So. Please. Any stories, any lessons, any hints on how to now go forward are so welcome.

Thanks, Kat

I just hatched my own chicks from the survivors. I do not vaccinated.

 

[microchick]

I've researched for six months after our diagnosis. I've leaned on our poultry department at our local university, top scientists, and local extension offices. I'm a prof, myself. And here's the one thing I cannot find anywhere:

How do we live with it if we decide not to cull??

Half of my flock (thirty) lived through the virus. We have been vaccinating our babies and trying to raise them out to join the herd. I'm just not seeing any success stories--or any stories, really, past "is this Marek's?" Because, in our case: yes. It is.

Please. If anyone has had any success raising their own vaccinated chicks and letting them rejoin a Marek's positive flock, let me know your experience? I don't want to cull my babies. It wouldn't really work, anyway, as the virus lives for so long on the property and we are staying put. So. Please. Any stories, any lessons, any hints on how to now go forward are so welcome.

Thanks, Kat

Hi Kat.

I've been dealing with Marek's in my flock for 4+ years now and sometimes just can't believe that it's been that long.

Most of what I've learned has been knowledge obtained through trial and error, doing a lot of reading and stumbled on by accident.

I brought vaccinated birds into my flock when I had a lone survivor chick that was abandoned by it's mother and I needed two chicks to keep it company. Desperate, I found two bantam chicks at the local Orscheln's and brought them home after asking and being assured that they were vaccinated. In all honesty, I didn't expect them to survive. I have/had a pretty vicious strain of MD on our property that took about 2/3rds of my original flock of birds before it finally leveled off.

Those two little hens will be 3 years old on Memorial day.

I was amazed. Since then I have added more vaccinated Old English Game Bantams and they are thriving and reproducing. While my original flock of birds had all but one lone hen in the group that was their second generation survive, So far I haven't lost one second generation birds from the vaccinated hens/roosters.

Same goes with the Egyptian Fayoumis I have introduced to my remaining flock. I have second generation cockerels and one second generation hen from them and they are doing well.

None of the second generation birds are vaccinated. The oldest is now almost a year old. If the second generation roosters and pullets can survive their second year I will breathe a sigh of relief.

I culled my original flock when they failed to produce any resistant birds from chicks that were hatched from surviving hens. Like I said, all but one second generation bird died and I had hatched over 20 chicks from those birds.

I only bring in vaccinated chicks at this point in time and I am hoping that the genetically resistant Egyptian Fayoumis will pass on their magic genes to the chicks they produce.

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. You aren't alone and there are a lot of us out there. Remember, there is always hope. Never give up.

 

[h2oratt]

I just hatched my own chicks from the survivors. I do not vaccinated.

I only lost a couple of chickens. One I necropsied. I brought in new chicks that haven’t died. They were not vaccinated.

 

[Cali_chkmama]

I've researched for six months after our diagnosis. I've leaned on our poultry department at our local university, top scientists, and local extension offices. I'm a prof, myself. And here's the one thing I cannot find anywhere:

How do we live with it if we decide not to cull??

Half of my flock (thirty) lived through the virus. We have been vaccinating our babies and trying to raise them out to join the herd. I'm just not seeing any success stories--or any stories, really, past "is this Marek's?" Because, in our case: yes. It is.

Please. If anyone has had any success raising their own vaccinated chicks and letting them rejoin a Marek's positive flock, let me know your experience? I don't want to cull my babies. It wouldn't really work, anyway, as the virus lives for so long on the property and we are staying put. So. Please. Any stories, any lessons, any hints on how to now go forward are so welcome.

Thanks, Kat

Reposting my response to a similar op: So sorry about your flock. We went through the same thing over the last several months. Picked up 26 chicks last summer from tractor supply that weren't vaccinated and now have only 4 survivors. It has been a nightmare. I've almost always ordered vaccinated chicks from hatcheries and never had a problem. Currently breeding the survivors for resistance as they are very healthy and brooding new chicks ordered from Mcmurray's that are vaccinated. I do have an older flock that has a mix of vax & unvaxxed and the chicks I've hatched from the unvaxxed have all survived so I'm assuming resistance. I would bring in some vaccinated birds for your girl, some might still catch it but they have a much higher chance, and only bring in vaxxed birds from now on since you know you have the virus. I will add that my old flock is average of seven years old and happily and healthily living out their lives. Good luck and don't give up

 

[microchick]

Good post @Cali_chkmama.

I have 3rd generation chicks from my vaccinated bantams that are almost a year old now and everyone appears to be beating the odds so far.

 

[Cali_chkmama]

Good post @Cali_chkmama.

I have 3rd generation chicks from my vaccinated bantams that are almost a year old now and everyone appears to be beating the odds so far.

Thank you @microchick The ones that survive seem to thrive I've noticed. Glad to hear yours are toughing it out!

 

[microchick]

Yes, so far so good. I always seem to be holding my breath and just watching them for a sign of weakness but so far none.

I bought 2 BBR/OEGB pullets three years ago from Orschelns after they told me that their birds were vaccinated. I had visceral/neural/ocular Marek's in my flock. The trifecta of MD and a particularly nasty strain that had me losing a bird to 2 birds a week for what seemed like forever. I didn't expect the bantams to survive any longer than my other birds had but those two little girls are three years old on Memorial day and by all appearances outside of one having a prolapse that I was able to resolve, in good health. A year later I bought two SDW/OEGB and 3 cockerel SDW/OEGB chicks at the same Orscheln's. They are also doing well. The same year I bought Egyptian Fayoumis from Murray McMurray and even though they are touted as being resistant to MD, I had them vaccinated just to be safe.

They are two years old and doing well. I wasn't planning on hatching any eggs from them until this year but nature will find a way. Their offspring are one year old now and doing well also. So far I have one purebred pullet from them and waaaaay too many cockerels that are half EF and half SDW and/or Amish barnyard mix.

I know there is a LOT of controversy about vaccinated birds. BUT, as the old saying goes, do not judge until you have walked a mile in my moccasins. Until you are holding a bird in your lap that is dying from the complications of Marek's disease, and until you have to wipe tears away from your eyes so you can see clear enough to end that bird's life so it doesn't suffer any more....well you know the rest.

For me, it was find a way to keep going with a hobby that I love and for me that meant finding local resistant birds and adding fresh genes in the form of vaccinated birds that hopefully would pass on that vaccinated resistance to their offspring.

So far so good! Here are some pictures of the fruits of my project!

Keeping purebreds outside of the Fayoumi breeding stock is not really a part of my plan. Having the Fayoumis mate with my existing resistant stock and producing viable resistant offspring that live longer than a year is what I'm trying to accomplish.

Right now, My oldest resistant rooster is almost 5 years old. Most of my cockerels/roosters died before the age of two. Having roosters that have made it to 3 and 4 years of age is frankly a miracle that I never thought I would witness, but I have.

Don't give up hope. Persevere. Get mad, then find a way to move on. There is life with chickens after Marek's Disease.

Hang in there @Cali_chkmama. It does get better.

 

[Cali_chkmama]

Yes, so far so good. I always seem to be holding my breath and just watching them for a sign of weakness but so far none.

I bought 2 BBR/OEGB pullets three years ago from Orschelns after they told me that their birds were vaccinated. I had visceral/neural/ocular Marek's in my flock. The trifecta of MD and a particularly nasty strain that had me losing a bird to 2 birds a week for what seemed like forever. I didn't expect the bantams to survive any longer than my other birds had but those two little girls are three years old on Memorial day and by all appearances outside of one having a prolapse that I was able to resolve, in good health. A year later I bought two SDW/OEGB and 3 cockerel SDW/OEGB chicks at the same Orscheln's. They are also doing well. The same year I bought Egyptian Fayoumis from Murray McMurray and even though they are touted as being resistant to MD, I had them vaccinated just to be safe.

They are two years old and doing well. I wasn't planning on hatching any eggs from them until this year but nature will find a way. Their offspring are one year old now and doing well also. So far I have one purebred pullet from them and waaaaay too many cockerels that are half EF and half SDW and/or Amish barnyard mix.

I know there is a LOT of controversy about vaccinated birds. BUT, as the old saying goes, do not judge until you have walked a mile in my moccasins. Until you are holding a bird in your lap that is dying from the complications of Marek's disease, and until you have to wipe tears away from your eyes so you can see clear enough to end that bird's life so it doesn't suffer any more....well you know the rest.

For me, it was find a way to keep going with a hobby that I love and for me that meant finding local resistant birds and adding fresh genes in the form of vaccinated birds that hopefully would pass on that vaccinated resistance to their offspring.

So far so good! Here are some pictures of the fruits of my project!

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View attachment 2585111

Keeping purebreds outside of the Fayoumi breeding stock is not really a part of my plan. Having the Fayoumis mate with my existing resistant stock and producing viable resistant offspring that live longer than a year is what I'm trying to accomplish.

Right now, My oldest resistant rooster is almost 5 years old. Most of my cockerels/roosters died before the age of two. Having roosters that have made it to 3 and 4 years of age is frankly a miracle that I never thought I would witness, but I have.

Don't give up hope. Persevere. Get mad, then find a way to move on. There is life with chickens after Marek's Disease.

Hang in there @Cali_chkmama. It does get better.

Gorgeous birds! I have 2 four week old Egyptian Fayoumis from Mcmurray's and also had them vaccinated along with a dozen other chicks and hoping they survive. Just hatched another 15 from my unvaxxed chicks and will also be holding my breath.

Losing a few chickens a week is so heartbreaking. Always the favorites too The Marek's we have here was presenting as range paralysis and it was just one after another for months it seemed. Lost a few since then to an unknown ailment I'm still trying to figure out. Weight loss followed by almost a trance like state, then death, all pretty quickly with some of the healthiest chickens. I thought maybe poisoning and checked around the coops but found nothing. Now our favorite Black Copper Maran hen has lost a little weight and I'm keeping my eye on her. She's vaccinated for Marek's too which is a little more confirmation it's something else. Treated water with amprolium in case it was coccidiosis. They always have probiotics, diatomaceous earth, and proper nutrition etc. Just have to keep troubleshooting I suppose. Here's our fave Frenchie girl. We're hanging in there!

 

[microchick]

I am so sorry. It isn't easy, I know.

I would probably suspect neurological MD involvement with your birds secondary to the initial infection. I had birds that survived to be 3-6 months of age who developed some really strange symptoms. They would eventually develop seizures that would end with them being put down.

My vaccinated Fayoumis and bantams are doing well but I still live in fear that there will be another spike/outbreak at some point in time.

I try to keep stress down in the flock and just keep my fingers crossed. Sometimes it's all you can do.