Maine

[lazy gardener]

I think there was an article about it in the paper last year during turkey season, asking hunters to be on the look out for it, and report it, stating that it would be ok to use the meat, but offering the option of taking an other bird if they got one with pox. (If memory serves me correctly.)

 

[CoopChick719]

What brand to you find that has a good "mother" and where do you buy it? I had some Heinz that was supposed to have the mother, but all I could see was a bit of dark sediment in the bottom of the jug, and it was more cloudy than the pasteurized ACV. Went to NLC, and didn't even find any there!! I tried inoculating a regular bottle of ACV with my Heinz, even added some sugar, but didn't leave the bottle uncapped. Nothing at all happened with it.

I use Braggs and have successfully infected regular ACV from it.

((hugs))

Thank you quailtrail!

Thank you for the information on ACV, Coopchick!

Sorry to hear about Maran. How long before you know if the Tylan had any effect? Would it help quickly? Sorry about having to make some tough decisions with her, but it sounds like you have been doing everything you can.

Thank you bucka. Mainechick said it took her girls at least 4 days for the Tylan to help.

I saw something very interesting today on my way home from the grocery store- a wild turkey with pox!! Now, I can't be 100% certain, but it was in the road, and as I slowed down to let them cross, I noticed one of them seem to have a good amount of pox on it's head. I should have turned around and taken another look...

I wonder if this is where my chickens pox came from? The turkeys are up in our yard all the time. I did a quick google search to see if the virus has been documented in Maine in wild turkeys, and it looks like it has. I guess it's new up here, but has been common in southern states for awhile.

Yikes! We had some turkeys come through the yard the other day. The dogs chased them off.

We put Maran down tonight. It is never easy to make the decision and I hate that I had to. This is the part that sucks about keeping chickens. I did not get a chance to take my other one to the UMaine Animal Health Lab in Orono so Maran will be going with her. I hope to find some answers.

 

[buckabucka]

So sorry Coopchick.
I hope you get some useful information for the necropsy.

 

[quailtrail]

Coopchick sorry. Hope u get some answers.

 

[MustardTiger]

So Sorry Coop Chick! it never gets easier.

 

[lazy gardener]

Sorry your weekend had to come to such a bummer of a close.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

I've mentioned before my buff orpington, who is the lowest in the pecking order. Over the weekend I witnessed a barred rock attack her and made the decision to separate the buff from the flock. The picking has been getting progressively worse despite the additional food/water stations and additional roost. All the other girls are mature with full, red wattles and are laying. The buff doesn't have a developed comb or wattles, her face is pale, she is smaller than the other girls, her feathers are messy (because they've been pecked at around the tail and neck). Also, her gait is stilted (she walks very stiffly and slowly) and instead of sitting like the other hens do, she sits on her "knees" with both feet in front of her. (At night she does lay down with her feet tucked under her normally.) She's been this way for over a month now. When I first separated her Saturday morning she drank and ate a lot, so even though I separate her daily to let her eat she may still not have been getting enough nourishment. She did perk up a bit by Sunday, enough so that I let her out into the enclosed garden beds. She walked around pecking a little, but ended up laying down in the tall grass, as she usually does.

It almost looks like she has a neurological condition/inner ear issue the way she walks. I even wonder if it's Marek's?? I wish I knew if she was in pain or uncomfortable. My husband thinks she hasn't been right from the beginning and we should cull her. I feel like I should give her a week in separation to recoup and see how she does. Even I'll admit it doesn't look great and I doubt I could ever reintroduce her to the others.

Anyway, not sure if I'm looking for advice or just venting...

 

[lazy gardener]

Follow your heart in the matter. Culling may be the best option, but until you give her the benefit of the doubt, which you are doing now, you won't be sure in your heart that you're doing the right thing. Have you researched the signs of Marecks disease? In my little pea brain, I'm thinking that the signs are pretty sudden onset. You might try giving her some extra vitamins. Even a protein boost like addition of BOSS to her diet. I've used Nutri-drench. There's an other product called Rooster booster. Other people use infant Poly-vi-sol without iron. There is no right or wrong decision with culling, unless of course it's a contagious, non-treatable illness, or where the bird is obviously miserable.

 

[MKandtheforce]

Hello, folks! It's been a while since I've posted. I really need to try posting here more often. My little flock has been doing well. One of my barred rocks laid her first egg about a week ago, but none since. Does it usually take them a while to get into a routine, or should I just not expect any more from her till there's more sunlight? I never got around to insulating the coop this year, so hopefully next summer I'll get around to that. I also want to rig up some sort of contraption to get them some light. Maybe solar lamps? I don't have electricity out in my coop.

How's everyone around here doing in regards to getting ready for winter?

 

[Widget]

I've mentioned before my buff orpington, who is the lowest in the pecking order. Over the weekend I witnessed a barred rock attack her and made the decision to separate the buff from the flock. The picking has been getting progressively worse despite the additional food/water stations and additional roost. All the other girls are mature with full, red wattles and are laying. The buff doesn't have a developed comb or wattles, her face is pale, she is smaller than the other girls, her feathers are messy (because they've been pecked at around the tail and neck). Also, her gait is stilted (she walks very stiffly and slowly) and instead of sitting like the other hens do, she sits on her "knees" with both feet in front of her. (At night she does lay down with her feet tucked under her normally.) She's been this way for over a month now. When I first separated her Saturday morning she drank and ate a lot, so even though I separate her daily to let her eat she may still not have been getting enough nourishment. She did perk up a bit by Sunday, enough so that I let her out into the enclosed garden beds. She walked around pecking a little, but ended up laying down in the tall grass, as she usually does.

It almost looks like she has a neurological condition/inner ear issue the way she walks. I even wonder if it's Marek's?? I wish I knew if she was in pain or uncomfortable. My husband thinks she hasn't been right from the beginning and we should cull her. I feel like I should give her a week in separation to recoup and see how she does. Even I'll admit it doesn't look great and I doubt I could ever reintroduce her to the others.

Anyway, not sure if I'm looking for advice or just venting...

Giving her some one on one care might just do the trick. She could just be overly stressed from all the others picking on her. She may never be able to go back in with the flock but by separating her you can now see how she responds to being able to go about her days being stress free. If there are no other underlying health issues she should improve quickly. If she does have an underlying health issue the other birds have probably picked up on it which would explain why they have yet to really accept her in the flock. The issue may not be disease related but could have been as a result of an injury when she was very young or a birth defect.