No kidding! She was the most protective of all the babies until this happened. They are in a good sized pen, with shade, and plenty of food and cool water. I go out there probably 4 times a day in the heat to freshen the water, and to check on things. This hen, when she first came off the nest, was the one being picked on by the other hens, but now the tables have turned. Needless to say, the chicks I brought inside are NOT happy with me. One of the little stinkers attacked my hand when I was trying to show them the food and water last night! Ha, the little thing is only about 5 days old, but he was serious as a heart attack! They screamed for their mamas for hours last evening, and the mamas were screaming back. The hens got over it far sooner than the chicks did though. Gees, always something in chicken land!
Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!
- Thread starter Wynette
- Start date
indeed....its never boring and often puzzling.
Today is sale day, so should have another large chunk of birds out of here. Might possibly have time to take some photos. just depends on how warm it is when I finally have time. Don't like stressing the chicks when its hot out.
THere are MANY disease states that mimic mereks. THe devil is in the details. THe avain vet thought 5 day old chicks was too young for mercks, but to be on the safe side deal with it as if it is mereks.Thiamine deficaency and shavings eating all have the same symptoms: listless, loss of motor control, laying on their sides and unable to move much.
All my chicks made a full recovery ( waiting for the last chick which is now eating and drinking on its own and running). I talked with a woman that had the exact same symptoms with shavings eating but chicks could not be saved because the crops were too impacted.( She took the chicks to New Bolton Center for diagnosis). I fed sand in the feed. THe chicks had good appetites except for about one day. AND NONE died. As you see on this site, the mereks is highly contagious and lethal. I only had a few chicks be severely afflicted (3/20 in one pen and 1/50 in second pen) and none died. Even with the best of care birds with mereks usually die. Once I removed the shavings I had no more cases.ANd in a few days, the mild listlessness had totally disappeared. My 6 week old chicks housed with the 50 chicks showed no problems at all and didn't spend the time digging in the shavings and eating the shavings the way the 5day old chicks did. Again, diagnosis is in the details. All my birds have come from NPIP tested flocks. So if it came in on the wild birds, I would expect my free range birds to have shown symptoms also.
From Poultry site:
Morbidity is 10-50% and mortality up to 100%. Mortality in an affected flock typically continues at a moderate or high rate for quite a few weeks. In 'late' Marek's the mortality can extend to 40 weeks of age. Affected birds are more susceptible to other diseases, both parasitic and bacterial.
The route of infection is usually respiratory and the disease is highly contagious being spread by infective feather-follicle dander, fomites, etc. Infected birds remain viraemic for life. Vertical transmission is not considered to be important.
Thanks for all your input.
All my chicks made a full recovery ( waiting for the last chick which is now eating and drinking on its own and running). I talked with a woman that had the exact same symptoms with shavings eating but chicks could not be saved because the crops were too impacted.( She took the chicks to New Bolton Center for diagnosis). I fed sand in the feed. THe chicks had good appetites except for about one day. AND NONE died. As you see on this site, the mereks is highly contagious and lethal. I only had a few chicks be severely afflicted (3/20 in one pen and 1/50 in second pen) and none died. Even with the best of care birds with mereks usually die. Once I removed the shavings I had no more cases.ANd in a few days, the mild listlessness had totally disappeared. My 6 week old chicks housed with the 50 chicks showed no problems at all and didn't spend the time digging in the shavings and eating the shavings the way the 5day old chicks did. Again, diagnosis is in the details. All my birds have come from NPIP tested flocks. So if it came in on the wild birds, I would expect my free range birds to have shown symptoms also.
From Poultry site:
Morbidity is 10-50% and mortality up to 100%. Mortality in an affected flock typically continues at a moderate or high rate for quite a few weeks. In 'late' Marek's the mortality can extend to 40 weeks of age. Affected birds are more susceptible to other diseases, both parasitic and bacterial.
The route of infection is usually respiratory and the disease is highly contagious being spread by infective feather-follicle dander, fomites, etc. Infected birds remain viraemic for life. Vertical transmission is not considered to be important.
Thanks for all your input.
hee hee heeeeee
Going back through my emails and will forward photos to you. Got a photo of eggs this morning from him. Yummy! I think I will be pleased with these birds and Rodney is sooooo nice to work with, couldn't be happier. Eggs are being shipped out today instead of yesterday. Can't wait
The beat thing to do when hens have babies is to seperate them each into a small confinement with their babies. This keeps them calm and there is less confusion for them.
Arielle~
Glad your chickies are doing better.
Glad your chickies are doing better.
THanks Pink.
Well, just got in from the run, the psycho hen killed another one! She is temporarily living with Clyde and the three 4 month old Marans. Funny thing is, she only killed the Partridge marked chicks, and only the ones that I hatched out in the bator. What is up with that?? There are still 2 more Partridge marked chicks in there that she hatched, but seeing as how she is killing only those markings, I wasn't going to chance her killing them too. Guess I need to set up a seperate pen for her in the other Silkie pen....crazy flippin' bird!
Vicki, hope you have a great day at the sale!!
Vicki, hope you have a great day at the sale!!
Quote:
Yep, makes sense and thank you for taking the time to esplain it to me.
Yep, makes sense and thank you for taking the time to esplain it to me.
Debbi--sorry the Psycho hen is psycho.
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