Mareks😔

[B_Chickle01]

Whichever birds died of the Marek's had likely not been vaccinated. The vaccine, which contains nothing more than a strain of Marek's virus that kills turkeys but not chickens, will help to keep the chickens from dying of the disease, even though they are active carriers of it. So if the rest of your flock is sick, then it was not likely vaccinated either. After having done the research on this, I believe the best is to not vaccinate, because the vaccination only hides the problem, allowing it to grow worse. Essentially, the vaccine benefits one group of people--the vaccine makers. They are ensuring themselves a continued income as more and more people are "forced" to vaccinate--well I won't be forced.

None of my birds were vaccinated at all! I agree with you on that. It’s not at all helping the situation. I highly doubt anyone will ever stop vaccinating their birds though. Theres still going to be people out there that even still opt to vaccinate their flock. But what ur saying is if less people do then hopefully this will eventually cause it to not be as wide spread? Even still with people vaccinating.

 

[Egg Blues]

Im sorry. Ya know, what’s crazy is I remember reading on Marek’s and thinking what a nightmare! I hope my birds or my family never have to go through this..and then it became our reality. Its so upsetting to me. Its upsetting even more just the thought of me not owning chickens. I love them. I never realized truly how much until I was going through bad depression and being around them and stuff just helped tremendously! I know it probably sounds crazy but honestly. My kids are devastated too. I feel like we all almost became kind of numb to it(almost) since our chicken cemetery started to grow.

I'd never before dealt with Marek's either. So I was naive. When I was growing up, we had chickens and nary a problem like t his. I don't even remember anyone among our friends or acquaintances that experienced a problem like this. But, because of the "vaccine" (it isn't a true vaccine if it does not confer immunity), the disease has spread and we are all affected.

Unfortunately, the best we can do now is to deal with it. My way of dealing with it is to never buy birds. Marek's is not transmitted through the egg. Fortunately. So I pay hundreds of dollars for shipped eggs which give me a hatch rate of <10%, hoping they can start my flock and I can keep my own isolated. I'm also building a chicken coop, 4x6 meters, which will be entirely enclosed--not even wild birds will be allowed admittance. I don't eat meat, so this will be only for the eggs and/or to sell the rare breeds I raise.

It may be that the few of us who have not succumbed to the vaccination program/system will be among those who help to reestablish good stock when other lines have become too weak to be productive, as I believe the vaccine weakens the immune system of its recipients. I think it is because the immune system is too weak to fight the disease that the disease has a much-delayed mortality rate. A stronger immune system may be what causes the "symptoms," as the bird's body attempts to fight the infection in various ways, perhaps inclusive of fighting itself (like autoimmune disorder). This is my theory--it's not yet a proven reality nor do I see much research in this direction. But all of the research I have seen agrees that the vaccine does not give immunity, and that it only lengthens the birds' longevity with the disease, if they contract it.

 

[lacychappell4]

I very sorry for your losses I haven't to my knowledge ever dealt with Marek's . You have my deepest sympathies it's hard to lose birds at any age for any reason. I will pray for you and your flock

 

[microchick]

Im so sorry. But you gave me hope! 50 chickens after Marek’s diagnosis! Thats def good news. Can I ask you.. the pattern in loss? Like would you lose one then get a break for a week then lose another? Its so weird the way theyre going. I know their symptoms can be at rest then boom you lose one. But theres like no rhyme or reason in the way they’re going. I’ll get a break for a week lose one then ill get a break for 2 weeks or something lose another. This time I got like a little over a month without losing anyone I was naïve to think maybe that’s it we could be in clear(or I had to make myself believe that) then boom lost my Brahma Mama the other night. I kept saying she looked off in the eyes and usually with every bird I lost when I had that feeling they passed. How long until you stopped losing any? Did you end up waiting awhile before expanding ur flock? Did you vaccinate? Sorry for all questions just dont know anyone who's dealt with Marek’s too.

I started losing birds when they were about 14 months old. After losing the first bird I had a bit of a break. Maybe 8 months? Then I started losing birds at the rate of one a week, sometimes 2. The weird thing with mine is that they always seemed to go feet up on Sunday. I started dreading seeing Sunday roll around.

That lasted for about 2 years then I started getting breaks. Not long breaks, a few months maybe then a couple more would die.

One one of my second generation Buff Orpingtons, Welsummers and Speckled Sussex's survived to be 3 years old. I had 7 original hens survive. None of my original roosters or their offspring lived past the age of 2.

I've been 'Marek's death free' for three years now. I just lost a rooster and Egyptian Fayoumi hen to some sort of either infection or parasite load that caused sour crop and infection that I couldn't get under control but I do not connect their deaths with MD. The rooster was from resistant local stock and the EF hen had genetic and vaccine immunity. I think it was just a fluke of luck that they both died from the same thing so to speak.

When did it end? Suddenly 3 years ago after I made the painful decision to cull my original flock. If I could have bred resistant birds from the survivors, I would have kept them but like I said. In three years of them breeding like rabbits, on one of their subsequent generations survived and that was a hen. By that time I had lost close to 40 birds.

I added two vaccinated OEGB BBR hens to my flock when I needed emergency chicks to keep a loan chick company when mom rejected it. They are 5 years old now and plugging along, still laying. I hatched some daughters from them in April.

Then I added 5 Egyptian Fayoumi chicks to my flock three years ago. Just hatched 6 eggs from them and those chicks are now almost 3 months old.

I am seeing resistance in my vaccinated birds progeny which I find notable. Does the hen pass resistance on to her chick? I've read some studies that voice that possibility.

More interesting is the fact that out of the Neighborhood Amish Barnyard mixes I hatched I only lost two to suspected Mareks' Disease. As I wrote in my article. I let them breed at will and brother did they have a lot of will thinking that I might have a few live to produce eggs or viable offspring. One summer night my husband found me standing outside the run staring at them running around the run chasing bugs, healthy and fat. His first suspicion was that I had one that I had on Death Watch. I told him. They aren't dying? Why aren't they dying? He shrugged and said 'I don't know but you sure have a lot of birds'.

It dawned on me that those eggs came from an Amish farm within the five mile radius of our farm so well in the contaminated zone for the strain of MD I was fighting. I was looking at natural bred resistance! Everything started to make sense and it was then that I decided to cull the remaining birds of my original flock.

My oldest surviving bird, Old Man died this spring. He was 5. I let him out one day to free range and he escaped to the neighbor's timber. He never came home. Indy is now my longest surviving bird. He is one of the second clutch of Amish eggs that I hatched and he is also just 5 years old.

I've been experimenting with my EF hens and rooster to see if cross breeding them to the Amish barnyard hens would boost their bred in resistance. So far I haven't lost any other than two cockerels I butchered for aggression.

As a rule EF roosters are gentle. The Amish barnyard birds have Game Bird genes in them and those genes are proving hard to breed out of them.

I hope I've helped and answered all your questions. Like I said. If you can hang on, it does get better. But while you are hanging on, formulate a plan and do some experimenting.

 

[Egg Blues]

I started losing birds when they were about 14 months old. After losing the first bird I had a bit of a break. Maybe 8 months? Then I started losing birds at the rate of one a week, sometimes 2. The weird thing with mine is that they always seemed to go feet up on Sunday. I started dreading seeing Sunday roll around.

That lasted for about 2 years then I started getting breaks. Not long breaks, a few months maybe then a couple more would die.

One one of my second generation Buff Orpingtons, Welsummers and Speckled Sussex's survived to be 3 years old. I had 7 original hens survive. None of my original roosters or their offspring lived past the age of 2.

I've been 'Marek's death free' for three years now. I just lost a rooster and Egyptian Fayoumi hen to some sort of either infection or parasite load that caused sour crop and infection that I couldn't get under control but I do not connect their deaths with MD. The rooster was from resistant local stock and the EF hen had genetic and vaccine immunity. I think it was just a fluke of luck that they both died from the same thing so to speak.

When did it end? Suddenly 3 years ago after I made the painful decision to cull my original flock. If I could have bred resistant birds from the survivors, I would have kept them but like I said. In three years of them breeding like rabbits, on one of their subsequent generations survived and that was a hen. By that time I had lost close to 40 birds.

I added two vaccinated OEGB BBR hens to my flock when I needed emergency chicks to keep a loan chick company when mom rejected it. They are 5 years old now and plugging along, still laying. I hatched some daughters from them in April.

Then I added 5 Egyptian Fayoumi chicks to my flock three years ago. Just hatched 6 eggs from them and those chicks are now almost 3 months old.

I am seeing resistance in my vaccinated birds progeny which I find notable. Does the hen pass resistance on to her chick? I've read some studies that voice that possibility.

More interesting is the fact that out of the Neighborhood Amish Barnyard mixes I hatched I only lost two to suspected Mareks' Disease. As I wrote in my article. I let them breed at will and brother did they have a lot of will thinking that I might have a few live to produce eggs or viable offspring. One summer night my husband found me standing outside the run staring at them running around the run chasing bugs, healthy and fat. His first suspicion was that I had one that I had on Death Watch. I told him. They aren't dying? Why aren't they dying? He shrugged and said 'I don't know but you sure have a lot of birds'.

It dawned on me that those eggs came from an Amish farm within the five mile radius of our farm so well in the contaminated zone for the strain of MD I was fighting. I was looking at natural bred resistance! Everything started to make sense and it was then that I decided to cull the remaining birds of my original flock.

My oldest surviving bird, Old Man died this spring. He was 5. I let him out one day to free range and he escaped to the neighbor's timber. He never came home. Indy is now my longest surviving bird. He is one of the second clutch of Amish eggs that I hatched and he is also just 5 years old.

I've been experimenting with my EF hens and rooster to see if cross breeding them to the Amish barnyard hens would boost their bred in resistance. So far I haven't lost any other than two cockerels I butchered for aggression.

As a rule EF roosters are gentle. The Amish barnyard birds have Game Bird genes in them and those genes are proving hard to breed out of them.

I hope I've helped and answered all your questions. Like I said. If you can hang on, it does get better. But while you are hanging on, formulate a plan and do some experimenting.

Natural immunity and resistance is definitely the way to go. The vaccine is the way to weaken the genetics in the long run, despite short-term "success" in keeping the birds alive.

I lived with Amish neighbors when I was a child. They are good people, and they have a much healthier and more sustainable lifestyle than most. I wish I had neighbors like that here--but I know of no Amish in Asia.

 

[B_Chickle01]

I very sorry for your losses I haven't to my knowledge ever dealt with Marek's . You have my deepest sympathies it's hard to lose birds at any age for any reason. I will pray for you and your flock

Xoxo. I hope you never do! Thanks so much for your prayers.

 

[B_Chickle01]

I started losing birds when they were about 14 months old. After losing the first bird I had a bit of a break. Maybe 8 months? Then I started losing birds at the rate of one a week, sometimes 2. The weird thing with mine is that they always seemed to go feet up on Sunday. I started dreading seeing Sunday roll around.

That lasted for about 2 years then I started getting breaks. Not long breaks, a few months maybe then a couple more would die.

One one of my second generation Buff Orpingtons, Welsummers and Speckled Sussex's survived to be 3 years old. I had 7 original hens survive. None of my original roosters or their offspring lived past the age of 2.

I've been 'Marek's death free' for three years now. I just lost a rooster and Egyptian Fayoumi hen to some sort of either infection or parasite load that caused sour crop and infection that I couldn't get under control but I do not connect their deaths with MD. The rooster was from resistant local stock and the EF hen had genetic and vaccine immunity. I think it was just a fluke of luck that they both died from the same thing so to speak.

When did it end? Suddenly 3 years ago after I made the painful decision to cull my original flock. If I could have bred resistant birds from the survivors, I would have kept them but like I said. In three years of them breeding like rabbits, on one of their subsequent generations survived and that was a hen. By that time I had lost close to 40 birds.

I added two vaccinated OEGB BBR hens to my flock when I needed emergency chicks to keep a loan chick company when mom rejected it. They are 5 years old now and plugging along, still laying. I hatched some daughters from them in April.

Then I added 5 Egyptian Fayoumi chicks to my flock three years ago. Just hatched 6 eggs from them and those chicks are now almost 3 months old.

I am seeing resistance in my vaccinated birds progeny which I find notable. Does the hen pass resistance on to her chick? I've read some studies that voice that possibility.

More interesting is the fact that out of the Neighborhood Amish Barnyard mixes I hatched I only lost two to suspected Mareks' Disease. As I wrote in my article. I let them breed at will and brother did they have a lot of will thinking that I might have a few live to produce eggs or viable offspring. One summer night my husband found me standing outside the run staring at them running around the run chasing bugs, healthy and fat. His first suspicion was that I had one that I had on Death Watch. I told him. They aren't dying? Why aren't they dying? He shrugged and said 'I don't know but you sure have a lot of birds'.

It dawned on me that those eggs came from an Amish farm within the five mile radius of our farm so well in the contaminated zone for the strain of MD I was fighting. I was looking at natural bred resistance! Everything started to make sense and it was then that I decided to cull the remaining birds of my original flock.

My oldest surviving bird, Old Man died this spring. He was 5. I let him out one day to free range and he escaped to the neighbor's timber. He never came home. Indy is now my longest surviving bird. He is one of the second clutch of Amish eggs that I hatched and he is also just 5 years old.

I've been experimenting with my EF hens and rooster to see if cross breeding them to the Amish barnyard hens would boost their bred in resistance. So far I haven't lost any other than two cockerels I butchered for aggression.

As a rule EF roosters are gentle. The Amish barnyard birds have Game Bird genes in them and those genes are proving hard to breed out of them.

I hope I've helped and answered all your questions. Like I said. If you can hang on, it does get better. But while you are hanging on, formulate a plan and do some experimenting.

So ur time frame in deaths is kind of similar to mine. Oh man 40 birds!! I’m really hoping that I don’t lose anymore I really dont even have that many more to lose. I have 8 birds left. I got a feeling though that it’s not over! Im probably going to end up with 2 left if I’m lucky. Im just hoping this blows over soon. It seems like this has been going on forever on my end! My plan is to just keep reading more and then eventually making my decision. As of right now though Im really considering not adding on to my flock until they're all gone sadly. I know my kids are going to have a really hard time with that and Im dreading the day I have to explain to them why.

 

[B_Chickle01]

Natural immunity and resistance is definitely the way to go. The vaccine is the way to weaken the genetics in the long run, despite short-term "success" in keeping the birds alive.

I lived with Amish neighbors when I was a child. They are good people, and they have a much healthier and more sustainable lifestyle than most. I wish I had neighbors like that here--but I know of no Amish in Asia.

I just don’t want any more birds to suffer like the ones I lost have. Some of their deaths were brutal. I had one that I sat there and talked softly to and pet while she went and it was traumatizing how she passed. The rest didnt go like her..it seemed like id go back to check on them in their little infirmary and they were gone. One of my Splash Silkies I had was up playing with me the day before all day. The next morning I let her out she was fine I went back and checked on her that afternoon only a couple hours later and found her dead in her nesting box. She didnt have any symptoms like the others!

 

[raingarden]

I think I'd get rid of all the birds and raise something else for a few years. Keeping chickens is supposed to be enjoyable,

 

[seminolewind]

Was curious how many others on here have dealt with(or are dealing with)Mareks in their flocks. I just lost another chicken a couple hours ago. This is now 13 chickens in total. Did you guys lose ur whole flock? Im so terrified. I dont even get a second to at least try to deal or come to terms with one loss before Im losing another. My heart is so broken I dont even want to have chickens anymore after this.

My heart has been broken and I've cried my eyes out many times . There was a period of about a year I did not know I had Marek's. It's the most awful disease because you are helpless. When you get chicks have them vaccinated or vaccinate them. Hatcheries or you can do this. We all need to keep closed flocks. That means you only have chicks yourself or from a nursery. You never get chicks or chickens from outside to add to your flock. They all must be vaccinated at a day or 2 of life. Vaccinated chickens can still CARRY Marek's. The vaccine only prevents them from dying from it. It's taken me years but all my chickens are now vaccinated. They are pets. At the bottom of my posts I have a link to Marek's info from a very very educated person. I would not carry non accurate info with me. I have lots of research for these years from research Doctors, scientists, Not Dr. Google.

I can tell you that Marek's was discovered in 1905 and there has been no solution for over 100 years. I read researched updates but nothing has changed, except the creation of Marek's vaccine. Otherwise there's really nothing new on how to save anyone's chickens. Do not allow any chickens into your flock that have had contact with other chickens. It's a risk. It could kill your flock. I only get chicks from a hatchery, or hatch mine or somebody other's eggs.

I did bring home one hen from a swap and that's all it took. I lost some chickens. After 2-3 years, my chickens hatched 10 beautiful Polish, OMG, they all went lame and gasping one by one till all was dead. Then I knew that it was Mareks. You talk about crying???

My vet misdiagnosed it. I sent dead chickens (not chicks) to Florida Animal Disease Lab, and they couldn't even diagnose Marek's because chickens can test negative after a year or so. The only time a necropsy diagnoses Marek's is if a chicken has symptoms at the time of death, like paralysis. Those who are unnaffected , go on to live and die of something else, usually something most chickens have resistance to like E. Coli, cocci, enteritis, and I had one that died from overwhelming Aspergillosis even tho she lived outside. (Florida).

It is so much fun to go to swaps or other peoples' flocks and be so tempted. It's so hard to n0t introduce a chicken from another flock and put your whole flock at risk. Boy have I cried buckets.

I always have to remember that having chickens is joyful, moreso than the sadness that will happen. Don't prevent the joy in your heart that having chickens gives you. Adjust. There is life after Marek's. Any babies should be vaccinated. I do it myself if hatched at home. Then they Need quarantine for a few weeks to allow the protection to grow. Do not think "Oh well it won't be this time, or Oh it's a friend's chicken." They Will introduce Marek's or new chicks will die because they get exposed to your own flock.

This is long I know and there is so much information available I could go on for another page or two. Get accurate information from research done by Universities (sp). Or anyone scientifically involved with truly studying Marek's. Not Dr. Google, or some people out there who write a "know all" book or blog that includes Marek's. Oh yea and avoid being sucked it by those who swear they found a cure for Marek's. It sounds good but there is NONE. I've heard of all kinds of herbs, and routines using herbs that ultimately leave people sad because they think they did the instructions wrong.

Bottom line, chicks, all, need to be vaccinated and quarantined at day 1 or 2. That includes not being exposed to something on your hands or clothing. Do not take any chicks or chickens that have been exposed to other chickens. I buy vaccinated hatchery chicks, or hatch my own and vaccinate and quarantine them. I have not lost any more from paralysis and gasping , After that they can die of some subclinical germ or virus that they should be resistant to from age.. My goal in all this is to share my knowledge from valid sources, and my own experiences and hoping that I've helped at least one person who is suffering from their chickens demises from Marek's