I have a year-old blue wyandotte hen who has gone determinedly broody. I've had her in a broody breaker pen off and on a few days at a time for weeks now. She seems to get over it, then a week later she's fluffed up and gurgling and haunting the nest boxes again.
I've let a broody raise a few chicks twice now, and it's been lots of fun. Part of me wants to just let her fulfill her motherhood ambitions. But Riley is a Marek's survivor, and I just don't know if letting her be a mom to some foster chicks is a good idea. She had classic symptoms at about 10 weeks old--I found her paralyzed in the coop, thought she was dead till she suddenly jumped up and staggered outside. I got lots of advice here on BYC, fed fermented chick feed with infant vitamins, made sure she was eating and drinking and pooping and that nobody was picking on her, and prepared mentally to have to put her down if it kept getting worse, but to my surprise, she recovered and appears to be completely healthy today. She had been vaccinated, which I think may have made for a milder case or kept it from progressing. But I assume she will always be a carrier?
The feed store where I get chicks does vaccinate. Perhaps Riley was in that small percent who get the disease despite the vaccination. Would vaccinated chicks be in greater danger of contracting it if their mom is a carrier? Any advice/insight appreciated.
I've let a broody raise a few chicks twice now, and it's been lots of fun. Part of me wants to just let her fulfill her motherhood ambitions. But Riley is a Marek's survivor, and I just don't know if letting her be a mom to some foster chicks is a good idea. She had classic symptoms at about 10 weeks old--I found her paralyzed in the coop, thought she was dead till she suddenly jumped up and staggered outside. I got lots of advice here on BYC, fed fermented chick feed with infant vitamins, made sure she was eating and drinking and pooping and that nobody was picking on her, and prepared mentally to have to put her down if it kept getting worse, but to my surprise, she recovered and appears to be completely healthy today. She had been vaccinated, which I think may have made for a milder case or kept it from progressing. But I assume she will always be a carrier?
The feed store where I get chicks does vaccinate. Perhaps Riley was in that small percent who get the disease despite the vaccination. Would vaccinated chicks be in greater danger of contracting it if their mom is a carrier? Any advice/insight appreciated.
