Moving Forward- Breeding for Resistance to Marek's Disease

[SweetandSavory]

We started with 25 of varying ages starting at 6 months, youngest are about 4 months. We're down to 16, atleast 6 of them died due to Mareks not sure about the others but in hindsight very likely with the exception of 2 twisted beak babies that were severely twisted.
I have 1 that it's probably a matter of days before we'll need to put her down then 3 more that I believe maybe starting with issues. If I'm right that would be the oldest 8 and part of the next group of 6 (age wise)

It really just sucks. I'm trying to decide what is the best thing to do from here.

 

[ochochicas]

We started with 25 of varying ages starting at 6 months, youngest are about 4 months. We're down to 16, atleast 6 of them died due to Mareks not sure about the others but in hindsight very likely with the exception of 2 twisted beak babies that were severely twisted.
I have 1 that it's probably a matter of days before we'll need to put her down then 3 more that I believe maybe starting with issues. If I'm right that would be the oldest 8 and part of the next group of 6 (age wise)

It really just sucks. I'm trying to decide what is the best thing to do from here.

Sorry to hear about your birds. I was in the same boat as you about a year ago. I lost nearly all my chicks from the hatched I did in 2014. I had one hen that lived to be 11 months old, but the rest died around 5 - 6 months of age. The Marek's I have is also a very bad strain.

A year ago I started vaccinating all my chicks. Since then I have only lost one to Marek's. After vaccination I keep them separate from the flock so they have a chance to build antibodies to the virus. After 3 - 6 weeks they start their exposure to the flock. I've even put vaccinated chicks with a broody hen and they all survived. They are laying now and seem to be totally healthy.

I would just let them try to fight it out. If they start to get sick, cull as needed. Some of them might not get it; some breeds are more resistant than others. If you want to get more chicks, have them vaccinated and then set up a brooder away from the area that the other birds have been in. Some people will keep them in the garage or in a laundry room. There is hope for the future, unfortunately the sick ones don't make having chickens very pleasant at the moment.

 

[IACraig]

I thought about posting this in a seperate thread, but I suspect Maerk's and thought I would post it where Maerk's experts are. I hope I can be short but comprehensive.

I have had chickens about 6 years. Initially I had coyote problems which were hard to figure out. The beast would take 1 a day every day. I compensated by getting adult birds off CraigsList. Eventually put up better fencing and continued free ranging.

Then I wanted a flock of pure breed Iowa Blues. I got rid of all my stock and started over with 26 chicks in April. They were fine until about 10 weeks, then started having trouble. It would take the smaller ones, mostly hens. I had one diagnosed at Iowa State, coccidosis.

Hatched out about 10 in August from different Iowa Blue breeder. Started showing signs of Marek's at about 6 weeks. Sometimes one leg would go, sometimes both would become week at the same time. I euthanized as needed. The last one was a rooster that made it until January, they all died.

A hatch of 2 roosters in Oct. 31 from another stock so far seems healthy.

I believe its Marek's. I plan to vaccinate. I believe Marek's shows itself differently in different gene pools. I would like to hear other opinions. Thank you.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

Sorry to hear about your losses to predators and illness/disease.

As regards your theory, I have a gut feeling that some breeds are more susceptible to Marek's than others and I'm now a firm believer in hybrid vigour, so I have a farmyard full of crossbreeds. I'm not sure that Marek's manifests itself with certain symptoms in certain breeds, if that's what you are suggesting. I think there may be several strains of Marek's that exhibit different symptoms, but because it affects the immune system, some die from other ailments like coccidiosis, that they might normally have immunity to, so the myriad of symptoms associated with Marek's may be down to environmental factors as much as strain of virus..

I also think that broody reared chicks are more robust and have stronger immune systems than incubator hatched and brooder reared ones. My chicks are all broody reared within my Marek's infected flock. They free range every day and all are farmyard mutts and I am now having much less problems with Marek's than I did when it first hit. I haven't lost any of last summer's 28 chicks to it (yet), although one had a dropped wing a few months ago and has stunted growth, but she's doing OK and the wing has recovered... I don't cull or isolate unless quality of life dictates it's necessary and I don't vaccinate.

That's my experience, but it may just be that I just have a mild strain of Marek's.

Good luck with finding a solution that works for you.

Regards

Barbara

 

[ochochicas]

I thought about posting this in a seperate thread, but I suspect Maerk's and thought I would post it where Maerk's experts are. I hope I can be short but comprehensive.

I have had chickens about 6 years. Initially I had coyote problems which were hard to figure out. The beast would take 1 a day every day. I compensated by getting adult birds off CraigsList. Eventually put up better fencing and continued free ranging.

Then I wanted a flock of pure breed Iowa Blues. I got rid of all my stock and started over with 26 chicks in April. They were fine until about 10 weeks, then started having trouble. It would take the smaller ones, mostly hens. I had one diagnosed at Iowa State, coccidosis.

Hatched out about 10 in August from different Iowa Blue breeder. Started showing signs of Marek's at about 6 weeks. Sometimes one leg would go, sometimes both would become week at the same time. I euthanized as needed. The last one was a rooster that made it until January, they all died.

A hatch of 2 roosters in Oct. 31 from another stock so far seems healthy.

I believe its Marek's. I plan to vaccinate. I believe Marek's shows itself differently in different gene pools. I would like to hear other opinions. Thank you.

Sorry to hear about your chicks. I definitely think you got Marek's infected chicks back in April, or your chicks somehow became infected right after you got them. Now that Marek's is on your property, any chicks you get should be vaccinated at hatch, or you can just buy older birds that are (hopefully) already immune to it. I also do agree that some breeds are more resistant to Marek's. That said, I lost dozens of birds last year and some were purebred while others were mixed. The Australorps I had seemed to do the best, but none of them made it to a year old. I also believe the length of exposure has something to do with the chicks getting sick. In August when the weather is dryer, there is going to be more dander floating around for the chicks to breathe in. In October the weather can work with you and keep dander spread to a minimum. I hope your younger birds survive. My roosters tend to get sick when they are a bit older, but once they show signs they are gone within a day or two. The hens get sick when younger but hang on for some time. Some have even recovered just to relapse and die a couple of months later.

 

[IACraig]

Sorry to hear about your chicks. I definitely think you got Marek's infected chicks back in April, or your chicks somehow became infected right after you got them.

I am 100% sure about the breeder I got the chicks from. I dont think the chicks were infected until they got to my property.

The thing I dont understand is feed store chicks, chicks under a broody, adult birds no problems. Then wham, just confusing. The way different lines of the same breed show different symptoms.

 

[chickengr]

I am 100% sure about the breeder I got the chicks from. I dont think the chicks were infected until they got to my property.

The thing I dont understand is feed store chicks, chicks under a broody, adult birds no problems. Then wham, just confusing. The way different lines of the same breed show different symptoms.

that is holly nature, lol. like 500 people in the cinema, 1 comes with a virus, 400 catch it, some cases mild some severe and 100 people don't catch a virus at all. the same thing with the chickens.

 

[Poop Cleaner]

Feed store chicks are most likely vaccinnated. Mareks has a much lower chance to affect adult birds, meaning birds after 20 weeks.

Chicks under a broody may be confusing. It may have something to do with having grown up in the presence of Mareks at a very young age as it sounds like you have the virus in your environment.

Mareks vaccibe is only effective if administered in the first day or so of life due to immune development so there may be an element of chicks born into the environment acquiring immunity through exposure.

 

[chooks4life]

I thought about posting this in a seperate thread, but I suspect Maerk's and thought I would post it where Maerk's experts are. I hope I can be short but comprehensive.

I have had chickens about 6 years. Initially I had coyote problems which were hard to figure out. The beast would take 1 a day every day. I compensated by getting adult birds off CraigsList. Eventually put up better fencing and continued free ranging.

Then I wanted a flock of pure breed Iowa Blues. I got rid of all my stock and started over with 26 chicks in April. They were fine until about 10 weeks, then started having trouble. It would take the smaller ones, mostly hens. I had one diagnosed at Iowa State, coccidosis.

That's a little bit unusual. I have no experience with Iowa Blues but had read they're hardy birds.

What circumstances are you keeping them under? Have you used calcium carbonate lime on your soil recently? It appears to help control a surprising amount of pathogens.

It's possible the coccidiosis was a secondary symptom, due to immune suppression caused by something else.

Hatched out about 10 in August from different Iowa Blue breeder. Started showing signs of Marek's at about 6 weeks. Sometimes one leg would go, sometimes both would become week at the same time. I euthanized as needed. The last one was a rooster that made it until January, they all died.

It's possible it was a nutritional deficiency or another virus responsible. Mycoplasma synoviae, as mentioned before, is a possibility. A lot of the time respiratory disease shows no respiratory signs.

A couple of things can mimic Marek's symptoms including nutritional deficiencies. If you can, getting a proper test done would eliminate the guessing game. Nutritional deficiencies can occur despite the diet being more than adequate, it's not as simple as nutrition in = nourished bird, guaranteed, unfortunately.

I am beginning to think perhaps there is something present on your property which is damaging their immune systems till they're easy game. You're having an unusually bad run of luck there. Still, maybe your bad luck is just running into weak stock.

A hatch of 2 roosters in Oct. 31 from another stock so far seems healthy.

I believe its Marek's. I plan to vaccinate. I believe Marek's shows itself differently in different gene pools. I would like to hear other opinions. Thank you.

I've read some research that does indicate Marek's can develop different symptoms in different individuals. Immunosuppression is on symptom there is research to confirm. Different strains of Marek's cause different symptoms too and you can have multiple strains at the same time.

Best wishes.

 

[ochochicas]

QUOTE
"Mareks vaccibe is only effective if administered in the first day or so of life due to immune development so there may be an element of chicks born into the environment acquiring immunity through exposure."

This is not entirely true. The vaccine should be given as early as possible so the chicks have a chance to develop immunity before they are exposed to the virus. The earlier the vaccine is given, the sooner they can safely be exposed to the virus. If you vaccinate them at 4 weeks but they were already exposed to Marek's at 3 weeks, then it is too late. I have vaccinated older chicks and kept them isolated from the other birds. They survived. I have raised unvaccinated chick with a broody hen and they all eventually died from Marek's.