Moving Forward- Breeding for Resistance to Marek's Disease

[Suzie]

OK..so forgive me everyone...I have been absent from this thread for at least 6 months...I have had some sick chickens and was thinking of euthanasing...I read articles about various treatments for bacterial and fungal infections and tried Oregano oil...after one month...I have found some interesting and positive results...ALL sick chickens are back to normal health...I admit that at times I felt like giving up...it has been hard work practising bio-security and treating the individual birds..

Just a thought to consider...by no means a cure all....BUT it may help in some circumstances...

 

[Purpletie3]

OK..so forgive me everyone...I have been absent from this thread for at least 6 months...I have had some sick chickens and was thinking of euthanasing...I read articles about various treatments for bacterial and fungal infections and tried Oregano oil...after one month...I have found some interesting and positive results...ALL sick chickens are back to normal health...I admit that at times I felt like giving up...it has been hard work practising bio-security and treating the individual birds..

Just a thought to consider...by no means a cure all....BUT it may help in some circumstances...

Hi Suzie. Can you share a little about what was going on in your flock and what your useage of the oregano oil was? I am a firm believer in natural healing and I think the body can heal itself if given the correct nutrition...same with chickens.

 

[Suzie]

Hi Suzie. Can you share a little about what was going on in your flock and what your useage of the oregano oil was? I am a firm believer in natural healing and I think the body can heal itself if given the correct nutrition...same with chickens.

I had various problems...mainly digestive and an overload of fungal/bacterial problems in the mouth of a few...as I did not know if the problem was caused by bacteria or a fungal problem...I did a little research...antibiotics if given can cause a fungal infection to get a lot worse...so by using Wild Organic Oregano Oil it gives a degree of protection in either circumstance...

One particular Silkie was so sick that I was tempted to end her life...I am not one to give in but she was my greatest challenge... I skipped using anything other than the oil...I put it into her drinking water..initially one drop...increasing daily to..two..three..four..within a week she was beginning to act a little feisty..after ten days she was so much better...the mouth was showing significant signs of reduction in the size of whatever was affecting her ...she is now as normal as any of my other chickens...I have used the oil in drinking water for all of my chickens...

You can buy Wild Oregano Oil as either

Essential or Mixed...

Essential is used in a 7 - 1 solution with cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mixed is pre-prepared and only needs to be mixed with their drinking water

I am very impressed with the results...maybe Google the Wild Organic Oregano Oil...that is what I did...

 

[Purpletie3]

I had various problems...mainly digestive and an overload of fungal/bacterial problems in the mouth of a few...as I did not know if the problem was caused by bacteria or a fungal problem...I did a little research...antibiotics if given can cause a fungal infection to get a lot worse...so by using Wild Organic Oregano Oil it gives a degree of protection in either circumstance...

Thank you for taking the time to write that out. Interesting information and I am so happy that your little hen is doing well now! (& the others too)

 

[alibabba]

hey all, been awhile since iv'e been here. Hoping things are progressing well for everyone. I have 4 broody raised chicks that I just did not vaccinate. I will wait to see.

Since the last two with sorta mild Marek's had passed, there was one other cockerel that showed weekness, and then splits after I brought him in.. had him euthanized. ( He was vaccinated, but by hand not in ovo)

I am sort of experimenting here, with these chicks. I assume they will live until they start laying, lay for a week and then become ill. If they don't, whoo hoo. If they do, no harm really...I have to know how bad it is on my property. These are mixed breed chicks, 1/2 Duccle 1/2 Polish.

They were separate as could be for 12 weeks. Will be waiting another 4 months I guess.

Everyone else has survived, including imported older roos.

 

[lalaland]

keeping my fingers crossed for you and the flock.

I brought in 6 pullets a month ago, they are doing fine so far, as are the ones from last fall. In both cases, the pullets were raised by a family in the suburbs who didn't want to overwinter them, so I got them at point of lay. Vacinnation status is unknown, but probable.

This spring will let some broodies sit, and we will see how it goes....

 

[Oakgrove99]

What is the status with your flock now? We thought we had Marek's two years ago and had one of the deceased birds tested and turned out to be Mycoplasma Synoviae which is a bacteria not a virus. We went throught the same thing and emotions with the culling because our flock tested positive and we wanted to be responsible poultry owners and breeders. Just wondering if they did a blood test for the Mareks? We also chose not to vaccinate for Mareks.

 

[lalaland]

Hi Oakgrove,

I had a confirmed diagnosis on mareks in the fall of 2014, lost a couple before and after that were very likely mareks. It takes a lot of different forms both in where it affects the body and how virulent it is. I'm "lucky" because the strain that hit my flock only took the weakest ones, left the majority. Course they are all carriers. Some breeders I know say all chickens are mareks carriers....

That is probably good that yours weren't mareks!

 

[Poop Cleaner]

Hi Oakgrove,

I had a confirmed diagnosis on mareks in the fall of 2014, lost a couple before and after that were very likely mareks. It takes a lot of different forms both in where it affects the body and how virulent it is. I'm "lucky" because the strain that hit my flock only took the weakest ones, left the majority. Course they are all carriers. Some breeders I know say all chickens are mareks carriers....

That is probably good that yours weren't mareks!

Hello,

I am curious about which ones you lost? Would you be willing to share their ages/sexes/breeds? There is a lot of controversial data regarding Marek's, especially around age that the disease hits. Since you had confirmed diagnosis, it would be really helpful to know which ones you lost to it.

Thank you!

 

[ochochicas]

I had a very virulent strain of Mareks hit my flock last year. I lost every single chick (except 1 rooster) that hatched that wasn't vaccinated. Some were broody raised and others were incubator hatched. They started getting sick around 8 weeks old. Some recovered and lived longer, just to die later. A lot of the deaths happened between 14 and 21 weeks (some might have lived longer but I culled them). I had a few birds that lived to 8 months, and one made it to 11 months. I also brought in some Juvenile birds that got sick and I think it was Marek's.

The ones that lived the longest were Australorps. I thought they might be resistant, but they ended up getting sick as adults and died anyway. It was very sad.

I had no choice other than to vaccinated. I've raised several dozen chicks this year and only one had died from Marek's. Well worth the money in my opinion.