After two years of relatively problem-free chicken keeping, we have our first serious development.
We have two flocks, one older heritage big breed flock of 6 layers, and a newer flock of 14 pullets and 2 roos that are 18-20 weeks of age now, all treated at hatching with Marek's vaccine. We obtained all the new flock as 6-8 wk old pullets from a NPIP certified breeder with good reviews, and have been very satisfied with the quality of the birds. We have the new flock in quarantine in a separate coop and enclosed, roofed, locking run adjacent to the older flock so they can see each other in prep for an eventual mixing of the flocks. We practice reasonable biosecurity: footbath using Spectrasol at the gate where we keep our chicken yard-only boots, we change clothes on our twice-weekly coop cleaning days, we pooper scoop the waste and feathers out of the run and yard daily and have a dust bath with fine sand, wood ash and DE in each run. We do mite and lice checks every few days and follow all the best practices for diet we have gleaned from BYC and a few other sources. We offer fresh water sources with garlic or ACV, have a base diet offering of appropriate crumbles for the layers and younger birds. We don't fully free range, but have a 4000 sq ft "yard" surrounding the coops and runs with an electric poultry mesh boundary to keep predators out. Honestly, we are chicken obsessed, and do more than any of our chicken-keeping neighbors and friends. One thing we can't control outside of the coop and run is interaction with wild birds. We live in a virtual wildlife haven with wild turkeys and I've documented 141 species of wild birds over the years on the premises. The current problem is in the new flock and affecting some of the pullets, which are a mix of Sussex, Orpingtons, Ameraucanas, Welsummers, Olive Eggers and Marans.
All the chickens, new and old, were given a Marek's vaccine at hatching. Three weeks ago a Black Orpington pullet started acting listless, and gradually lost interest in food and water and ultimately went blind and died. We had set up a "sick bay" quarantine about 100 yards away from the other chickens to treat her. We treated her when the symptoms started with Safeguard (fenbendazole) dewormer according to a dosing schedule we found on this site. Her poops never showed any classic signs of worms or cocci. In the meantime we started looking for a vet who would do a fecal float and/or necropsy, which as many of you have found out, is not easy. We finally found someone two hours away, but by that time the girl had died. A post death inspection showed no sign of external parasites or impacted crop. Ten days ago one of the Olive Eggers started showing similar symptoms, was moved to quarantine, stopped eating and drinking and probably won't see tomorrow. She had the benefit of a full deworming schedule. None of these girls have shown any respiratory distress, nasal discharge, swelling around the eyes or abnormal runny, mucousy, discolored poops. A fecal float of the Olive Egger did not indicate a worm problem or cocci. The current theory is that we may be dealing with Marek's that is picking off some of the weaker or more succeptible pullets. I am aware that the vaccine only hopes to build some resistance to Marek's but is by no means guaranteed prevention. I am also assuming given the widespread and airborne nature of Marek's, and with all the wild birds and other chickens in the region, that we likely have exposure to Marek's. The vet suggested that a blood test would likely reveal Marek's since they had been vaccinated, so we decided to forgoe that expense since we really couldn't do much about it. I'm going to have this Olive Egger necropsied to try and get an answer so we can take additional steps at prevention/cure. The necropsy may show more definitive evidence of Marek's, worms, deficiencies etc.
I'm suspicious today of a third pullet now, a Welsummer, that did not join the feeding fray at treat time, and she had never missed a meal. Not sure at this point what else to do outside of the quarantine to minimize exposure to the rest of the flock, and wait for necropsy results. Sorry for windy intro, but maybe the background helps the brainstorming. We aren't panicked, but want to learn all we can and do all we can for our flock. BYC has been an incredible well of information to us. Thanks for any input.
We have two flocks, one older heritage big breed flock of 6 layers, and a newer flock of 14 pullets and 2 roos that are 18-20 weeks of age now, all treated at hatching with Marek's vaccine. We obtained all the new flock as 6-8 wk old pullets from a NPIP certified breeder with good reviews, and have been very satisfied with the quality of the birds. We have the new flock in quarantine in a separate coop and enclosed, roofed, locking run adjacent to the older flock so they can see each other in prep for an eventual mixing of the flocks. We practice reasonable biosecurity: footbath using Spectrasol at the gate where we keep our chicken yard-only boots, we change clothes on our twice-weekly coop cleaning days, we pooper scoop the waste and feathers out of the run and yard daily and have a dust bath with fine sand, wood ash and DE in each run. We do mite and lice checks every few days and follow all the best practices for diet we have gleaned from BYC and a few other sources. We offer fresh water sources with garlic or ACV, have a base diet offering of appropriate crumbles for the layers and younger birds. We don't fully free range, but have a 4000 sq ft "yard" surrounding the coops and runs with an electric poultry mesh boundary to keep predators out. Honestly, we are chicken obsessed, and do more than any of our chicken-keeping neighbors and friends. One thing we can't control outside of the coop and run is interaction with wild birds. We live in a virtual wildlife haven with wild turkeys and I've documented 141 species of wild birds over the years on the premises. The current problem is in the new flock and affecting some of the pullets, which are a mix of Sussex, Orpingtons, Ameraucanas, Welsummers, Olive Eggers and Marans.
All the chickens, new and old, were given a Marek's vaccine at hatching. Three weeks ago a Black Orpington pullet started acting listless, and gradually lost interest in food and water and ultimately went blind and died. We had set up a "sick bay" quarantine about 100 yards away from the other chickens to treat her. We treated her when the symptoms started with Safeguard (fenbendazole) dewormer according to a dosing schedule we found on this site. Her poops never showed any classic signs of worms or cocci. In the meantime we started looking for a vet who would do a fecal float and/or necropsy, which as many of you have found out, is not easy. We finally found someone two hours away, but by that time the girl had died. A post death inspection showed no sign of external parasites or impacted crop. Ten days ago one of the Olive Eggers started showing similar symptoms, was moved to quarantine, stopped eating and drinking and probably won't see tomorrow. She had the benefit of a full deworming schedule. None of these girls have shown any respiratory distress, nasal discharge, swelling around the eyes or abnormal runny, mucousy, discolored poops. A fecal float of the Olive Egger did not indicate a worm problem or cocci. The current theory is that we may be dealing with Marek's that is picking off some of the weaker or more succeptible pullets. I am aware that the vaccine only hopes to build some resistance to Marek's but is by no means guaranteed prevention. I am also assuming given the widespread and airborne nature of Marek's, and with all the wild birds and other chickens in the region, that we likely have exposure to Marek's. The vet suggested that a blood test would likely reveal Marek's since they had been vaccinated, so we decided to forgoe that expense since we really couldn't do much about it. I'm going to have this Olive Egger necropsied to try and get an answer so we can take additional steps at prevention/cure. The necropsy may show more definitive evidence of Marek's, worms, deficiencies etc.
I'm suspicious today of a third pullet now, a Welsummer, that did not join the feeding fray at treat time, and she had never missed a meal. Not sure at this point what else to do outside of the quarantine to minimize exposure to the rest of the flock, and wait for necropsy results. Sorry for windy intro, but maybe the background helps the brainstorming. We aren't panicked, but want to learn all we can and do all we can for our flock. BYC has been an incredible well of information to us. Thanks for any input.
