Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[schnebbles]

If I get Hatchery chicks it's going to be ee's. I don't really know anything about Hatchery birds so I don't even know what questions I'd ask. Ee's are supposed to be pretty sweet tho. I'm glad you brought up the mareks point because I hadn't thought of that a day I think you changed my mind about that. I don't want to pose any risk to my birds at all. I love them!

 

[BigECarter]

Murray McMurray sells started pullets - ~18 weeks old, I think. My vaccinated chicks from MM are doing very well. I am thinking about buying a cockerel from them but they only sell RIR cockerels.

 

[seminolewind]

I thought of that too Jennifer - about buying from them. Maybe, on second thought, that is not a good idea. I'm not real concerned about quality chickens - or should I be? like hatchery stock? i'm just wanting a couple more pullets. Not worried if they aren't perfect. if I got hatchery chicks, I could probably raise them in my room.

I wonder if I could bring back a different strain of it and possibly give that strain to my current birds? I would change clothes and everything, but if I got chickens they could pass it on. This is way too hard!

Seminole - was the roo out with your birds before he went elsewhere at 10 weeks?

Eggs from my flock, hatched in an incubator in April, put outside for a few months here, then went to a riding stable. I got a roo back in August. Not vaccinated.

If I get hatchery chicks, I'll probably keep them in the least used room in the house for a few weeks and then put in my healthy bird little coop on my patio.

I got a Marek's roo from someone and I still have him-two years.
I think most people have the common strain. If not , it would get me too freaked out about all the details. There's just too many. I think your chances of birds dying from opportunistic infections from low immunity are greater than the vaccine not protecting against the strain you have. But that's IMO

 

[seminolewind]

Murray McMurray sells started pullets - ~18 weeks old, I think. My vaccinated chicks from MM are doing very well. I am thinking about buying a cockerel from them but they only sell RIR cockerels.

Meyer does too, and their catalog said that all their started pullets have all their vaccinations for everything.

 

[BigECarter]

Meyer does too, and their catalog said that all their started pullets have all their vaccinations for everything.

Thanks! Good to know. Unfortunately, the Meyer vaccine is the turkey one. I have yet to determine if I have a resistant strain or if the breeder mishandled the vaccine.

Just checked their website - started pullets. No cockerels. But a good option for schnebbles. (And just checked MM - the RIR cockerels don't show up on their web page. I saw them in the catalog though.)

 

[schnebbles]

I can't remember which site I saw started pullets but they were like $80 each or something really high! That would be a good option but wow on the $$! If I order from Meyer I could go get them.

 

[Nambroth]

Aren't started pullets beak-clipped? When I researched them most were, but that was a few years ago.

 

[schnebbles]

I did find them at MM - I hadn't seen those. I forget which site was so expensive. Will the beak grow if it's clipped?

 

[Nambroth]

I did find them at MM - I hadn't seen those. I forget which site was so expensive. Will the beak grow if it's clipped?

No-- sadly, it is permanent. It's to prevent them from feather picking (and worse) because they tend to be raised in pretty close quarters.

 

[BigECarter]

I thought I read that the MM pullets did not have clipped beaks.