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

[saltandpepper2]

The last time I shipped something to someone in CA it took several days.

-Kathy

I'm used to shipping from places like Amazon and it being shipped within the day. No worries though, I got notified that it's getting processed today

.

 

[punk00]

I'm so sorry she died. It sounded so bad, and like you said her chances were slim. I could see how a chicken in respiratory distress couldn't tolerate a warm bath. I'm sure it would make it more difficult to breathe. Again, so sorry she's gone - you tried everything!

 

[ochochicas]

Today I weighed a handful of my chicks. In the process I found out my broody hen can and will draw blood. LOL She freaked out at the BOX I was putting her chicks in and attacked it. It was not a pretty sight

My brooder raised chicks are 23 days old. I weighed the smallest of my Easter eggers. They were between 217 and 239 grams.

My broody raised chicks are 21 days old and hatched from pullet eggs that were smaller than the other eggs hatched. I was only able to bring 3 chicks into the house. They weighed 116 - 137 grams.

Other than being 2 days younger, both groups of chicks have been fed the same diet and also were vaccinated for Marek's at the same time. The chicks in the house have a more constant temperature. The outside chicks are in a carrier with the hen at night and then are in a chicken tractor with grass, dirt, bugs and stuff for 12 - 16 hours per day. The broody hen often knocks over the water or food, but they have food available at all times.

I'm not sure how to explain why the broody chicks are slower to grow. I've kept them separated from the rest of the flock. There is a possibility that the hen is a Marek's carrier, but I don't believe she is. The chicks are from Marek's resistant hens.

 

[lalaland]

perhaps the broody raised chicks are less prone to nervous pecking? It is such an instinctive behavior. THe ones in the brooder don't snuggle up and relax under/in the hens feathers - they seem to run until the fall over asleep. So am wondering if the brooder chicks spend more time eating because they are pecking? And the broody hen is a slower more relaxed way of raising chicks? so less eating?

just theorizing.

 

[Nambroth]

Just remember that slower growth does not necessarily mean more poorly. I read some research about poultry growth in general indicating that growing too quickly/maturing too rapidly in artificial conditions with constant, easy food supply was slightly more likely to cause some long-term problems than a more natural, but slower, growth outdoors with a hen. The birds outside might also have access to food all the time but they still do a lot more moving around and foraging behaviors despite this. This was likely a study done with meat birds of course (in the industry) but there could be a seed of truth for our birds too. I would link it but I am on my phone right now... will try to remember to look it up later.

 

[seminolewind]

I had one cockerel who had stunted growth from coccidiosis. He was way behind until about 6 months old and then he became the largest rooster I had. Sadly, a year later, he got ocular marek's , wasted, and died. I guess stuff like that just adds to the unknown , or my favorite way of putting it, does not play by the rules.

 

[punk00]

I was told by the guy I got 7 pullets that they had the same hatch date. One turned out to be a roo, and one hen is laying (when he said all would be laying in 4 weeks). All of the others are not laying, and developing at a slower rate. I decided that this was definitely OK and natural. The hormones and breeding done for quick growth is not good. I'm happy for them to develop at their own rate. I want them healthy, happy, and safe. I can wait for more eggs. I've got time. I can't believe the growth of the roo-he is getting big so fast.

 

[alibabba]

So. I have some chicks about to (fingers crossed) broody hatch. "Cause I like to torture myself?" I am going to vaccinate the whole flock of 8(I understand this is probably a waste of my time, but hey, I have 1000 doses) and the babies at the same time. Babies and broody moms will be moved into their own pens in a less used area. Curious about in ovo vaccination...

And I have a couple adults coming also over the next couple weeks that I want to vaccinate when they get here during quarantine... And some 4 week olds that were already vaccinated.

I am ordering the vaccine today. I read that some people split the "wafer" and have no troubles. I hate to buy 3 bottles to use one a week, three weeks apart...and throw it all away....


**Anyone who Marek's vaccinates and splits it, if you want to pm me and let me know how it has worked out or not for you? You don't have to "out" yourself here


- I could advertise and do a drive through vaccination ...bring your own needles. first 983 in line....

How do hatcheries vaccinate that fast anyway? ice bath or not... 3600 seconds in an hour, that's 3.6 seconds per chick?

Oh I got it....multiple vaccinators.




Edited to make this make more sense...and fix my math!

 

[seminolewind]

Many vacccinate the egg.

 

[alibabba]

Today I weighed a handful of my chicks. In the process I found out my broody hen can and will draw blood. LOL She freaked out at the BOX I was putting her chicks in and attacked it. It was not a pretty sight

My brooder raised chicks are 23 days old. I weighed the smallest of my Easter eggers. They were between 217 and 239 grams.

My broody raised chicks are 21 days old and hatched from pullet eggs that were smaller than the other eggs hatched. I was only able to bring 3 chicks into the house. They weighed 116 - 137 grams.

Other than being 2 days younger, both groups of chicks have been fed the same diet and also were vaccinated for Marek's at the same time. The chicks in the house have a more constant temperature. The outside chicks are in a carrier with the hen at night and then are in a chicken tractor with grass, dirt, bugs and stuff for 12 - 16 hours per day. The broody hen often knocks over the water or food, but they have food available at all times.

I'm not sure how to explain why the broody chicks are slower to grow. I've kept them separated from the rest of the flock. There is a possibility that the hen is a Marek's carrier, but I don't believe she is. The chicks are from Marek's resistant hens.

I had a batch of chicks under the mama heat pad, in the house for a couple weeks(to not challenge them with Marek's, then out on grass. They feathered perfectly and quickly ('cept one little weirdo rooster) none of the missing baldy patches I have seen on brooder chicks. They were all robustly healthy and bright too.

IMHO, spending energy growing feathers, but eating a more varied diet will make a difference in the long run. I still have 3 so I will see what happens... The Cochin is huge, The Australorp is looking fabulous, and the little leghorn is the only one that was always little, and she got "broken" by a fox"... is fit and well now!

And I have bad bad Marek's. These were shipped vaccinated chicks)

Point...I think all will be well, if not even better with the outside chickies. Especially outside where they can build a strong immune system overall.