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

[casportpony]

I also just found a young hen with the drunk walk and using her wing for balance. Like you, not attached to this one, but I will provide supportive care.

-Kathy

 

[schnebbles]

this is soooo depressing. I keep wondering who next? I keep hoping they will be ok, but they aren't 8 months even. My d'uccles are just going into 8 months and my 2 silkies are younger yet.

way to get depressed for the day: come read this thread

I'm sorry you guys and you've been thru way more than me.

 

[casportpony]

I'm fine with it, really, I am (probably not a sign of good mental health, lol).

-Kathy

 

[seminolewind]

this is soooo depressing. I keep wondering who next? I keep hoping they will be ok, but they aren't 8 months even. My d'uccles are just going into 8 months and my 2 silkies are younger yet.

way to get depressed for the day: come read this thread

I'm sorry you guys and you've been thru way more than me.

Every demise , I keep saying to myself that I will go out and be extra nice to the ones I have. But it is depressing.

This is the first time, well maybe not, I had chicks at 6 weeks that did this. But he was fine yesterday. This morning Hubby said his one leg is sticking out front, and his wing is down. When I went back there, he was gasping. So it was better knowing that I was ending his suffering. It just happened so fast.

I think I will just let my #'s dwindle. Then switch to geese.

 

[seminolewind]

this is soooo depressing. I keep wondering who next? I keep hoping they will be ok, but they aren't 8 months even. My d'uccles are just going into 8 months and my 2 silkies are younger yet.

way to get depressed for the day: come read this thread

I'm sorry you guys and you've been thru way more than me.

Schnebbles, I don't think it matters how many times, it all hurts the same.

 

[Nambroth]

Every demise , I keep saying to myself that I will go out and be extra nice to the ones I have. But it is depressing.

This is the first time, well maybe not, I had chicks at 6 weeks that did this. But he was fine yesterday. This morning Hubby said his one leg is sticking out front, and his wing is down. When I went back there, he was gasping. So it was better knowing that I was ending his suffering. It just happened so fast.

I think I will just let my #'s dwindle. Then switch to geese.

Poor guy. When they are at the gasping point it's pretty much assured they are full of tumors. The tumors can grow scary fast-- he didn't suffer. I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[schnebbles]

I think my Penelope had tumors inside affecting her organs vs paralysis. I go catch each of my 5 and give them kisses pretty much daily now. It's so sickening to see them all healthy and know what could happen.

I still haven't vaccinated them. I don't know if I should or not. I have the vaccine. what would you guys do?

sorry about your boy
This thread seriously depresses me when I read it.

 

[Haunted55]

Poor guy. When they are at the gasping point it's pretty much assured they are full of tumors. The tumors can grow scary fast-- he didn't suffer. I'm so sorry for your loss.

One thing I have learned through all I've been through...you have to toughen up a bit, you need to look at it this way...you gave that bird the best you could give. There is nothing else when it hits. I just lost one from my control group #1 a bit ago...she was picked at by one of the others and immediately went into decline with paralysis in one of her legs and she just laid down and waited to die. There was nothing I could do. Even with birds that have shown a marked resistance to the normal progression of this rotten disease, if under extreme stress, they can and will succumb.


I think I may have quoted the wrong posting, but if you've been following along, you'll get it. Sorry, my head still isn't quite there yet. It was Schnebbles and Seminole, but I love you too Nambroth, lol.

 

[schnebbles]

ya, we'll get it! sorry about your girl, that just sucks. I love my chickens so much, finally was able to get a coop and a few and now this. Do you ever just think why? why you? I do!

 

[Haunted55]

ya, we'll get it! sorry about your girl, that just sucks. I love my chickens so much, finally was able to get a coop and a few and now this. Do you ever just think why? why you? I do!

I thought that at first, believe me but after a week or two, that went away and i figured this was one of God's oppurtunities to learn and make right. Sounds crazy, but there ya go. What breaks my heart now is hearing about those, like yourself, that are new to facing it. When you have acceoted the fact you've got it, it's easy to think that you're one of a very few. When you hear about new cases...umph! It hit's you like a ton of bricks because you know what that person is dealing with. I bleed a little inside everytime one of mine passes, but when I hear of a newbie to the disease....that breaks my heart. It truly does. I don't ask why anymore, instead I ask how. How can I help and make this better for them and maybe buy sometime for the poor bird so that their bodies can start to fight this miserable stuff. For my own, the Super B Complex has been a Godsend. Seriously. I have had more birds "recover" with it's use than anything else. That is why you will hear me say to use it. Does it work everytime? No it does not. Sadly, some of our birds just can't fight it off. Marek's is a sneaky disease, that it masks itself from their bodies defences. That is why I am a firm believer in the revaccination or late vaccination of our birds. If you introduce a substance, turkey Marek's in the case of the vaccine, into their bodies, you have a better chance of their immune systems recognizing the silent threat. The turkey Marek's is close enough to the chicken Marek's that the body may go that one step further in hunting down the real problem. Will it work everytime? No it won't. Some birds just don't have the immune system available to fight this thing. With others, it may be the boost their systems need to get the job done. I will say this, anyone who has Merak's in their flock should be thinking seriously about adding Dark Cornish birds for breeding. For some reason, through their genetic make-up, they are the best at fighting off this disease. Introduce their markers into your other birds.....they have a marked chance of not only surviving, but thriving.

McMurray had the Red Cornish offered this year and I purchased some of them. Smaller than the Dark cornish, they are still Cornish and could be used for breeding even with bantams. They are also a very pretty bird and a good egg layer. Not sure how far out they are from the original Cornish, but they are going to be bred here for immunity with my other birds. They will also be used to get me a 'meat' bird that can stay on the 'hoof' longer than the Cornish Rock mix that is the make-up of the 'meat' bird you purchase now.