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I don't think anyone here on BYC, and not on this thread in particular, comes anywhere close to achieving a wait and see approach where Marek's and their chickens are concerned. I also don't recall anyone saying, or even implying, that those of us with Marek's in our flocks are just sitting back on our laurels, resting and waiting to see what all of the mucky-muck yo's-yo's over on Agricultural Hill will be doing next to help us out of our dire situation(s). On the contrary, I feel that the mere existence of this site, more specifically, this thread, indicates an overwhelming commitment to the health and well being of our backyard flocks. I can think of no other forum (outside of a university or some such similar institution) where so many voices can be so easily accessed and more importantly, readily heard. All one has to do is log on and start reading to understand the lengths and depths that a lot of us will go to in order to save even just one more of our beloved pet chickens. Perhaps it is different in your country, but here in the United States, us regular folks, well...we have a tendency to give our pets names. Names like LuLu Littlebutt and Roaring Rodney Roostertoes. Names that may or may not, mean anything in particular to us or our pets, but what the names do is they seem to make the pet a little less animal and a little more human. (or perhaps it's really the other way around ???). However it's achieved is unimportant. It's the final product that I feel you and I would constantly be disagreeing on because I choose to 'humanize' my research animals (my pets) and you, who might give them names like red hen number 21, do not. So in closing let me assure you that I, for one, do not expect, nor will I ever expect, somebody else to come along and solve any of my problems for me (including my chicken ones), nor do I think that is what the rest of the BYCer's are on this site for. They (We) are all here to share our knowledge about a situation that is at times exhilarating and at other times exceptionally frustrating, heart breaking and sad. As has already been said, most of us here are regular lay people, not acclaimed scientists or published professors.Not even mild mannered moderators, such as yourself. My acclaim to science fame was winning first place in the science fair at my school in the 7th grade (I made a model of an atom, with neutrons circling it and everything) and I don't consider 3 copies of How I Spent My Summer Vacation as being 'published'. On the other hand, I do consider myself fluent in at least 5 different languages...all of them English (those of you with varied aged children will know what I mean...lol !!!) So if you've nothing further to add in the way of constructive helpfulness to this thread, might I implore you to look within yourself and the pages upon pages of other enchanting threads within BYC to figure out just what it is that you want out of our meeting like this.
-kim-
