I have an Easter Egger, Easter Miracle, I've posted about on here before about. She came down with something like Mereks when she was 2-3 months old, paralyzed legs etc. and by some miracle over 4 months I nursed her back to health. Today she is still separated from the flock, but is laying eggs every day and acting normal in every way. I started with a flock of 7 and after going through all that with my Egger lost a Cochin that I wasn't able to save (try as I might) to something again that seemed like Mereks (paralyzed legs). This Cochin and another Cochin in my flock were the only 2 not vaccinated for Mereks. Now I'm down to 1 rooster and 4 hens (all about a year old now), which isn't enough hens for Roo so I recently purchased three 6 month old hens that have been in quarantine waiting to be introduced to the other 5. So far they are healthy and doing good.
What I'm wondering is, if I was ever going to reintroduce Egger to the flock, the perfect time would be when I introduce the 3 new younger pullets to the flock. But I'm just so uncertain it would be a good idea. If she is susceptible to Mereks I've heard it can lay dormant and come back at the first sign of stress. Obviously introducing her to a flock after being alone now for so long would be a stress. Also I worry my other chickens could be exposed all over again and get Mereks - but since Egger was around the other 5 when she first got sick, wouldn't they have already been exposed? Would exposing them to a chicken who healed from a bad bout of Merek's reintroduce a more virulent strain of it? I do realize the new pullets would probably be the ones to be most concerned about because of their age (even though they were vaccinated too). Although Egger is kept separate and we try not to allow feathers to go from one coop to the other, and try to wear different shoes walking from one coop to the other, we aren't super obsessive about it, so if like some say it can spread across 10 acres just through dander that carries on the wind... then they've all been exposed.
Soo... try to reintroduce Egger or not? She seems anxious 24/7 in her small little coop all by herself like she wants out, or wants a friend. I know the ideal thing would be to make a bigger area for her and just get her a friend.. but it's so inconvenient having two separate flocks. Just curious what some of you would do!
Paula
What I'm wondering is, if I was ever going to reintroduce Egger to the flock, the perfect time would be when I introduce the 3 new younger pullets to the flock. But I'm just so uncertain it would be a good idea. If she is susceptible to Mereks I've heard it can lay dormant and come back at the first sign of stress. Obviously introducing her to a flock after being alone now for so long would be a stress. Also I worry my other chickens could be exposed all over again and get Mereks - but since Egger was around the other 5 when she first got sick, wouldn't they have already been exposed? Would exposing them to a chicken who healed from a bad bout of Merek's reintroduce a more virulent strain of it? I do realize the new pullets would probably be the ones to be most concerned about because of their age (even though they were vaccinated too). Although Egger is kept separate and we try not to allow feathers to go from one coop to the other, and try to wear different shoes walking from one coop to the other, we aren't super obsessive about it, so if like some say it can spread across 10 acres just through dander that carries on the wind... then they've all been exposed.
Soo... try to reintroduce Egger or not? She seems anxious 24/7 in her small little coop all by herself like she wants out, or wants a friend. I know the ideal thing would be to make a bigger area for her and just get her a friend.. but it's so inconvenient having two separate flocks. Just curious what some of you would do!
Paula
