Shark snipers Wine dots NEW HATCHES and puppies 1/24/2011 update

[big medicine]

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Did you notice any weight loss before the leg went ? Back before I started vaccinating for Mareks, even after a bird started limping, or worse, they still seemed to have a good appetite, if they could get to the feeder. I wouldn't be too down on yourself, if it is Mareks the stuff is in the wind, not a lot you can do about it except vaccinate. The main reason I started vaccinating for it was, it seemed like the few that did come down with it where always the ones I had my eye on to be next years breeders. When working on a project, the loss of a few critical birds can really upset the whole program. I hope I have not favered birds that are more susceptible by vaccinating.

 

[sonew123]

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Did you notice any weight loss before the leg went ? Back before I started vaccinating for Mareks, even after a bird started limping, or worse, they still seemed to have a good appetite, if they could get to the feeder. I wouldn't be too down on yourself, if it is Mareks the stuff is in the wind, not a lot you can do about it except vaccinate. The main reason I started vaccinating for it was, it seemed like the few that did come down with it where always the ones I had my eye on to be next years breeders. When working on a project, the loss of a few critical birds can really upset the whole program. I hope I have not favered birds that are more susceptible by vaccinating.

Big Meds do you vaccinate all of them? at what age and where do you buy the meds??

 

[big medicine]

When I did my first vaccination I did all my birds. It's doubtfull I did my adult birds any good as they probably had already been exposed, but I had extra vaccine that was going to go to waste so I went ahead and did everybody the first go round. After that I vaccinate all my just hatched chicks. My incubater is in the basement. I built another 3 tier brooder for the basement. As soon as I am sure every body is out this hatch, may be 3 days from first chick to last, I mix up a batch of vaccine, give all of them a shot. I keep them in the basement for14 days after, then move them out to brooder in coop. They say you have to keep them away from the old birds( and their dust) from 10 to 14 days to allow the vaccine time to work. I usually set eggs every 10 days during season.

I got my first batch of vaccine sent to me from a mail order supplier. The cost of the cooler, ice pack, and shipping was more than the vaccine. Since then I take a cooler and buy it at the bigger shows, way cheaper. This is a two part vaccine, a bottle of solution(stored at room temp.) and a little Tums like tablet that you have to keep refrigerated. This is made for the commercial operations and each tablet is for thousands of doses. Once you mix the tablet and the solution you only have a short window, an hour or so, to give the shots. Now what I do is, in as sterile as conditions as I can make it, is split that tablet into quarters. Mix 1/4 tablet and 1/4 soltion, (putting the remaining tablet pieces back in frig) in like a very clean baby food jar, set this in a larger container of ice, and you can take your time shooting chicks without worrying if it's getting too warm. I may do 100 chicks in the same hatch. This way you can get 4 hatches out of one tablet.

There a few places that can mail it to you, Twin Cities is one, if you explain to Victor this is your first time, he will help set you up with the syringes and stuff as well.

 

[sonew123]

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wow great info thank you so much!!! SO what do you think about if I do all the birds-from youngest to oldest-? Will this harm any with age? and if I do them all do I have to keep them seperated from eachother?

 

[big medicine]

It shouldn't hurt anything to vaccinate them all. If they are all together now, no point in seperating them. Just when you hatch off new chicks, keep them seperate for the first 14 days after vaccinating them. Mareks is thought to be spread through the feather dander of exposed birds, so I try to take care of my chicks before I go out to the old birds, to lessen the chance of packing a little dust back to the peeps.

Just checking Twin Cities site, did not realize the do not charge extra to ship. This will save you a chunk of change. Remember to order the syringes, little ones for the actual shots, and I use a large one to draw the solution out of the bottle.
http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies....in_page=product_info&cPath=46&products_id=574

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

The main thing at this point is if it comes back Mareks I will in no way expose other peoples birds. I will sell hatching eggs, that's all. I am so done. I can't believe how much this has fried me. I made it VERY clear to the avian vet that this is the only bird with symptoms in the flock. They called this morning asking some very sketchy questions like how many birds do you have, what are their ages, where are they housed, on and on and on... I said to her "what does this have to do with the necropsy of the bird?" She hesitated "well it's just the questions the lab wants us to ask." I told her lets get a diagnosis then worry about how many I have. I told her there is no poultry near me at all (and there isn't, not for about 5 miles). I am keeping my flock in lockdown, no birds in or out and that's all she needs to know. They were very put out by this. Is it just me? Am I paranoid? If NO other birds show signs and I need a diagnosis for this one, why does the rest of that info matter? I'll come home to a biohazard sticker and no flock

 

[aceschix]

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don't buy trouble...this is hard enough. Just wait and see - it is out of your handsfor now, let the worry go until you know what you are dealing with.

How long did they say on the necropsy and test?

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

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don't buy trouble...this is hard enough. Just wait and see - it is out of your handsfor now, let the worry go until you know what you are dealing with.

How long did they say on the necropsy and test?

Thats just it they wont tell me anything! Not where the bird is going, how much it will cost, nothing... I know nothing and all I get is "You'll have to wait until Dr Plante calls you". Not easy that it's an hour and 1/2 just to the clinic for me to go demand some answers. They talked about Cornell, then some place in Texas and then started to get really interested in my flock. It's all a little to bizarre for my taste.

 

[big medicine]

Maybe 25 years ago I had a serious respiratory thing go through my flock of light brahmas. I did everything I knew to do for it at the time, and was still losing birds. I made arrangements to take a fresh dead, and a live sick bird to the state ag. lab. They necropcied the birds right there as I watched, was diagnosed as LARYNGOTRACHEITIS. ( I had recently added a nice SQ hen to the flock.) They put my flock under quarantine, sent a inspector out a couple times to check the birds and that was about it, best as I can remember. Keep in mind this was long before the avian influenza scare and all that, but it ended up not that big a deal, other than losing quite a few birds.

 

[sonew123]

sheesh lovings that would put a litte scare under my britches? I mean why would they want to know all thsie wuestions unless there's something seriosly found?? I mean maybe they are just doing a study? Getting all info and asking all questions across the board for everyone who brings in birds for necropsies-like a stats study??