The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Dustystrail]

OMG! I dropped an egg on accident! They have about 3 days left to hatch so I covered the eggs cracks with wax. Let's see if it makes it. I will let them get back to temperature and candle it to see if it's still moving. Any ideas guys?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

OMG! I dropped an egg on accident! They have about 3 days left to hatch so I covered the eggs cracks with wax. Let's see if it makes it. I will let them get back to temperature and candle it to see if it's still moving. Any ideas guys?

Maybe watch it once pipping starts to make sure it can get out.

I dropped an egg I wanted to set today. Not nearly as bad but what a much bigger mess on my basement floor.

 

[ellymayRans]

mareks is a herpes type virus so the best thing to do is try to keep them as healthy as possible.

The initial infection is usually symptom free. It is not the big killer unless you have an un healthy or not mareks resistant flock. I have never had a sick chicken from thie initial infection but I have had a Hatchery hen die of Mareks cancer.

Just like in humans, the herpes virus will become a reproductive cancer later. With hens, that is usually after two years old. Mareks cancer is the big killer with mareks.

Use a pro biotic and make sure the flock is healthy. A percentage of your hens will die after two years old from mareks cancer with or without the vaccine.

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I'm not sure where all the information for Marek's that everyone is pulling from but it all seems for the most part inaccurate.

I'll get a link posted with the best points in regards to the disease and vaccinating.

After getting my original flock of 6 years ago and choosing the vaccine as it was offered and only $1 I thought why not..

Now I vaccinate as many as I can at hatch because of everything I read about it. Granted not all of mine are vaccinated but what a scary disease.

If your flock are carriers you're likely to not figure it out until you introduce young chicks that are not vaccinated. Once birds are beyond approximately 6 mos. and exposed after that age they are more likely to live symptom free. Chicks exposed at a younger age will likely expire or show symptoms before or at the Point of laying age.

If you've had a bird die from the disease then your flock has it and are carriers.

The vaccine will not prevent them from getting the disease or being a carrier but will allow them to be free of the tumors which is what kills them.

The likelihood that the disease is already in an existing flock are pretty high due to it being carried by wild birds..etc.. it's always a personal preference to vaccinate or not. I just choose to since my original were and I am always hatching babies and I don't want to spend all of that time & $ raising them for them to just die.

I'll go look for a good link with the details on the disease.

I don't fully understand how you would successfully breed towards resistance because I would expect once it's there just because a bird may not die from it, are they not still carriers therefore you selling your birds then exposes a different flock that isn't "resistant". That I haven't read up on or know what kind of documented examples..how they are tested/proven. ??

 

[ellymayRans]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

Here's a link. ..to "keep it in the family" a fellow BYCer spent a lot of time putting this together.

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

I should have bantams starting Sat and lf Mon I think.... Better double check again =)

 

[Razadia]

Quote:

My information is pretty correct. Seeing as how I get my information from reputable sources. As it's released to the public. The vac really does do more harm than good. I'll see if I can find where I got my info.

This one talks a bit about breeding for resistance. http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
And this one. http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/neoplasms/mareks_disease_in_poultry.html?qt=Marek's&alt=sh

I can't seem to find where I read about the vac being pointless.

 

[Mama Bay]

At what age can chicks drink from a nipple waterer? I'd like to make the chicks a small version of what I have for my big chickens....

 

[ellymayRans]

At what age can chicks drink from a nipple waterer? I'd like to make the chicks a small version of what I have for my big chickens....

They have the day Olds at our local feed store using them..

 

[Mama Bay]

They have the day Olds at our local feed store using them..

Oh wow, smart little fluffy butts! My chickens took a while to get a hang of it lol.

 

[bantambury]

today was full of mixed emotions. i went to tsc and got 6 bantys, im thinking 4 phoenix, 1 frizzle cochin and an unknown. i went to check the chickens after and found one of my favorite boys dead in the coop. i just hatched him in december and im so upset. he was gorgeous. im thinking maybe he starved..i never saw him in the coop really, or he froze last night trying to get into the coop. im just so heartbroken. at least i have 6 more eggs of his type due to hatch on easter.

i just moved him to the coop he was in last week, and his dad wouldnt stop mounting him. when i found him was was cold, but limp, and he had no blood.

RIP my sweet little monty