The Old Folks Home

[Wickedchicken6]

@microchick I am sorry about the ongoing fight with mareks

X 2. That just sucks.

 

[microchick]

Yup, sure does. My Wellys have been my healthiest standard sized birds so far. This girl was about 2 1/2 years old. Thank you for the kind words. I've come to the decision that as soon as they start showing signs of terminal decline I won't let them suffer. There isn't any beating this disease when it hits and no matter what I do, the end will be the same and I will just be prolonging the inevitable while the poor chicken lingers on suffering.

I love my flock. I can't do that to them.

 

[BantyChooks]

Yup, sure does. My Wellys have been my healthiest standard sized birds so far. This girl was about 2 1/2 years old. Thank you for the kind words. I've come to the decision that as soon as they start showing signs of terminal decline I won't let them suffer. There isn't any beating this disease when it hits and no matter what I do, the end will be the same and I will just be prolonging the inevitable while the poor chicken lingers on suffering.

I love my flock. I can't do that to them.

I'm so sorry. You're having a real time of it.

 

[pertnear09]

penny, I've gotten used to things like that. Dh is really a good man, and book learning smart, but lived a very sheltered life, so his practical experience is limited. Like deb, I had a dad that was knowledgeable in many areas, and passed as much of that knowledge on to me, as he could. While plenty of it came from book learning, more of it came from practical experience. Sometimes it can intimidate a man, when a woman is as smart, or smarter in an area, than he is.

I can't say that it intimidates me but it does embarrass me. But I don't mind congratulating her on her knowledge and learn from it

 

[microchick]

I'm so sorry. You're having a real time of it.

Thank you Banty. I keep hoping things have peaked and will settle down so I can get some idea of who is going to come out of the whole ordeal resistent enough that I can use them for breeding next spring when my standards are 3 years old.

DH is encouraging me to go ahead with my plan to buy Egyptian Fayoumi's next spring and start cross breeding for resistence or just breed Fayoumi's So looks like I will be ordering them from Murray Mc's next spring. Right now I have 6 birds showing signs of the disease. 4 standard sized roosters (all I have left) and 2 hens. The little girl I lost today showed no symptoms. Just rapid decline.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

It's very frustrating and disheartening to hear you going through this micro. It's so hard on the heart.

The older house cat we took in started to fail last week. She wasn't showing up for meals. It appears her system is shutting down and she just wasn't eating. She's 15 or 16 now and we discussed taking her to the vet. But we think that's just trying to prolong things and not fair to her.

We've bought different products to entice her to eat...but all she wants is water. I have her in here in the kennel I had for the chicks, I have a nice soft bed for her trying to make her comfortable. I'm the one who usually calls it for the animals but I don't see the point where I should call it. She sleeps 99.9% of the time. I can't say she's not suffering...but I can't see where she's hurting or uncomfortable either. She purrs when she's awake and I spend a bit of time with her. Usually it's clear cut. This time it's not and it's heartbreaking.

So it's awful to know that you have dealt with this multiple times with your birds.
My heart goes out to you and to all those dealing with this.

I ended up chatting with the folks up the road. I was incorrect. Apparently they don't have Egyptian Fayoumis. I'll admit I was a bit disappointed. They may be interested in guineas. I thought it would be a good switch.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Down with Mareks! I am so sorry, there are no words.

Tried to stay off my legs most of the day, so I stitched. Finished turning my embroidery project into an envelope pillow.

I spent some time on it practicing "crazy quilting" which is an improvisational type quilting that does not go well with my type a+ personality. But I took deep breaths and kept going.

I need to pick up a pillow form for it tomorrow (took one out of another pillow for the first picture). Do you think it would be okay for a baby girl gift? The housekeeper at work is having a grand daughter and I wanted to give him something to give his daughter in law, who struggled with fertility issues for years. This is probably about 25 to 30 hours of work start to finish, and I'd pair it with 2 burp cloths (made a ton of them a year ago so I can just grab a quick gift as needed). I'm just not sure if this is something that would be "safe" for a baby room or seems baby appropriate.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Down with Mareks! I am so sorry, there are no words.

Tried to stay off my legs most of the day, so I stitched. Finished turning my embroidery project into an envelope pillow.
View attachment 1062003 View attachment 1062004 View attachment 1062005

I spent some time on it practicing "crazy quilting" which is an improvisational type quilting that does not go well with my type a+ personality. But I took deep breaths and kept going.

I need to pick up a pillow form for it tomorrow (took one out of another pillow for the first picture). Do you think it would be okay for a baby girl gift? The housekeeper at work is having a grand daughter and I wanted to give him something to give his daughter in law, who struggled with fertility issues for years. This is probably about 25 to 30 hours of work start to finish, and I'd pair it with 2 burp cloths (made a ton of them a year ago so I can just grab a quick gift as needed). I'm just not sure if this is something that would be "safe" for a baby room or seems baby appropriate.

Wow the talent is wonderful I am jealous beautiful work you do

 

[chickisoup]

Man I spoke too soon. It's been two weeks since I lost a bird to Mareks. I was just out in the coop, pulling late hatching eggs that I had marked from under my broody who is hatching chicks today and noticed that one of my Welsummer hens was standing by me all fluffled up, eyes closed. I immediately got a sad and gloomy feeling. Took the eggs in the house, candled and got them situated into the incubator to finish up......not my plans, hens donated a few eggs to broodies when my back was turned and I've been passing them down from broody to broody. Speckles is my last broody and they have anywhere from three days to a week to go. I'm hoping to stuff the one due in a few days back under momma when the time comes. I went back out and checked her. She was hiding under the nesting boxes when I went out which seems to be the chicken grave yard not to be confused with the elephant grave yard where all elephants go to die. When I checked her over she was very thin, no breast muscle at all. No signs of egg binding, infact, her pelvis was empty and soft as was her crop. She kept closing her eyes.

I put her down, cursing Marek's disease with every breath.

Meanwhile, Speckles has two new babies under her and the third pipping/zipping. Two chicks born and the flock will carry on.

God, please let somebody find a cure for this horrible disease.

Penny 1960 those Lavender Ameracaunas are beautiful. Don't blame you for making room for them.

So sorry once again. I'll join you in prayers that this is your last loss for you. I pray that I have seen the last deaths as well. The last two losses this past early spring were already weakened birds, one my last Marek's survivor the other was never strong, possibly had mild Marek's early, not certain but started as a healthy pullet then later became frail and had to be separated as the rest of the flock sensed it's weakness and sought to drive it out, they both were taken by fungal infection I believe was contracted because of the record wet spring. The three of mine that remain, two have just turned 14 months, young and strong and very healthy, the third is a beautiful three year old BA also strong and healthy. All vaccinated, of course. Can't but hope that is the difference. I have seven very healthy vaccinated chicks in my brooder. Praying ours is over.

 

[pennyJo1960]

We have not seen much out here of it but stays on my mind as have not
vaccinated birds nor felt the need to but like selling the birds at auction I have never
bought one there worried of what if