The Old Folks Home

[CapricornFarm]

yeah, potatoes are actually very forgiving.

Yeah, i have seen them growing in compost heaps.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I get my yukons at Costco take a few that have sprouted eyes cut em bury em never buy seed potatoes

 

[microchick]

These hens that are declining are older. Almost 3, so if I consider it a given that my first rooster to show symptoms (hindsight) was only 4 months old at the time, meaning that was when the original outbreak occurred, I'm now seeing losses from cancers, fungal infections, etc. I lost a hen last month to a prolapse that could have been Marek's related but it could have been age related also. the ocular Marek's popped up early last year also.

The Veterinary Doctor that I talked to down at the University of Missouri's Veterinary medicine lab told me that Resistance is usually seen after the age of 3-4. Fertility? Good luck. Possible but the fertility rate drops steadily as the bird ages.

Plus I recently read where Buff O's are one of the most susceptible to Marek's disease, right up there with Silkies and Seramas.

I'm expecting to loose most of my BO hens. My BO rooster is a dead bird walking due to his ocular Marek's so that will be the end of that line when he passes. My BO/Welsummer cross roosters will be two in February. I have had no rooster live past 2 so I am watching them closely. If they live past 2 I may consider crossing them with my surviving Welsummer hens and incubate eggs in the house away from the flock. The Welsummer hens have been good layers and I've only lost one so far to Marek's, but it all depends on what roosters I'm left with in the big bird pen. Either way, the BOs will not go on.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Marek's must be more prevalent there as I never here of anyone here in about 6 years

 

[ronott1]

I get my yukons at Costco take a few that have sprouted eyes cut em bury em never buy seed potatoes

That is a great tip!

 

[CapricornFarm]

These hens that are declining are older. Almost 3, so if I consider it a given that my first rooster to show symptoms (hindsight) was only 4 months old at the time, meaning that was when the original outbreak occurred, I'm now seeing losses from cancers, fungal infections, etc. I lost a hen last month to a prolapse that could have been Marek's related but it could have been age related also. the ocular Marek's popped up early last year also.

The Veterinary Doctor that I talked to down at the University of Missouri's Veterinary medicine lab told me that Resistance is usually seen after the age of 3-4. Fertility? Good luck. Possible but the fertility rate drops steadily as the bird ages.

Plus I recently read where Buff O's are one of the most susceptible to Marek's disease, right up there with Silkies and Seramas.

I'm expecting to loose most of my BO hens. My BO rooster is a dead bird walking due to his ocular Marek's so that will be the end of that line when he passes. My BO/Welsummer cross roosters will be two in February. I have had no rooster live past 2 so I am watching them closely. If they live past 2 I may consider crossing them with my surviving Welsummer hens and incubate eggs in the house away from the flock. The Welsummer hens have been good layers and I've only lost one so far to Marek's, but it all depends on what roosters I'm left with in the big bird pen. Either way, the BOs will not go on.

I guess Speckled Sussex are bad with it too as that is mostly what i have lost. I have another pullet that has a neuro form.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Marek's must be more prevalent there as I never here of anyone here in about 6 years

Lots of people don't know that is what their chickens die of.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Lots of people don't know that is what their chickens die of.

not so certain there about 6 years ago it went through real hard 4-H was having their poultry fair every bird there had to be put down because one was infected talk about some tough kids

 

[microchick]

You are so lucky.

I had good bio security so I can only suspect that it came in on wild birds. Flocks are all around us though so who knows. The Amish keep every type of farm fowl on their farms. None of them complain about loosing their flocks to disease so either they just take losses as a way of life or their flocks are resistant to whatever form of the disease is around here.

My birds came from an NPIP breeder. No vaccinating. Bred for resistance but as somebody pointed out to me, doesn't resistance come from exposure? So whatever form or strain of Marek's the chicks were resistant to, it wasn't the same strain that we have around here.

Cap, I am so sorry and I can relate to that. I unleashed a royal, righteous redheaded rage (the big 4 Rs) that lasted for a long time. I did the research, I looked for magic bullets and finally woke up one morning and thought 'oh well' shrugged and went out to see who had died overnight. My husband pointed out to me that my bantams were prolific enough that I was never going to be short on chickens and if all else failed, there was the Brinsea to keep things going.

In the mean time, I wait. Things have slowed down as far as losses are concerned but it's always in the back of my mind that things are just in a lull. Losses are still going to happen until I'm left with truly resistant birds and that's okay. I can wait. I'm a lot more patient then people give me credit for being. LOL.

 

[microchick]

not so certain there about 6 years ago it went through real hard 4-H was having their poultry fair every bird there had to be put down because one was infected talk about some tough kids

I think I remember reading about that. Yes, very tough kids.