The Old Folks Home

[MrsMistyReal]

Micro my deepest condolences

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Good morning everyone hope y'all have a fantastic day

 

[microchick]

That sucks!

Do you have a lot of them getting over the two year age? I wonder if the strain if mareks at your place will have a higher percentage of cancer too

My three remaining standard sized roosters are all the same age approximately 2.5 years old. My Welly, BO hens are all 3.5 years old now.

Primo, his brother Tres and my Welly roo, Doc have survived longer than any of my standard sized roosters. Of the remaining hens. Last count I think around 13. About half of them are showing weight loss. But with production hens at that age, what's normal with weights? Still I'm suspecting some sort of reproductive cancers in them.

As far as Marek's is concerned, so far I have had three varieties show their ugly faces here. Visceral--I've lost a group to cancers, 1 with definite lung or cardiac tumors (going by symptoms) others with profound weight loss and sudden death. Neurological Marek's--scissors splits, seizure activity, etc and 3--I've lost 4 birds to ocular Marek's. So I don't know if I'm dealing with one exceptionally virulent strain or if I'm dealing with 3 different forms of the disease individually. Either way it really really sux.

I was talking to my husband yesterday and said that what I find really curious about the disease is that so far, knock on wood, my local cross bred bantam chickens see to be roaring along. I've lost a few birds in the two and a half years that I've had them but the numbers are WAY down from the breeder produced, bred for resistance, higher quality birds.

Now what does that mean? Are they more resistant due to the fact that they are local and have had a chance to develop some sort of immunity? Or is it the fact that being cross bred has strengthened them genetically?

It is a puzzlement.

My craft project can't compete with SGC's considerable talent, but here is what I've been working on as a birthday gift for a friend back in IL. Got it done yesterday. I love to embroider and plan to work on quilt squares as soon as I can come up with white quilter's cloth.

Going to be out and about today so y'all have a good one. I really appreciate the shoulders to cry on. DH has suggested that we get rid of all the birds that are showing signs of being unwell to protect the other birds. He probably is right. My head needs to convince my heart though.

 

[1muttsfan]

While your bantams may be more resistant to the effects of the virus, and better able to tolerate it, they are unlikely to be more resistant to infection, and are very likely to be carriers regardless. Very sad, but it's great that you have birds that are still doing well.

 

[1muttsfan]

Since it is extremely likely that all your birds are infected shortly after hatching, removing birds that are not as robust would do nothing to reduce disease incidence. Vaccination of chicks at 1 day would be likely to reduce how many sick birds you see, which would leave you with a larger and healthier flock, but would not prevent the chicks from becoming infected. They would still be carriers.

 

[chickadoodles]

Ron wasn't it Walt on one of the heritage threads that had a problem with mareks?
And he kept the one that built up an immunity to it.

 

[microchick]

No, wouldn't reduce disease incidence but all the considerable data that I have read concerning the disease states that birds that are sick or declining from Marek's shed the virus at an alarming rate in their dander. So removing unhealthy birds may reduce exposure.

I considered vaccinating chicks but there is no where on the farm or in the house that I can keep birds isolated for 5 months in order for them to avoid contamination (especially airborne contamination) by the existing birds.

It's definitely a catch 22 sort of situation, which is why the few birds I have brought into the flock are vaccinated birds.

 

[chickadoodles]

Can't you order vaccinated chicks from a hatchery that would stop the spread Micro?

 

[microchick]

Ron wasn't it Walt on one of the heritage threads that had a problem with mareks?
And he kept the one that built up an immunity to it.

That is the whole key to defeating the disease when it rears it's ugly head. To breed for resistance. That was confirmed to me by the vet I talked to at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He said that I need to shoot for birds that have survived at least 3 years and breed from that stock and that is what I'm shooting for with my bantam crosses since they tend to show a natural resistance to whatever is in the area. Right now my oldest Bantam rooster and hens are almost 2 years old and very healthy.

I won't even try to breed from the BO stock as it is one of the breeds most susceptible to Marek's, ranking right up there with Silkies.

 

[chickadoodles]

No, wouldn't reduce disease incidence but all the considerable data that I have read concerning the disease states that birds that are sick or declining from Marek's shed the virus at an alarming rate in their dander. So removing unhealthy birds may reduce exposure.

I considered vaccinating chicks but there is no where on the farm or in the house that I can keep birds isolated for 5 months in order for them to avoid contamination (especially airborne contamination) by the existing birds.

It's definitely a catch 22 sort of situation, which is why the few birds I have brought into the flock are vaccinated birds.

That is the whole key to defeating the disease when it rears it's ugly head. To breed for resistance. That was confirmed to me by the vet I talked to at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He said that I need to shoot for birds that have survived at least 3 years and breed from that stock and that is what I'm shooting for with my bantam crosses since they tend to show a natural resistance to whatever is in the area. Right now my oldest Bantam rooster and hens are almost 2 years old and very healthy.

I won't even try to breed from the BO stock as it is one of the breeds most susceptible to Marek's, ranking right up there with Silkies.

I'm sorry it's so hard on you Micro losing so many. Your dh may be right to eliminate the sick birds to try and put an end to the spread or slow it down.
I know its heart breaking to lose them.