Well I think I've finally figured out my spring order of chicks.

[missnu01]

I am going to get the Brown egg layer mix from my pet chicken 25. And I want to get 5 cochins, and 5 EE, and 5 silkies. Then from murray Mcmurray I am going to get the 15 broiler mix. I'm so freaking excited. It feels like it will be forever until time to get them...I keep looking locally and a few people have the EE and silkies. So I might get those locally...then again I kind of like the idea of getting vaccinated chicks from the hatchery because it appears as though my present flock is suffering a bout with marek's. Of course the adult chickens are just fine. but 2 younger chicks aren't faring so well. So getting vaccinated chicks is sort of a must right? Or am I wrong...?

 

[sumi]

Getting vaccinated chicks and feeding medicated chick starter will give you an advantage, but if you have young chickens that are "not doing well" I think you should find out what the problem is and get that sorted before introducing new chicks.

 

[cochins1088]

Getting vaccinated chicks and feeding medicated chick starter will give you an advantage, but if you have young chickens that are "not doing well" I think you should find out what the problem is and get that sorted before introducing new chicks.

X2 If you are having problems, you should figure out whats going on before introducing the chicks. If the chicks arrive sooner than you are able to figure out whats wrong, practice strict bio security to keep anything from spreading between your established flcok and the chicks.

On other news, I just order 55 cochin bantam chicks to arrive next week Friday and I know what you mean. It feels like an eternity until they arrive! These will be my first hatchery chicks, so I'm not sure what to expect but I'm sooo excited!

 

[missnu01]

I thought you weren't supposed to feed medicated feed to vaccinated chicks...I don't know if that is right or not, I think I heard it on here...the 2 chicks in question are suffering a bit of paralysis not caused by any deficiency, so I am assuming it is marek's...My husband says there is no way he's paying for a chicken necropsy...and they are still very alive...Which is why I know I have to get the new chicks vaccinated. If these 2 aren't looking up within the next few days we are going to cull them...There is nothing else to be done. It seems as though my adult birds are carriers for Marek's, as they are all fine...only 2 of 7 babies are affected, and the time for them to get it is pretty much passed...they are a little over 4 months...So we are going to kill the 2 that are ill, and just wait and see if any other succumb...it is marek's so there is nothing you can do other than start over with vaccinated chicks. Although any chicks from my adult birds should be slightly more resistant to marek's if my research is correct...

Either way nothing but vaccinated chicks for me...'


Unless you know of any other disorder that will cause a chicken to become paralyzed in one leg, then get better, but have a "duck foot"...then another chick go lame in one leg--and then both legs, while the first chick goes back to limping...

All signs point to mareks. Their eyes look fine so far, and no diarrhea, wheezing, or loss of appetite, just some severe motor issues. I thought it might be a deficiency of riboflavin, but I started giving them vitamins in their food and water and there is no change...actually the 2 chicks in question got worse...so there is nothing left to figure out...

 

[missnu01]

And I won't be ordering any chicks for another month...during this time we will have killed the 2 that are ailing and be able to watch for signs of others having issues. And the new chicks won't be with the older birds for at least 2 months...so no issues there.

 

[cochins1088]

Medicated food will only help prevent an outbreak of coccidiosis. So unless the chicks are vaccinated for coccidiosis, you can feed them medicated feed. The medicated feed has nothing to do with any of the other vaccines such as mareks.

If I were you, I would look into a necropsy. I've never had one done as I haven't experienced any problems before, but I have heard some colleges will do it for free in order to train their students. I've never delt with mareks either so I don't know the exact symptoms but if your birds have it, you should confirm it.

And practicing bio security isn't just keeping them separate. If you feed your established flock and then go feed your chicks without washing your hands or changing your clothing, you are risking transferring some type of disease.

 

[sumi]

I thought you weren't supposed to feed medicated feed to vaccinated chicks...I don't know if that is right or not, I think I heard it on here...the 2 chicks in question are suffering a bit of paralysis not caused by any deficiency, so I am assuming it is marek's...My husband says there is no way he's paying for a chicken necropsy...and they are still very alive...Which is why I know I have to get the new chicks vaccinated. If these 2 aren't looking up within the next few days we are going to cull them...There is nothing else to be done. It seems as though my adult birds are carriers for Marek's, as they are all fine...only 2 of 7 babies are affected, and the time for them to get it is pretty much passed...they are a little over 4 months...So we are going to kill the 2 that are ill, and just wait and see if any other succumb...it is marek's so there is nothing you can do other than start over with vaccinated chicks. Although any chicks from my adult birds should be slightly more resistant to marek's if my research is correct...

Either way nothing but vaccinated chicks for me...'


Unless you know of any other disorder that will cause a chicken to become paralyzed in one leg, then get better, but have a "duck foot"...then another chick go lame in one leg--and then both legs, while the first chick goes back to limping...

All signs point to mareks. Their eyes look fine so far, and no diarrhea, wheezing, or loss of appetite, just some severe motor issues. I thought it might be a deficiency of riboflavin, but I started giving them vitamins in their food and water and there is no change...actually the 2 chicks in question got worse...so there is nothing left to figure out...

If your chicks have been vaccinated against coccidiosis then you don't need medicated feed, but if they've only been vaccinated against Mareks you can give them medicated chick starter. Keep in mind that a Mareks vaccination is not going give them 100% protection. I've heard of chicks getting the disease despite being vaccinated. You will have to clean and disinfect the coop and run where the new chicks will go and be very careful. It would be better if you can have a vet examine your 2 chicks or at least 1 of them to make sure that you are dealing with Mareks and that it's not something else. Though I agree the symptoms does sound like Mareks.

 

[missnu01]

Well we don't have a run..the chickens have their coop that they go into in the evenings, and that is all...They are free the rest of the time. Before we get the new chicks the coop will have been cleaned, with new hay spread for the larger birds. My husband says he won't pay to do a necropsy, so...that is pretty much out. We are ordering 15 meat birds and they will have a different coop in a different area so they will be seperated from the rest of the birds...I plan on having the chicks vaccinated against everything that you can get a chick vaccinated for. I just started keeping chickens, and all of the ones we have now were craigslisters, so...I was expecting a few issues...We got a mama hen and 7 babies...Everyone was doing well, but then a little over a month ago one started limping and keeping the toes on one foot curled in...I thought it had gotten hurt because there is no loss of appetite or weight, no diarrhea, no wheezing, no coughing, Nothing...Then that chick stopped limping and I was like yay...but on the very same day that the one stopped limping another started limping...So I started checkin g them over really well, and the one that had stopped limping didn't have it's back toe in the right place...instead of being at the back of the foot it was up on the side of the other toes...so I figured that was the issue...that the chickens were getting hurt somehow...Then someone said it could be a deficiency in riboflavin...so I went and got some vitamins that I started adding to their feed and water...everything was good for another week...used to limp chicken was still not limping, and new limper still was...But now the first chicken is back to limping and walking on it's hocks, and the later limper can hardly get around now...both legs are defunct...their eyes still look good and they are still eating like crazy and drinking, but the one that started limping later can barely get around...all of the other chickens are still fine and showing no issues so far...I'm hoping it stops with these 2..they are almost 4 months old, so perhaps they will get past it.

 

[sumi]

Are they showing any of these other symptoms:

http://www.avianweb.com/mareksdisease.html

 

[missnu01]

There are no symptoms at all other than keeping the toes on one foot curled in for the one that started limping first. their eyes look good, but now they are both just really off balance...no leg forward leg back...just unsteady like their legs can't hold them. The later limping chicken is by far the worst..She can't get around at all...she just scoot flops with her wings. The chicken that staRted limping first is still more steady, but everyday now he is becoming less so. He falls alot more than he was. He was doing so good for a week and a half. The chicken that seems to be doing the worst is still steadily gaining weight bright eyed, alert and eats like a pig. Also, their legs aren't paralyzed...they can move them...and they do, but they just can't seem to get it right...The one doing worse is just laying down all the time, til she flop skip flutters over to get food or water. The other that was doing better has started walking mostly on his hocks again instead of using his feet, and he is curling the toes on one of his feet in again. He stopped for awhile, but is back to limping again. I really like the little guy that looked like he was going to recover...The birds don't seem to be in any distress...they just have a really really hard time getting around. Their mobility is shot. I am not 100% it is mareks due to the lack of other symptoms, but I don't know what it could be. But I figure it will be easier and more cost effective to cull and replace. I would like to think that they could be alright, but I just don't think so...I guess we could keep them for as long as they live and I just take extra care in making sure that they get food and water, but as I said they seem pitiful up there. I don't know if anything is hurting them, but watching the one struggle to get around is heartbreaking. The other does alright getting about, but he often falls over and then has to flop himself upright again. if you pick either of them up they kick their legs around, but they keep the toes on one foot curled in like balled up...and that is how it all started...The one that started later is just doing terrible though. I mean they look healthy, their feathers look good, and as I said they are gaining weight and growing like all the rest, but they just can't get around very well...