[Evansent]

The last chicks I am rearing seem to be going down one by one with what I now believe to be Mareks!!!
I culled the first two who had lost the use of their legs and were gasping, now another has gone down with it. I did have them on antibiotics, as I first thought it was a respitory thing.

They also have grey eyes, which I believe to be a sign of Mareks, although the 3 legbars I have left seem ok at the moment, I have seperated the ill Maran chick - her eyes are still orange though, but think it is end of the road, as she is on her side and cant get up and is gasping.

I am so worried my Bantams and 6 hybrids will get it as well, or did it come from them in the first place?  I hatched the bantams myself, so  don't know how it could be them and the hybrids I got point of lay 2 yrs ago and have never shown any signs of it. Can anyone give me any clues as to where it has come from? 

I assume if it did come from the older birds, they are immune to some extent...is that right?  Can older birds be vaccinated?

I shall never get any new birds......even if I lose the lot....it is far too stressful and sad.

thanks
colette

[joyfull]

So sorry  xx
Did you hatch these last chicks?
How old was they before they started to show the symptoms.
Have they been in contact with your other hens?

[Evansent]

I hatched three legbars - 2 were cockerels! so I bought in 6 other day olds, so the hen had
 some company, when the others had to go.

I kept them indoors for 5 weeks then put them in their own seperate pen, but in the same shed as the Bantams ( I now know I shouldn't have done that, hindsight is a wonderful thing!)

They were fine for another week, then the first two started to get the symptoms, it looked like they had trouble getting their breath, so I gave them Baytril in a syringe. But they just got worse over the week, so we culled them.

They are now 8 weeks old, I feel awful as I didn't know about not putting them close to older hens, but then my bantams have never been ill in any way, so I didn't think there was a problem. 

I guess I'm learning a hard lesson!

[Aunt Sally]

All hybrids will have been vaccinated at a day old for Marek's by the producer.  Vaccination does not prevent them from contracting Marek's but stops any tumours being produced (that's what kills the).

It is, therefore,  possible for hybrids (or any vaccinated bird) to pass Marek's on to non vaccinated birds

[Evansent]

Thanks, that has put my mind at rest a bit, so at least the hybrids will be ok.  Do you think that the bantams are carriers?  In which case should they be ok as well?  thay are 8 months old.

[Aunt Sally]

I doubt that the bantams were vaccinated.  Ask the breeder but it is normally only commercial scale bred birds that are vaccinated. 

Chickens do develop an age immunity to Marek's so it could be any "older" chooks which are carriers.

[Evansent]

I hatched the bantams...so I know they were not vaccinated. I'm guessing they must have developed an immunity, as they have been in a run next to the hybrids and have shown no signs of being ill.   I have checked with the hybrid breeder and they were vaccinated.

I guess it's just a waiting game now to see if the remaining 3 chicks pull through - is that the best thing to do?

Thanks
C X

[Jeanette]

I am so sorry keeping my fingers and everything else crossed for you.

[Aunt Sally]

The choice is yours but if they do pull through they will likely be carriers for the rest of their lives.

[joyfull]

I agree with AS the final decision is one that only you can make, and it will de hard for you whichever way you decide to go 

[Evansent]

Have dispatched the sick Maran  Am keeping an eye on remaining 3, all who seem well at present.

Can I just run my understanding of all this past you....
If the hybrids are vaccinated and the Bantams seem to be immune (so Far) and the 3 chicks make it, but are carriers. They should all survive quite happily?? I can still use the eggs and as long as I always choose vaccinated birds (if I ever want to add in the future) it would be ok?
 I don't live near to anyone else who keeps chickens.

Your help and expertise and greater wisdom is much appreciated.
Colette.

[gsc]

All hybrids will have been vaccinated at a day old for Marek's by the producer.

Why aren't purebreeds vaccinated?

[Sassy]

Hybrids are generally vaccinated (I have had hybrids that weren't) as they are bred, mainly, for use as battery chooks. There will be breeders who vaccinate their pure breeds. For keeping chooks in smaller numbers with plenty of space and excellent welfare and cleanliness many take the view vaccinations are not essential or indeed necessary.

I am very sorry about your problems not nice!!

I seem to remember reading on here a long time ago that it wasn't a good idea to keep a mix of vaccinated and none vaccinated birds. I cannot remember the reasoning.

[joyfull]

vaccines come in such large doses (often for 1000 birds) that buying them for just a few chicks that a breeder of pure breeds might hatch is not really worth it cost wise.

[gsc]

So some-one breeding on a larger scale and selling hybrids to the likes of me would probabaly vaccinate everything I guess.  I will ask him the question.

I hope the remaining birds are doing well Evansent.