Chicken math isn't supposed to work this way!!!!!

[Ridgerunner]

With a good candler you might be able to see something but I often cannot tell much of anything until fairly late. I sometimes try to candle around Day 7, sometimes with my lighter green eggs I can see veins, but my main candling is at lockdown. I can tell if they are clear or if there is a dark blob with an air cell in there, not much more. I never candle eggs under a broody hen.

 

[Beekissed]

I had heard it was not prevalent in wv. From what I'm reading, it says even vaccinated birds will still carry it and of those not, many won't show symptoms. If I've had it all along in my flock, I've had no symptoms. Only other birds of mine that had anything appearing similar were all meat birds, CX, and only one or two per batch. But of course you expect occasional leg problems in those, so I never thought anything of it.

Here's an interesting read about Marek's vaccine. I've never vaccinated a chicken, nor would I start.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous/

 

[PennyJo]

From what I gathered no one is able to really candle the green eggs they incubate and hope

 

[journey11]

Here's an interesting read about Marek's vaccine. I've never vaccinated a chicken, nor would I start.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous/

That was very informative. I agree with the logic of not vaccinating for a "leaky" disease. The fact that vaccinated birds could still transmit it did bother me.

I lost 5 total and have gone 2 weeks without any more losses. Assuming that was what it was, but it looks likely, although I can't imagine how they even got it. They were separated from the big birds who were never vaccinated or ever had it. I sterlize all of my equipment with bleach.

Do the birds that survived the outbreak develop immunity then?

 

[Beekissed]

Not sure, as I've never had such a thing in the flock, but I've read it is like herpes, wherein the carriers may not exhibit symptoms but shed the virus in their dead skin cells and such....which means they are pretty much infecting the flock at any given time.

Your birds could have arrived at your place as carriers, seeing as they were all the same breed and source.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Marek's can be spread by the wind. The virus can be spread by dander and is long-lived. The way I understand it, Marek's is species specific so wild birds aren't likely to spread it but it can travel a long way by wind. Maybe one of your neighbors has it in their flock? it might even be a distant neighbor.

Marek's normally does not wipe out your flock, some birds show symptoms and some don't. it's my belief that it's genetic, some birds can inherit a resistance to it. So if you breed the survivors you eventually get a flock pretty resistant to it. But not all birds inherit that resistance and any new birds could be at risk. I've read things like that but you can read about anything over the internet. Still that passes the common sense test for me. So I don't know that it is so much a case of developing immunity as being hatched with a resistance.

Different strains typically affect different areas. One strain goes mainly for the neck, another mainly legs and wings. Some go after internal organs. I'm sure there are other strains. That's probably what they mean by hot and cold, depending on where they infect. The ones that affect the neck or legs usually don't kill them directly, it cripples them so they can't eat or drink so they die of thirst or starve.

Once it is in your flock it is in your flock. The survivors still have it and can spread it, even if they don't develop the lesions that cause the damage. It's a nasty one but it's been around a long time and chickens as a species have survived without vaccinations. I've never seen any evidence in my flock and I don't vaccinate. I'm not opposed to vaccinations in principle, vaccines have tremendously improved public health. But it hasn't been a problem and I don't treat for problems that don't exist. If half my flock were suddenly wiped out I would reevaluate this. I don't know if I would vaccinate event hem but I'd sure think about it.

 

[PennyJo]

getting excited to have the incubator here and the candler

 

[journey11]

That's the thing that gets me... I always do all in, all out. This is the first flock I've hatched myself and the only flock affected. I have several different breeds though.

Remember last year I had the shipping problems with the post office? They kept holding my chicks for 5 days and killing most of them. I had two shipments with a couple survivors before I gave up. Then I got 5 banties from Tractor Supply and also 11 chicks from a friend. All were close in age, but if I had to guess, it probably came from my friend's chicks. He may have let them mingle with his other birds. I had no losses of any last year though.

I see people trading a few here and there all the time on my local buy-sell-trade group. That has to be so risky. A two week quarantine is not going to cover Marek's carriers. I'll not hold over any out of this current flock and I'll have to see what I need to do to sterilize for the next batch on down the road.

 

[PennyJo]

Journey11 I could not agree more.. we have many people all over cl
selling birds I did get my oe off there turned out with 3 cockerel 1 pullet..
but sold my spare two cockerels just through a friend

 

[journey11]

Journey11 I could not agree more.. we have many people all over cl
selling birds I did get my oe off there turned out with 3 cockerel 1 pullet..
but sold my spare two cockerels just through a friend

As tempting as it is, I don't think I'll ever buy an adult bird unless it was a fine specimen for breeding. I'd always worry about unknown bad behaviors like egg eating too.