Backyard Poultry Forum

Photo above taken this morning of rose, the girl diagnosed with maraks, through the bars of the portable tractor. She is sitting next to a tray of dirt they can use for a dust bath if I don't get a chance to let them out in the garden. At the moment the tractor is sitting on a concrete base under the carport with rice hull bedding- keep the foxes at bay until I get electric fencing set up.

Thought it might be useful for people to see marak stance before it reaches critical stage.

Hope she is improving

Sorry to hear about Rose, that's a very helpful picture though.

You obviously care very much about your birds and despite her condition Rose is obviously quite comfortable, she does not look the lease distressed. It's always hard though.

I don't vaccinate because I hen rear, and although I do get the very occaisional case of Mareks out of the many chicks that I hatch, it definitely doesn't 'go through the flock' as long as they are generally well cared for and healthy. It certainly sounds like yours are. Hopefully the rest are perfectly fine and turn into lovely adult chookies for you.

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Shairlyn's Genetics Lessons

Thanks sharilyn and marvin

Yes I just adore the chickens sharilyn, they are getting big dose of vitamins at the moment so I just hope I can save the rest of them.

She has stayed steady at the moment, she can still move around the pen and get up to the house up a small ramp, but can't get up on the perch so I have put a lot of rice hulls up in the house so she has a bed to sleep on. Just trying to keep her as comfortable and happy as I can. Apart from the limp she actually looks really well, her feathers felt like soft silk when I took her to the vet.

Just a day by day proposition at the moment.

It's good to hear that she hasn't become any worse While she looks well and is eating and drinking I'd say there is no need to do anything. Just wait and see.

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Cheerio, Rach
Blue Swedish Ducks

Well terrible news, Rose got worse and I had to have her put down on Friday. I had her postmortemed and tested for Mareks and the Vet rang today to confirm that the tests were positive for Mareks. I have posted updates in the Mareks post under Good Samaritan so that others will have access to photos and descriptions of what I saw with Mareks.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7983206&start=30

My dark blue girl Gwen, who I nursed through a respiratory disease, I think is now showing signs. Basically weakness in the legs and unsteady on her feet. I also think that the white girl Amy might have it as well- weakness in her wing.

Gwen will come running up to me when they are free ranging in the garden and eat out of my hand

They are all on a double dose of soluvet vitamins and now it is just a waiting game to see if more symptoms develop.

Bad day yesterday. Let the chickens out at lunchtime to have a scratch around in the garden and had to go into the house briefly (toilet break!) a brown hawke got my dark blue hen around the head while I was inside. There was an almighty screaming while the rooster tried to protect her until I could bolt back outside.

I had to take her down to the vet to be put down as the damage to her head was too bad. Not an image I will forget. So needless to say I have been bawling and feel like I am a terrible owner.

Trying to focus on positives. The rooster Jack has turned into a good protector of his flock and will now let his hens eat anything nice he finds.

The hens have all started laying. Last week I had two fertile eggs from Gwen, my dark blue girl which 70%Cocoa has very kindly popped in her incubator and has been giving me updates on embryo development.

I had three eggs this week from my black girl which I ate last night- they looked fertile as well when I cracked them open ( as best I can tell) so rooster looks like he is doing the deed properly. They tasted delicious

And yesterday my white girl Amy laid her first egg. Trying to decide if I should see if this will hatch as well as I do think I will lose Amy to mareks. But probably won't as the chickens if they do hatch will be a week different in age.

So the saga continues. I love these chickens but it hurts losing them.

Thought I had better include links to other posts so I have the history.
Incubation
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8023152

Mareks
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7983206&start=15

Housing
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8014756

As it turns out I used both info addicts and 70%cocoa's advice- bought the tractor info addict recommended(which was really well made - http://www.chookmowers.com.au/?do=viewi ... 2&page=104) and got some marine ply and insulation which I use on roof. The off cuts I use on the side and keep on for wind/rain protection and take off on nice sunny days

So I had two eggs from Gwen (dark blue girl) before she died. Her first ever egg turned into this last night





Thanks so much to 70%cocoa for popping these eggs into an incubator and looking after them so well!

12 hours after she hatched (I'm hopeful!) I picked her up and took her to vet for Mareks vaccination.

So now the challenge is to keep her alive and healthy!

One more egg to go- cross fingers and toes she will hatch tomorrow!

Wow baby chickens are so sweet!

God that is the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen!

More pics soon please?!?

Very cute Trillian, I am so glad that you've had a healthy little nugget hatch!

Unfortunately your birds might be descended from a line of birds that were vaccinated for Mareks, but then were not vaccinated themselves. Such lines had no inherited immunity and a higher tendency to fall foul of the disease.

Now that you've vaccinated the nugget keep it away from the other birds for a couple of weeks and then it should be right!

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Shairlyn's Genetics Lessons

Agree arquella will post more as time goes by!

Many thanks sharilyn- I'm sure your right- these will be staying in house until spring I think- when it is a bit warmer- so quite a few weeks !

More photos to come as she develops

Fingers crossed everyone for safe hatching of number 2!

thats such bad luck trillian but i had a run similar to that a while ago,i used to stress hard like you but after a while i thought id just take it day by day and not worry about things that havent and most likely wont happen.things have gone ok for a long while now so just hang in there and enjoy your 2 little cuties,so beautiful and little.

And then there were two





I can't believe the kindness of 70%cocoa who spent a lot of time and effort to hatch two live healthy chicks from the first and only two eggs from a pullet.

To do this for a stranger is an overwhelming kindness. I will always be incredibly greatful