Good Morning!

[Killerbunny]

@kenya Just remember to still quarantine. Vaccines don't always give the protection people think especially Mareks. A lady on FB just had problems due to Mareks despite the birds being vaccinated. Mareks is an imperfect vaccine.I worry about people having that safer feeling (I know you are a nurse) when you still need to take precautions.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tt ... -dangerous
This was the only copy I could get without signing up to a site.

[kenya]

@Killerbunny Interesting article, makes me wish they weren't vaccinated for Marek's, but they are so I guess I will have to live with it. I always isolate but I find that doesn't always work. Once a kept some new birds isolated for a month they seemed healthy , introduced them to mine and half of mine were dead the next day.

[Killerbunny]

Yup sad but you do your best! Often birds are naturally resistant to Mareks due to its' endemic nature. Let's see some pics of the new birds.

[ross]

I have always isolated new birds for 30 days chickens , turkeys , ducks ,pigeons & cage birds . Then I take one or 2 of my own birds & put in with them for another 15 days . That way I don’t loose all my stock if there’s an issue . Luck all here comes the tough weather on us & all our critters .

[lolotsung]

Mareks Vaccine Info (from the Chicken Vet in Guelph)
Posted on March 2, 2021

As I talk to different backyard producers, and offer vaccines to keepers in my area, the number one issue that causes consternation and confusion is Mareks vaccination. Opinions range from “don’t vaccinate, it will make your birds sick”, to “vaccinated birds pose a risk to non-vaccinated birds”, to “vaccines result in hotter strains of Mareks Disease in the field”, to “don’t vaccinate, just breed for resistance”. When I try to discuss these opinions with the people who promote them, I get half-truths, misunderstandings and different philosophies on health provision. So, to decrease the number of times I explain my point of view on Mareks vaccine, here is a summary of what I know, and how I think the vaccine works. Keep in mind, I have looked after roughly 100 million vaccinated birds that have ALL been housed in places where large numbers of birds have been kept before, and have almost definitely all been exposed to Mareks Disease.

Marek Disease in Poultry - Poultry - Merck Veterinary Manual
Typical Look of a Chicken with Mareks Disease

Vaccines work by exposing an animal’s immune system either to a weakened form of a disease causing agent, or a protein that mimics one that is produced by a disease causing agent, thereby tricking the immune system into attacking the agent the first time the body actually sees it. Every foreign protein that enters the body is separated and presented to the immune system by cells called macrophages. It is important to note first off that Mareks Vaccine CANNOT cause Mareks Disease, and CANNOT shed the vaccine to cause disease in other birds in the flock. Unfortunately, not sharing the virus with flockmates means that only the chicks that have been injected will have any immunity to Mareks.

Link to full article here --> https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com ... cine-info/

Also there is a vaccination Table on his Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/The-Chicken-Ve ... 612987169/

[Killerbunny]

OK this depends on the vaccine used. Not getting into it any further.
Good morning for somebody! One of the "older" guys from down the road just drove past on his ATV with a 10 point buck on it!!!!

[WLLady]

morning all!

There's a health section that we could talk about vaccines in-if anyone cares....it's been discussed before and can get heated (forwarned). It's everyone's choice to vax or not, but very important to understand the vax that you do use for mareks (there is one that is a live virus vax and can cause problems when mixing vax'd with non in birds). Birds are a bit different in the immune department from us mammals.....The health section is here: Health

We had a HUGE 8 point buck waltz up the field sniffing all the way yesterday morning. Turns out the doe in the north corner of the field must have been in heat and he was off to woo her. LOL. He was beautiful. Both DH and I are not hunting this fall, and this weather makes it sooooo unbearable-i want to be out in the treestand! alas, our freezer is already full (haha-not an alas, but still) and i am still not allowed to go up ladders or lift anything over 5 pounds, and my crossbow is definitely over 5 pounds. so that's 2 strikes against hunting this fall. but i thoroughly enjoyed caffeine in hand, watching this boy strut his stuff up the field-the entire length of the field.

looks like i got the garlic and the aster roots in just in time no snow yet (but we could see it in the distance last night) and a firm balmy -2C this morning! This means something awesome-the mosquitos will be GONE! We pulled the garden hoses and timers and all that yesterday, got the heated buckets out into the barn. Knee jerk reactioned the cold and wrapped the bees (we may end up unwrapping them again if it gets warmer again next week....). But it is so so nice to finally see some sun after what seems like MONTHs of rain. WE have had at least 7 inches of rain MORE than we usually do in a spring/summer/fall so far. Our corn is still afloat. the beans finally are dry and can come off without fear of losing equipment. Annoyances being we have half the beans off and the mill messed up AGAIN, every year it's something, on a load that is already sold...that accounting is going to be a bear. sigh. oh well

Yesterday had a coon in the field....was there ALL day. so at 1pm i took a good look at it with the binoculars, and ended up hauling the 22 out. The poor thing had been attacked-likely by a hawk a while ago, and was severely injured and septic. So i did the right thing. Just mad that i didn't notice earlier in the day. feel bad for it.

This weekend MUST be processing weekend for us. and then montreal smoked meat/pastrami making time. Muscovy makes wonderful montreal smoked meat and pastrami! and we do NOT need (or want) 45 muscovies over the winter. They are eating a 50 pound bag of feed every 2 days now that the bugs are gone. And it being a nice day today i will go and open up the one horse paddock we are removing. Our old mare doesn't keep up with the grass anymore, and doesn't need it. Then we can get things started on the orchard and beeyard we are transitioning it into. I'm not sure how driving the ATV will go....my surgeon didn't say no, but he did say no offroading, so....i think that will be about 2 kph and very carefully LOL. i'm so glad to be able to drive again though! yay!

hope everyone has sun today, and has a great day!

[kenya]

Wow. 45 muscovies, that's a big job!

[Ontario Chick]

I hope you have some help for the scovies @WLLady too many for 2 people to process for sure.

Ice crystals and rainbows here yesterday, absolutely beautiful !!

hunters gathering at a log house in the field across the road, deer and turkeys hiding behind my house :)

[Killerbunny]

morning all!

There's a health section that we could talk about vaccines in-if anyone cares....it's been discussed before and can get heated (forwarned). It's everyone's choice to vax or not, but very important to understand the vax that you do use for mareks (there is one that is a live virus vax and can cause problems when mixing vax'd with non in birds). Birds are a bit different in the immune department from us mammals.....The health section is here: Health

Not touching that one @WLLady