Which breeds are most and least susceptible to marek's

[rcstanley]

Had a necropsy done on a hen I had to put down recently, it came back that she died from cocci, but also had marek's. My other hens are acting fine, so I've accepted that I will have to have a closed flock now.

When I go to replace my layers next year, the new chicks will be exposed to the Marek's. I'm hoping to find out which breeds are most susceptible and which are most resistant to Marek's so I can give the new chickens the best chance.

Here's what I've seen so far

Most Susceptible:
Silkies
Sebrights

Less Susceptible / More Resistant:
Egyptians Fayoumis
White Leghorns* [edited on 11/6/15]


Any advice on breeds or best practices (maybe buy vaccinated chicks)?

*From a random internet comment "For working on susceptibility - some research states that the B21 gene may indicate some resistance. white leghorns are supposedly more resistant than RIRs and since most sexlinks contain RIR genetics, they are some of the ones that have vulnerability. "

 

[lazy gardener]

Turkeys carry a strain of Mareks that is less lethal to chickens. If I were in your shoes, I'd strongly consider getting a few turkey poults and raising them alongside the chicks. Or if you know anyone who has turkeys, see if you can get some used litter from them to put in your coop/run. From my understanding, the vaccine does not keep your birds from catching the disease, merely prevents the complications that accompany the disease (tumors and such) from killing the birds. So, in reality, the vaccine can mask the presence of the disease. Unless you plan to vaccinate every chick you buy, IMO the vaccine will not solve the problem. Any birds in your flock that are not vaccinated, and do not show active signs of disease, those are the ones you want to hatch chicks from to work on building your own flock of Marek resistant birds.

 

[dekel18042]

Had a necropsy done on a hen I had to put down recently, it came back that she died from cocci, but also had marek's. My other hens are acting fine, so I've accepted that I will have to have a closed flock now.

When I go to replace my layers next year, the new chicks will be exposed to the Marek's. I'm hoping to find out which breeds are most susceptible and which are most resistant to Marek's so I can give the new chickens the best chance.

Here's what I've seen so far

Most Susceptible:
Silkies
Sebrights

Less Susceptible / More Resistant:
Egyptians Fayoumis

Any advice on breeds or best practices (maybe buy vaccinated chicks)?

My answer comes from reading only, but from what I have read certain lines within a breed are more resistant than others. Other than trial and error not sure how you would find out.

 

[rcstanley]

I can't have roosters though, so I can't raise my own resistant strain, so my goal is having laying hens that don't die

I don't think I can have turkeys either. The idea with the turkey litter is interesting, I'll have to do research and see if I can find someone with turkeys

 

[chickens really]

ALL BIRDS!!

Wild or domestic catch Mereks.....Water fowl no.........Brought into our yards from Birds........No breed is safe...


Cheers!

 

[centrarchid]

When you can not close flock by breeding your own replacements, then I would get vaccinated replacements assuming vaccination covers Mareks strain your flock suffers from.

My closed flock is not vaccinated. Most losses are of young birds with none infected more than 16 months old. A big chunk of my birds are older than that. I am probably averaging less than one in a hundred birds coming down with this each year. For me outbreaks / infections (usually singular) are seasonal occurring in fall.

 

[Folly's place]

Your best bet is to buy vaccinated chicks and isolate them for the two weeks or so that they need to develop immunity. I would avoid Silkies, and stick with other breeds. Fayoumis are very cute! Raising your own birds won't be possible without roosters, and trying to 'breed for resistance' only works with large numbers of birds, because there will be losses, and of course many cockerels. Not very useful for your situation. Getting birds from another infected flock may just bring in another strain (maybe worse) of Marek's, not a good choice either. Mary

 

[rcstanley]

I had wondered about hatching eggs in an incubator from a flock being bred for Marek's resistance since the virus doesn't spread to the eggs, but like you say, no guarantee they're being bred to fight the same strain of Marek's.

 

[centrarchid]

If hatching eggs from flock nearby, then that should increase odds same strain at play.

 

[thormanw]

Have you checked into Icelandic?