Peggy and Tina were vaccinated for Marek's when they were chicks, because it's highly contagious. Unfortunately, it was too late to do the same for Lisa. My guess is that she and Jackie were exposed at the feed store, but I can't say that for certain.
We were sad to say goodbye to good old Lisa, our remaining original chicken, but I think it's probably for the best. She had grown very thin and frail in the last month, although overall she handled the illness much better than Jackie. Some chickens can even survive Marek's, but I guess that wasn't Lisa's fate.
Here she is enjoying a nice free range in the back yard last summer.
We'll miss her and her big crazy clucks.
Hi,
So sorry to hear about your chicken loss. Where did you buy them? I only ask because we got ours locally too (El Monte) and wonder if we should be concerned.
A bit of an uncouth question: how must you deal with the remains?
Thanks Sarah.
I want to emphasize that I don't know for sure that Jackie and Lisa got sick at the feed store. It's possible they were exposed through contaminated feed or other supplies. I just think it was likely they were exposed at the store because there were many different ages and types of poultry crammed together at this particular store, which is called John's Feed 2. It's in South Central Los Angeles. I also had a bad experience with a feed store in Rosemead.
I do think it's VERY important to examine the cleanliness and setup of the store before you get chicks or chickens there. I made that mistake twice, actually, and paid the price. I think I may get my next chicks from My Pet Chicken, since you can get them already vaccinated for Marek's.
To answer your second question, we give our departed chickens a "viking funeral." We build a big fire in our fire pit and then cremate them, making sure to get the fire very hot so that even their bones are turned to ash. Then, we bury their ashes in the yard. This was the method we came up with to prevent their bodies from being dug up by wild animals. I think it's the best way for us.
Dear Audrey,
Just found your blog today and what to tell you how much I enjoyed your adventures with the chickens. Very appealing to me; but don't know if I have the patience. I'm working on cooking traditional foods, inspired by Sally Fallon and the Westin A Price foundation. Thank you for sharing your passion; definitely running on the back roads of my mind.
carolyn