just a guess
Unless the dish uses the stressed panels for structural rigidity (which it may), I'd fire it up with a few missing panels!
You will have a little loss of signal (which should be fine), but still have the accurate focus (if it holds shape).
I think a Paraclipse would hold its shape after having its panels blown out by a nuclear blast! -

Oh, and maybe a bit more ground noise.
There is a mesh dish I drive by everyday that has about three panels missing.
I wonder if I were to get that dish, could some aluminum screen mesh be used to replace the missing ones??
The screen wire isn't flat, but for C-band, it's probably flat enough.
From what I've read about Ku on BUDs, I'd give you even odds it'd work.
Maybe some of our old timers have first hand experience with missing panels or screen wire??
There must be some reason nobody uses nor recommends the aluminum screen.