can adult chickens be vaccinated for marek's?

[rockinpaints]

The symptoms my bird has: On the first day we noticed anything, which was last thyrsday, she was the last out of the coop and was not walking well, she just fell dow the coop ramp and flopped around, later when i checked on her, she was under the ramp and lethargic. When I picked her up, her feet just curled up underneath her body and when I sat her back down again, they stayed curled and she could not sit properly. That afternoon, we fixed a place for her a laundry basket in the house with food and water infront of her, I first thought maybe she fell and hurt her legs

The next day, her legs sort of stiffened up, when I picked her up and sat her back downagain, her legs just stuck straight in front of her and she was shaking/vibrating. I came ontothe forum to ask questions and was advised that she may have mareks. Also to give her b vitamins in the water. I went to the local feed store and bought antibitics and an electrolite/vitamin mix. After puting this in her water, the next day, she could stand. Now, after 5 days, she is running around the porch, but still wobbly. Her poo was large, dryish and dark. Maybe she was constipated?

After trying to figure out what is wrong with her, I realised what a threat Marek's is and want to vaccinate all the chickens at once. since they still young, I wanted to be sure of the dosage of the vaccine to give them. I am pretty confident that i can mix it and administer it properly.

All your advice is appreciated!

It sounds like Marek's in the beginning. Amazing she is doing that well!

Good luck!

 

[seminolewind]

Even thought this is an older thread, I am hoping someone can help me.

I have a 7 week old sicilian buttercup with mareks symtoms. I am keeping her in the house and giving vitamins in her water, as per advised in another thread. She was purchased at the local feed store and after calling them up, they told me their chicks are not vaccinated, only the parents at the hatchery are. Is this enough to protect the chicks I have? Had I know that they needed to be vaccinated, I would have sooner. I am new to chicken keeping and had no clue my backyard birds could be endangered by something other than preditors.

Higher up on this thread, someone posted the instructions from the vaccine bottle. I am planning to buy the vaccine today and need to know more. I have 22 chickens, between 8 weeks, 7 weeks and 6 weeks old. The instructions for the mareks vaccine was to be administered to 1 day old chicks at a dosage of .2ml per chick. How much vaccine should I give each of my young birds?

What would any of you do if it was your flock. I really need someone with the practical knowledge to advise me, please. I don't want to see any more of my girls get sick. Also, should I vaccinate the sick bird, just in case it is not mareks? After 5 days, she is walking again, but still a bit wobbly.

Thanks alot,

Lynn

Hi Lynn.

It's hard to say if it's Marek's. If it is, I would think more than one chick would be sick. It's possible she ate something bad, or needed vitamins. I'm glad she's better, that most likely does not happen with Marek's.

If she was in with the other chicks, they've all been exposed already. It's too late to vaccinate. The vaccine only works if it's given day 1 of life and the chicks are super quarantined from other birds for at least 2 weeks, but I do 6 weeks. It will not save a bird who has already been exposed.

RockinPaint is right, Marek's vaccine will protect against tumors, but will not protect them from carrying Marek's and spreading it. If it's given day 1.

If it's Marek's there's not much you can do aside from keeping things clean, and wait. If you get more chicks, get vaccinated hatchery chicks, not from a feedstore. Or hatch eggs and vaccinate yourself.

Botulism or bad food, missing vitamins, or illness can show the same symptoms.

You live south of me, and if you have mosquito activity, your symptoms may also describe Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which presents shivering as well.

Please keep this updated. Lot's of people want to know how it goes.

Karen

 

[LynnMarie]

Hi Lynn.

It's hard to say if it's Marek's. If it is, I would think more than one chick would be sick. It's possible she ate something bad, or needed vitamins. I'm glad she's better, that most likely does not happen with Marek's.

If she was in with the other chicks, they've all been exposed already. It's too late to vaccinate. The vaccine only works if it's given day 1 of life and the chicks are super quarantined from other birds for at least 2 weeks, but I do 6 weeks. It will not save a bird who has already been exposed.

RockinPaint is right, Marek's vaccine will protect against tumors, but will not protect them from carrying Marek's and spreading it. If it's given day 1.

If it's Marek's there's not much you can do aside from keeping things clean, and wait. If you get more chicks, get vaccinated hatchery chicks, not from a feedstore. Or hatch eggs and vaccinate yourself.

Botulism or bad food, missing vitamins, or illness can show the same symptoms.

You live south of me, and if you have mosquito activity, your symptoms may also describe Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which presents shivering as well.

Please keep this updated. Lot's of people want to know how it goes.

Karen

Hi Karen,

My chick is doing so much better and is much stronger, jumping/flying all over the patio furnature during the day and then back into her basket at night. I am still giving vitamins in her water and she is eating okay. We are feeding her start n grow and a bit of lettuce or bread here and there.

Thanks to the canal right next to us, we do have mosquitos all year long. Our neighborhood is made up of one acre lots, so we have alot of horses around also. We live near Wellington, which is a big equine community.

Since she has gotten so much better, I am questioning whether it is Mareks' or not. None of the other chicks have gotten sick. They all came from the same feed store, purchased a week apart. All the chicks were living together in our screened porch until about 2 1/2 weeks ago, when we moved them into the coop/run.

We already ordered the Marek's vaccine and it should be here today. I would like to go ahead and immunize all the birds at once, unless that is, if someone thinks I should not do so, that it would cause more harm than good. You said that you do your birds at 6 weeks, mine are between 8 and 6 weeks now. They haven't been around any other grown birds, unless you can count the occasional mocking bird or blue jay the will sit on top on the run's wire. How much vaccine do you give to your chicks at 6 weeks of age? We do plan to hatch our own chicks next year, and will deffinetly vaccinate on day one.

Thanks so much for your advice and input!!

Lynn

 

[dfish]

Hey folks I am still new here and was reading through most of these post and maybe I missed it and someone here knows better, I am from Georgia and raise rare breed and heritage birds, I was at the GPLN(Georgia poultry labotatory network) this week and was very happy with just how helpful everyone was there, The Director Dr Davis took time from his schedule to talk with me for quite some time, He gave me some books and info that I need to go through yet.
The way he explained it to me was unless you have liquid nitrogen tanks that can keep the real vaccine at 200 below zero and all the very expensive equipment that only the large hatcheries can afford to have, That the vaccine is pretty much worthless. And still even then there is no guarantee that they will not get Mareks. He went through the list of diseases and the poultry industries dirty little secrets and what to be looking out for and what to stay away from. I am already a practicing Bio-secure farm and do the best that I can do, Which he seemed pretty satisfied.
I just wanted some of your experienced thoughts on this, Is he right about the Mareks vaccine?
Thank you all for you're time. It is great that there are so many on here willing to help others.

 

[seminolewind]

Hi Lynn.

It's hard to say if it's Marek's.  If it is, I would think more than one chick would be sick.  It's possible she ate something bad, or needed vitamins.  I'm glad she's better, that most likely does not happen with Marek's.

If she was in with the other chicks, they've all been exposed already.  It's too late to vaccinate.  The vaccine only works if it's given day 1 of life and the chicks are super quarantined from other birds for at least 2 weeks, but I do 6 weeks.  It will not save a bird who has already been exposed.  

RockinPaint is right, Marek's vaccine will protect against tumors, but will not protect them from carrying Marek's and spreading it. If it's given day 1.

If it's Marek's there's not much you can do aside from keeping things clean, and wait.  If you get more chicks, get vaccinated hatchery chicks, not from a feedstore.  Or hatch eggs and vaccinate yourself.  

Botulism or bad food, missing vitamins, or illness can show the same symptoms.

You live south of me, and if you have mosquito activity, your symptoms may also describe Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which presents shivering as well.  

Please keep this updated.  Lot's of people want to know how it goes.

Karen

Hi Karen,  

My chick is doing so much better and is much stronger, jumping/flying all over the patio furnature during the day and then back  into her basket at night.  I am still giving vitamins in her water and she is eating okay.   We are feeding her start n grow and a bit of lettuce or bread here and there. 

Thanks to the canal right next to us, we do have mosquitos all year long.  Our neighborhood is made up of one acre lots, so we have alot of horses around also.  We live near Wellington, which is a big equine community. 

Since she has gotten so much better, I am questioning whether it is Mareks' or not.  None of the other chicks have gotten sick.  They all came from the same feed store, purchased a week apart.  All the chicks were living together in our screened porch until about 2  1/2 weeks ago, when we moved them into the coop/run.

 We already ordered the Marek's vaccine and it should be here today.  I would like to go ahead and immunize all the birds at once, unless that is, if someone thinks I should not do so, that it would cause more harm than good.  You said that you do your birds at 6 weeks,  mine are between 8 and 6 weeks now.  They haven't been around any other grown birds, unless you can count the occasional mocking bird or blue jay the will sit on top on the run's wire. How much vaccine do you give to your chicks at 6 weeks of age? We do plan to hatch our own chicks next year, and will deffinetly vaccinate on day one.

Thanks so much for your advice and input!!

Lynn

I'm sorry. I quarantine for 6 weeks. You'll be throwing your money away if you vaccinate them. The vaccine can be stored for about a year in the fridge. You can save it for future chicks. The vaccine is not going to do a thing if it's not given at one day old

I would imagine that your chick does not have Marek's. I don't exactly know what, but maybe it's the vitamins that worked. I'm really happy for you.

 

[seminolewind]

Hey folks I am still new here and was reading through most of these post and maybe I missed it and someone here knows better, I am from Georgia and raise rare breed and heritage birds, I was at the GPLN(Georgia poultry labotatory network) this week and was very happy with just how helpful everyone was there, The Director Dr Davis took time from his schedule to talk with me for quite some time, He gave me some  books and info that I need to go through yet. 
The way he explained it to me was unless you have liquid nitrogen tanks that can keep the real vaccine at 200 below zero and all the very expensive equipment that only the large hatcheries can afford to have, That the vaccine is pretty much worthless. And still even then there is no guarantee that they will not get Mareks. He went through the list of diseases and the poultry industries dirty little secrets and what to be looking out for and what to stay away from. I am already a practicing Bio-secure farm and do the best that I can do, Which he seemed pretty satisfied. 
I just wanted some of your experienced thoughts on this, Is he right about the Mareks vaccine? 
Thank you all for you're time. It is great that there are so many on here willing to help others. 

Hi, and welcome to BYC. It's really cool that you actually went to a poultry lab.
The doc is partially right. The hatcheries can afford to vaccinate with a 3x strain vaccine which is shipped in liquid nitrogen. I think that day old vaccinated hatchery chicks are anyone's best bet for being protected.

However, the rest of us only have access to this vaccine which does cover the most common strain that we would get. I think that the vaccine works pretty darn good. I know my flock has Marek's. I've lost some young adults, and 10 chicks starting at 6 weeks old falling to paralysis, wasting, and some had a slow gasp.That was 2 years ago. I, too , practiced biosecurity except for one chicken. And guess what happened...

Last year and the end of the year before, I ordered vaccinated hatchery chicks, and had several hatches of my own and vaccinated them. All were quarantined for 6 weeks. I have not lost a vaccinated bird to Marek's . Not one. What I did lose, however, is about 6 juvies to a symptomless Coccidiosis that took 4 overnight, and 2 more to an eye infection. Because Marek's exposed youngsters are immunocompromised.
So I think that's about 20 chickens that were vaccinated and did not die from Marek's. The other 15 chickens of mine are all older, some are 5 years old.

Now I have hatched 2 Polish chicks and have not vaccinated them. They should be resistant. I've had 6 silkie chicks in the past that were resistant, and their mother was actually the one that brought it in. She did die a few years ago. I am also incubating 12 eggs for a man I know. He has 2 of my vaccinated exposed roos. But these will not be vaccinated, the parents involved are survivors. We'll see what happens.

 

[LynnMarie]

My vaccine came in today and I am going to vaccinate all of my birds at once.

I understand that day one and quarantine is best, before the chick is exposed to anything environmental. I don't know if vaccinating now will prevent any future outbreaks of marek's, since I will not be able to quarantine them other than the coop and run they are in now. Oh well, better to try than do nothing.

I found this on youtube showing how to administer the vaccine to any age bird.

Wish me luck!

 

[seminolewind]

LynnMarie, try to update as you go along. The info is important.
Karen

 

[LynnMarie]

LynnMarie, try to update as you go along. The info is important.
Karen

Okay Karen, I will post what is happening withthe girls and their vaccines on this thread.

I was going to vaccinate them today, but I am helping someone with moving and will do it tomorrow. I was thinking of vaccinating them this evening, but i want to watch the chickens through out the day for any reactions.

 

[seminolewind]

LynnMarie, I think people should try anything-and share the info. There's just not a whole lot of info out there, and sometimes people aren't sure they have Marek's, and they think they had it and gotten better. I wish there was more that could be done.

One of mine last year got the vaccination along with her siblings. She did get paralysis 2 months later. I put her in a cage in the garage-she was so sweet and happy that I could not euthanize her. She sat there like a perfect little angel for 2 weeks, I finally moved her into my bedroom where she spent another month or so. She started to walk like a baby would learn. We would take her out and she would attempt to follow me. She got better and was put back out. That was 8 months ago, and she lays eggs now. Maybe the vaccine as a day old helped her. Who knows. She would take naps with me on the bed. I was so attached to her.