can adult chickens be vaccinated for marek's?

[leadwolf1]

I agree. I was more concerned about it not covering enough of the strains to really make a difference. It looks like it does a great job.

 

[rockinpaints]

There is another option to vaccinating. It is a product that I used prior to the vaccines and that is BayCox made by Bayer Animal Health you have to order it from the UK and cost is about $110. They have it for chickens but I bought the one for piglets as it was cheaper and more concentrated. (exact same product)
It is a preventative that you give 2 days in a row, once a week until they have built their immunities or outgrown it. So I would give it every Monday and Tuesday in their water. It is not a treatment it is a preventative. It disrupts the life cycle of the coccidia. It could be given with medication if an out break occurred as it is not a medication. It wasn't as good as the vaccine but it sure helped.

Good luck!

Nellie

 

[rockinpaints]

I agree. I was more concerned about it not covering enough of the strains to really make a difference. It looks like it does a great job.

Coccivac B only covers 3 and the cost is $19 - don't get Coccivac B. There is a new one coming out I believe it covers 2 or 3 more stains. It should be available this month and it is Coccivac D2. I have not used this one yet (obviously.......

I think I just had a duh moment

)

Have a great Sunday evening!

 

[seminolewind]

I think half of those strains are rare, and the vaccine covers the most common one..

 

[Arielle]

I'm wondering IF the strains are all TURKEY based?? It will be interesting to read the label once it is available.

 

[rockinpaints]

I think half of those strains are rare, and the vaccine covers the most common one..

Actually it covers the most deadly ( I couldn't think of a better word, I guess life threatening would work too

) of the strains.

 

[rockinpaints]

I'm wondering IF the strains are all TURKEY based?? It will be interesting to read the label once it is available.

Hi Melissa, if you were referring to the coccidia, it's not of turkey origin. That would be the Marek's vaccine.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

Sorry brain malfunction!! Mereck vaccine is turkey based.

Vaccinating for the coccidia at hatch would be a lot easier for me as buying medicated feed can be difficult to find, and expensive 17-20$ a bag. I can buy regular turkey feed 22% for about15$ Much less than the medicated.

Does anyone have any specific information on whether or not amprolium is loosing it's effectiveness? Some argue that it is not an antibiotic but I suspect that it is classified in that realm for a number of reasons.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Please DON'T vaccinate for Marek's. It's rare for small flock owners to have problems with it, usually only large commercial meat vacilities and what not vaccinate. Marek's is a live vaccine, so the chicks vaccinated will be immune, but then they can pass it on to non-vaccinated birds. Scary that hatcheries don't mention this. Unless everything I've read has been garbage. Haha. Either way it makes me nervous to think about.

This isn't true at all. I have a good friend who bought some show chickens that then gave Marek's to the ENTIRE flock, which had to be destroyed. Horrid breeder LIED and said the chickens were vaccinated, but then, after necropsy confirmed Marek's, said that he'd never stated that the birds were vaccinated. Grrrr.

Small flocks absolutely can and do get hit with Marek's.

Also, your info about them shedding the virus is just plain, flat out, wrong. Even organic farms can vaccinate, and should.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Walkingonsunshine, The latest stuff I'm reading is that the vaccine "hides" the illness. Like if a breeder vaccinates all the chicks, they will never know if they have Marek's.

Another thing I've been reading about is that the Turkey-Marek's vaccine can't give a chick Marek's. But some use a live vaccine from chicken virus that's been altered. Problem is similar to humans getting a Polio shot, they can possibly give someone polio within 7 days of the shot.
So they are researching if that is possible with chicken-based Marek's virus exposing chicks within a few days.
DISCLAIMER:::: I am reading research. I am NOT reading FACT. Do not take this info as fact.

The problem of Marek's used to be a hatchery or a commercial facility problem.. In the 70's , Marek's wiped out 60% of poultry for public sale. Since then, Commercial poultry growers have gotten things under control (I think 3% losses), meanwhile, backyarders have not been practicing ways to keep Marek's out of their flocks. Now the problem is with the backyard/small flock chicken owners. A big problem.