Do Your Baby Chicks Really Need Marek's Vaccination?

[Going Quackers]

One of the problems with the hatcheries is that they refuse to acknowledge that Marek's is making a comeback in small backyard flocks. I was very vigilent in where I got my birds when I first started out, or so I thought, one slip and wham...I've lost 35+ birds to Marek's in less than a year. If I were to do it all over again, I would have had everyone vaccinated.

This really isn't much of a hatchery more a larger private/closed farm.. the guy is a one man show and is a vet so i trusted his opinion when making the choice with my birds. Again, it really is something that one has weigh for themselves.

I am sorry to hear of your loses, that would've have been horrible to deal with.

 

[happyhens120]

Can you vaccinate adult birds or do you only vaccinate day old chicks? I don't believe any of my flock has been vaccinated. I have hatched most from eggs or purchased from reputable breeders. Now that I am breeding Russian Orloffs I want to be able to offer vaccinated chicks, and if I'm buying the vaccine and doing it myself, it would be easy to grab the adults and do them too if that's something that is possible.

Does anyone know how long the vaccine lasts for? If I purchase a bottle and don't use it all, can I keep it for the next clutch of chicks?

Thanks!!

 

[boyd2011]

the vaccine have is a two part (powder & liquid) after a portion is mixed try to use it within a few hours. The parts can be kept separate for a while in the fridge. See package. Yes you can give boosters. That is a good way to use the "left overs" from when you vaccinate chicks, if too much gets mixed. I was told not to give boosters more than once a year....no advanced science knowledge here, just frugal use...so check other sources if you are still concerned because I am not an expert.

 

[hen srcatch]

I recently hatched 11 chicks that were bred here on my ranch. I thought it would be best to vacinate them for Mareks, however our local feed store chicken expert said not to worry about it because they would essentially pick up an immunity from their mama hen. Does any one else know about this?
Also, he told me that Marek's vacinations only cover 1 type of Marek's strain and there are 52 other strains the chickens can pick up. Very similar to flu vacines. I had a flu shoot last year and 3 months later contracted a horrible case of the flu because it was a different type than what I was vacinated for.
In other words chicks vacinated for Mareks can still contract Mareks, so is vacinating against it a false sense of security?

 

[Keggen]

I recently hatched 11 chicks that were bred here on my ranch. I thought it would be best to vacinate them for Mareks, however our local feed store chicken expert said not to worry about it because they would essentially pick up an immunity from their mama hen. Does any one else know about this?
Also, he told me that Marek's vacinations only cover 1 type of Marek's strain and there are 52 other strains the chickens can pick up. Very similar to flu vacines. I had a flu shoot last year and 3 months later contracted a horrible case of the flu because it was a different type than what I was vacinated for.
In other words chicks vacinated for Mareks can still contract Mareks, so is vacinating against it a false sense of security?

Im curious about this as well.

 

[hen srcatch]

What I'd really like to know is how many strains of Mareks is there and does the vacine just cover the "most popular" strain as does the flu vacines for us humans? I can't seem to find an answer on the Internet.
Does anyone out there know the answer to this?

 

[sndroberts889]

I recently hatched 11 chicks that were bred here on my ranch. I thought it would be best to vacinate them for Mareks, however our local feed store chicken expert said not to worry about it because they would essentially pick up an immunity from their mama hen. Does any one else know about this?
Also, he told me that Marek's vacinations only cover 1 type of Marek's strain and there are 52 other strains the chickens can pick up. Very similar to flu vacines. I had a flu shoot last year and 3 months later contracted a horrible case of the flu because it was a different type than what I was vacinated for.
In other words chicks vacinated for Mareks can still contract Mareks, so is vacinating against it a false sense of security?

I'm curious too. We will hopefully have new babies in a couple weeks that momma hen will be hatching. I do not want to have to take the babies away from mom and isolate them.

 

[hen srcatch]

How do you vacinate 10 or so chicks when the feed stores only sell vacine for 1,500?

 

[jessica1982]

I purchased my chicks from Murray McMurray hatchery, and had them vaccinated. When do they need another one?

 

[hen srcatch]

It's my understanding that vacination is a one time deal done with in the first 24 hours after hatch.