Marek's Vaccine in Canada

[Summerjade1357]

How to source the marek's vaccine in Canada!

I spent hours on this thread, on Facebook forums and calling around to all my local vets trying to figure out how the heck to source a mareks vaccine for my upcoming hatch! Why does this feel so impossible and how come nobody has answers. Well, I found some for you. It's not the most simple or attainable vaccine, but it IS possible if you're determined enough and can find a vet willing to help out

canadian vets are only able to order the mareks vaccine in doses of 10 thousand. It gets delivered in liquid nitrogen and needs a liquid nitrogen tank to stay viable. The issue around here is that most vets don't have liquid nitrogen tanks (generally its only used to preserve sperm for breeders) and most backyard poultry farms don't want to order 10 thousand doses as it's unrealistic and too expensive for small hatches.

But, if you can find a vet who has a tank and will order. The vaccine is good in a tank for up to a year at least. The order they recieve is in I believe 2000 dose vials, so they'd recieve an order of 5 vials¿ if you can convince them that theres a market for it, and that other poultry farmers would be interested (or even better, find 4 other people that at some point that spring would purchase a vial)

The vaccine is meant to be used within 30 minutes of being mixed so if you live close by, awesome. In my case, the only vet that had a liquid nitrogen tank was 2.5 hours away (so getting the vaccine at the vets office and transporting it home wasn't an option)

BUT If you can source a nitrogen tank (borrow one from someone, buy one, or I rented from westgen) you can go pick up a vial, which is around $45, transport it home and its good inside the closed tank up to 10 days. You can then mix the vaccine yourself and use it when necessary

The vaccine has to be used in chicks no older than 36 hours old ideally. And for best results should be done as you remove them from the incubator so there's no risk of exposure to the mareks virus prior to vaccination.

That's all the info I was able to gather and hope it's helpful for others


For reference I'm located in Pemberton BC. And the vet I got my vaccine from is in Abbotsford

 

[triciayoung]

That is great work you did for yourself and others.

Here in the United States, we are no longer able to buy any vaccines or medicines for our chickens after June 1st...we must go through a veterinarian.

 

[Stephine]

How to source the marek's vaccine in Canada!

I spent hours on this thread, on Facebook forums and calling around to all my local vets trying to figure out how the heck to source a mareks vaccine for my upcoming hatch! Why does this feel so impossible and how come nobody has answers. Well, I found some for you. It's not the most simple or attainable vaccine, but it IS possible if you're determined enough and can find a vet willing to help out

canadian vets are only able to order the mareks vaccine in doses of 10 thousand. It gets delivered in liquid nitrogen and needs a liquid nitrogen tank to stay viable. The issue around here is that most vets don't have liquid nitrogen tanks (generally its only used to preserve sperm for breeders) and most backyard poultry farms don't want to order 10 thousand doses as it's unrealistic and too expensive for small hatches.

But, if you can find a vet who has a tank and will order. The vaccine is good in a tank for up to a year at least. The order they recieve is in I believe 2000 dose vials, so they'd recieve an order of 5 vials¿ if you can convince them that theres a market for it, and that other poultry farmers would be interested (or even better, find 4 other people that at some point that spring would purchase a vial)

The vaccine is meant to be used within 30 minutes of being mixed so if you live close by, awesome. In my case, the only vet that had a liquid nitrogen tank was 2.5 hours away (so getting the vaccine at the vets office and transporting it home wasn't an option)

BUT If you can source a nitrogen tank (borrow one from someone, buy one, or I rented from westgen) you can go pick up a vial, which is around $45, transport it home and its good inside the closed tank up to 10 days. You can then mix the vaccine yourself and use it when necessary

The vaccine has to be used in chicks no older than 36 hours old ideally. And for best results should be done as you remove them from the incubator so there's no risk of exposure to the mareks virus prior to vaccination.

That's all the info I was able to gather and hope it's helpful for others


For reference I'm located in Pemberton BC. And the vet I got my vaccine from is in Abbotsford

Note that freshly vaccinated chicks still have to be kept away from possible exposure to Mareks for 4-7 days. Just adding that because of your comment about vaccinating them immediately when leaving the incubator.