Silkie thread!

[QueenMisha]

how would bringing in vaccinated chicks affect my breeders that have not been vaccinated

It wouldn't. Marek's vaccinations aren't live and as such vaccinated birds won't spread the disease simply because they are vaccinated. The vaccine is actually created using the turkey strain of the disease, so even if it was live, it's not something that can hurt them.

 

[QueenMisha]

what is a frizzle silkie compared to a sizzle????? 

A frizzled Silkie shows both the frizzle and Silkie genes; it is a Silkie and looks mostly like a normal Silkie but the larger feathers of the hackle, tail, etc. have more curve. A sizzle is a Silkie and as such has the body type and mutations of a Silkie (so it should have black skin, 5 toes, crest, feathered legs, etc.), but it has frizzled feathers INSTEAD of Silkied feathers.

howfunkyisyourchicken's post actually shows a great example of each. The black is the Sizzle and the Partridge (?) is the Frizzled Silkie/Frilkie.

 

[moomoodiddy]

is the virus contracted at the hatchery or in the soil of their habitat

 

[moomoodiddy]

and if i was to not get the hatchery chicks vaccinated and they did get sick, could my adult breeders i have be affected?

 

[QueenMisha]

is the virus contracted at the hatchery or in the soil of their habitat

The Marek's virus can be found almost anywhere. That said, any reputable hatchery will be free from even mild strains of it, since A. Their birds are kept indoors and strict biosecurity protocols are put in place, and B. Marek's virus does not spread vertically (through the egg) and since the chicks are hatched indoors and sent out at one day of age they simply don't have a chance to be infected, even if for some reason the hatchery's breeder stock was infected.

and if i was to not get the hatchery chicks vaccinated and they did get sick, could my adult breeders i have be affected?

Unvaccinated hatchery chicks and your unvaccinated breeders would react pretty much the same way should your flock become infected, by which I mean their reaction will depend entirely on the bird's age and immunity and the strain of the virus they come into contact with. Again, remember that the vaccine doesn't prevent birds from becoming infected, it only prevents them from showing symptoms of the disease. So there's no difference in the risk to your existing flock of bringing in a vaccinated vs. unvaccinated day old chick, assuming both came from a reputable source. (NPIP flocks are generally the only source I would consider "reputable").

 

[Fancychooklady]

how would bringing in vaccinated chicks affect my breeders that have not been vaccinated

Birds that are vaccinated will still shed the virus but may not necessarily show symptoms , best practice is to have all vaccinated or none.
Chicks should vaccinated before they are 36 hours old.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[Fancychooklady]

It wouldn't. Marek's vaccinations aren't live and as such vaccinated birds won't spread the disease simply because they are vaccinated. The vaccine is actually created using the turkey strain of the disease, so even if it was live, it's not something that can hurt them.

It's my understanding that the mareks vaccine are frozen live , hence the limited use by date once they are thawed.

http://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/binaries/intp1069_RISMAVAC_tcm96-86730.pdf

 

[CandJFarm]

Too bad you're in FL, I have 2 handsome boys looking for a new home and nobody around here wants them. A frizzle Silkie and a frizzled Sizzle.

Ya I would love to have them...I just hatched my first sizzles so im only on step on but they are some great birds.....my female silkie is abou the same color as the one in the front

 

[QueenMisha]

It's my understanding that the mareks vaccine are frozen live , hence the limited use by date once they are thawed.

http://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/binaries/intp1069_RISMAVAC_tcm96-86730.pdf

Ah, I may have used the incorrect phrasing... I mean live as the idea that birds, one vaccinated, will automatically shed the virus and infect other birds. The virus isn't live in that sense, seeing as although they can become infected if later exposed to the disease, the vaccine itself certainly won't infect them. I know this is the case with some other vaccines, and as such those can only used in flock already infected with whichever disease they are combatting.

 

[silkiecuddles]

Gonna throw this out there for anyone who is looking for bantams. Meyer Hatchery has bantams on sale right now (EXCLUDING silkies).