- Thread starter
- #31
jenniferlamar70
Songster
Ill email you the report or what I can of it. She said it presented as mareks and because it became immune compromised it let other things in like cocci etc..
Help tylan 50
- Thread starter jenniferlamar70
- Start date
Ill email you the report or what I can of it. She said it presented as mareks and because it became immune compromised it let other things in like cocci etc..
- Thread starter
- #33
jenniferlamar70
Songster
Yes thats fine. I guess this means I will have to close my flock now. This makes me so sad. Can I vaccinate older chickens who don't have it?
- Thread starter
- #35
jenniferlamar70
Songster
Any info would be great. I have sone young birds who haven't integrated into the flock yet. Wondering if I can still vaccinate at this age..
You might find some good info here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
- Thread starter
- #38
jenniferlamar70
Songster
Thanks I messaged nambroth and ill read the link as well. Just called the vet but they don't seem to know anything about it...
I regret I haven't had a moment to read every post in the thread, so I might be missing some info. (EDIT...)
In general, if the birds have already been exposed to Marek's, you can vaccinate, but it's probably a waste of money. My understanding of how the vaccine works and retroviruses (which is admittedly a layman's understanding!) suggests that it wouldn't do anything.
If the birds have not been exposed, but are over 36 hours out of the shell, you can vaccinate, but you can never consider them properly vaccinated. It's very unclear if this would help, but it won't necessarily hurt either, unless the chicken is already ill or has a suppressed immune system. If there are any studies on vaccination of birds and the effectiveness after this period, beyond the ones linked in my "FAQ", I am not aware. This is a grey area. Most of the research done is aimed at commercial egg or meat birds in commercial settings, or at least controlled ones. Us backyard keepers have to do the best we can and experiment, and it's not clear on what works for sure and what does not.
Some people feel strongly that they prefer not to vaccinate because then Marek's can "hide" symptom-less in any exposed, vaccinated, birds... but if your flock already has it that's sort of a moot point. Every chicken must be considered a carrier of the virus once exposed to your flock or their area (coop, run, yard, or anywhere a chicken has been). It doesn't mean that they will show symptoms, but they will have contracted the virus by exposure. With luck, the vaccine will help their body build immunity so that they don't actually have health problems from it.
Vaccinating at home can be done, and several people have done it successfully, but it does require a lot of care. The Marek's vaccines available to the public are not tremendously stable; they must be administered rapidly after opening, and always handled at the correct temperatures during shipment and after arrival. Failure to do so will result in an ineffective vaccination. Make sure to carefully read all instructions for the vaccine you purchase before you buy it, so that it's shipped to you the correct way and handled properly afterward. Some exotic vets might be willing to work with you to do the vaccination, though it might be costly.
EDIT: Oops, I see the report has been posted in another thread! ( https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1165785/mareks-in-my-flock ) ... no need to email it to me. I will further reply over there....
In general, if the birds have already been exposed to Marek's, you can vaccinate, but it's probably a waste of money. My understanding of how the vaccine works and retroviruses (which is admittedly a layman's understanding!) suggests that it wouldn't do anything.
If the birds have not been exposed, but are over 36 hours out of the shell, you can vaccinate, but you can never consider them properly vaccinated. It's very unclear if this would help, but it won't necessarily hurt either, unless the chicken is already ill or has a suppressed immune system. If there are any studies on vaccination of birds and the effectiveness after this period, beyond the ones linked in my "FAQ", I am not aware. This is a grey area. Most of the research done is aimed at commercial egg or meat birds in commercial settings, or at least controlled ones. Us backyard keepers have to do the best we can and experiment, and it's not clear on what works for sure and what does not.
Some people feel strongly that they prefer not to vaccinate because then Marek's can "hide" symptom-less in any exposed, vaccinated, birds... but if your flock already has it that's sort of a moot point. Every chicken must be considered a carrier of the virus once exposed to your flock or their area (coop, run, yard, or anywhere a chicken has been). It doesn't mean that they will show symptoms, but they will have contracted the virus by exposure. With luck, the vaccine will help their body build immunity so that they don't actually have health problems from it.
Vaccinating at home can be done, and several people have done it successfully, but it does require a lot of care. The Marek's vaccines available to the public are not tremendously stable; they must be administered rapidly after opening, and always handled at the correct temperatures during shipment and after arrival. Failure to do so will result in an ineffective vaccination. Make sure to carefully read all instructions for the vaccine you purchase before you buy it, so that it's shipped to you the correct way and handled properly afterward. Some exotic vets might be willing to work with you to do the vaccination, though it might be costly.
EDIT: Oops, I see the report has been posted in another thread! ( https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1165785/mareks-in-my-flock ) ... no need to email it to me. I will further reply over there....
Last edited:
I know the Syringe Access Law is controlled at the state level. With the new rules regarding chicken oral antibiotics, it would make little sense to have syringes unavailable in feed stores. However, it wouldn't surprise me if we were expected to find an avian vet
. I am a nurse living in Pa. I walk into a drug store and I ask for insulin syringes. I've gotten them in a couple. I tell them I don't have a prescription. A 50 unit syringe is equal to 1/2 ml. Yes, Tylan 50 is thick, but it is able to draw down into the syringe. It just takes a second or two. It takes little more effort. With tiny birds, I prefer the smallest needle that I can get away with. I only inject into muscle. It's intended for the absorption. I don't know how much will be metabolized otherwise for oral, but clearly not the same results (I've tried it).
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