2 Day old vaccinated for marek's & 10 Day old Chicks not vaccinated

[MyGirlDitto]

I have (10) about 10day old chicks that are not vaccinated. I have 5 more I am picking up today or tomorrow that are 2 days old that have been vaccinated. Should I keep them separated? I have a friend who is picking some up too, and she has offered to keep them for me for a couple of weeks. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. The 10 day old chicks are easter eggers and the 2 day old chicks are olive eggers (if this matters)

 

[azygous]

It matters not the breed of either group. If the younger vaccinated chicks are to reap the full benefit of being vaccinated, they need to be kept segregated from unvaccinated birds for two weeks so they can develop the resistance to Marek's that the vaccine confers.

Be aware of what is called "vaccine leakage". This doesn't mean what many think it does, that vaccinated chicks will give Marek's disease to unvaxed chicks. It means that should a vaccinated bird be exposed to Marek's virus, even though the vaxed chick has resistance, it can still pass the virus to the unvaxed chicks.

Many folks are under the impression that Marek's vaccine makes a chicken immune from the virus. It does not. It can carry the virus if exposed, and it can even get sick, but the vaccine does protect against Marek's tumors.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Where did you get those older chicks? Have they been exposed to other chickens?

For the vaccine to be effective the chicks need to be kept from other chickens that have Marek's for a couple of weeks. I don't know how likely it is that your older chicks have been exposed. If they haven't been I'd be OK mixing them but it will be safer if your friend keeps them a couple of weeks as long as they are not exposed there. I think your odds of a problem are probably pretty low but it's not zero.

 

[MyGirlDitto]

I got the 10 older Chicks from Tractor Supply. I got the 5 from a local feed store. I am going to let my friend keep them for the two weeks. She is set up to have them isolated from all of her other chicks too.

 

[MyGirlDitto]

It matters not the breed of either group. If the younger vaccinated chicks are to reap the full benefit of being vaccinated, they need to be kept segregated from unvaccinated birds for two weeks so they can develop the resistance to Marek's that the vaccine confers.

Be aware of what is called "vaccine leakage". This doesn't mean what many think it does, that vaccinated chicks will give Marek's disease to unvaxed chicks. It means that should a vaccinated bird be exposed to Marek's virus, even though the vaxed chick has resistance, it can still pass the virus to the unvaxed chicks.

Many folks are under the impression that Marek's vaccine makes a chicken immune from the virus. It does not. It can carry the virus if exposed, and it can even get sick, but the vaccine does protect against Marek's tumors.

Hope this helps.

If the "vaccine" doesn't stop them from getting it or spreading it, what is it for?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the "vaccine" doesn't stop them from getting it or spreading it, what is it for?

The vaccine stops the tumors that cause the damage from forming. They can catch and spread Marek's but Marek's does not harm them.

 

[azygous]

Marek's vaccine is like the Covid vaccine. It will help prevent serious illness and death but you can still get Covid and have mild to annoying symptoms and infect others.

 

[BrunetteBruja]

We have had unvaccinated chickens die when they were cooped with vaccinated chickens. I don't pretend to understand the science of it all - but we won't mix vaxxed & unvaxxed again. We only buy unvaxxed now. I would keep a close eye on them and watch for signs of distress when you combine them.