Anyone know where I can get vaccinations in australia?

[Maddison]

(prepare for a long read I tend to babble on!) I have 15 or so eggs 15 days from hatching, I've searched everywhere in my town and surrounds, but no one in the rural areas of Australia care about there chickens so when they get sick with something like mareks, most of the time they just let them die in the coop, not even removing them. therefore the vets and livestock shops here don't stock vaccinations because no one buys them, so I can't get them. All I found was someone in a nearby town who vaccinates for 20c a chick, but only on set dates, this is unreliable as my chicks will probably be too far along by then to be vaccinated. I don't want to be one of those irresponsible people who sell unvaccinated chickens, as I know by experience how terrible it can be when someone sells you a chicken that infects your whole flock! I don't know if this place is exposed to mareks or any other kind of disease. but I don't want to risk it, I know for a fact many years ago this place had chickens on the land, along with who knows what. I really need/want vaccinations for my new batch, I'd rather not be apart of the sickly line of chicken sellers in this town. awhile ago I had a roo with mareks, we kept him separated from everyone else and since then no others have died of mareks, but Its always a possibility... anyway anyone know where I can buy vaccinations online in Australia? I found one website but I have to be a licensed vet to buy it, ugh. I already have 2 chicks that are past there vaccination ages as I couldn't find vaccinations for them..

 

[debid]

I don't know the regulations there but if a licensed vet has to order it on one website, that's likely the case for all. It's similar to the restrictions we have on antibiotics.

There is also a difference between not keeping the vaccine in stock and refusing to order it. So, did you ask a vet's office if they can order a vial for you? You'd have to buy the whole vial, I'm sure. The vials dose something like 1000 chicks and don't have a long shelf life so it's understandable that vets wouldn't keep it around if nobody buys it. Here, the big hatcheries are really the only place dosing chicks but a vial can be purchased for about $30.

 

[Maddison]

I don't know the regulations there but if a licensed vet has to order it on one website, that's likely the case for all. It's similar to the restrictions we have on antibiotics.

There is also a difference between not keeping the vaccine in stock and refusing to order it. So, did you ask a vet's office if they can order a vial for you? You'd have to buy the whole vial, I'm sure. The vials dose something like 1000 chicks and don't have a long shelf life so it's understandable that vets wouldn't keep it around if nobody buys it. Here, the big hatcheries are really the only place dosing chicks but a vial can be purchased for about $30.

I've just not long contacted my local vet with the details, they said they'll get back to me. apparently they've tried to order it before but they can't get it in bulk due to the low sales, heres hoping they can get a small batch...

 

[Pork Pie]

You may wish to consider asking your question here -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/598568/australia-six-states-and-that-funny-little-island

 

[debid]

I've just not long contacted my local vet with the details, they said they'll get back to me. apparently they've tried to order it before but they can't get it in bulk due to the low sales, heres hoping they can get a small batch...

Just so you understand, once you prepare it to use for one chick, it expires in a matter of hours (because it's a live virus). So, the whole vial is used up whether you're vaccinating 1, 10, or 1000. That's why the other person you mentioned offers the service on only certain days. They must have a main customer or two who brings in a bunch. You could communicate with them, get the schedule, and coordinate setting your eggs to significantly reduce your cost.

 

[Maddison]

Just so you understand, once you prepare it to use for one chick, it expires in a matter of hours (because it's a live virus). So, the whole vial is used up whether you're vaccinating 1, 10, or 1000. That's why the other person you mentioned offers the service on only certain days. They must have a main customer or two who brings in a bunch. You could communicate with them, get the schedule, and coordinate setting your eggs to significantly reduce your cost.

I've read an internet article that you can mix a certain amount for a certain amount of chicks, and then store the unmixed portions. do you know if this is true at all? and the person I mentioned lives 30 mins away, which uses a lot of fuel and I can't guarantee I will have the fuel to get there, plus my chicks won't all hatch on the same day and I'm told you need to vaccinate from day one.

 

[debid]

I know there are people who split their vaccine into halves or even quarter it before mixing to save $ but I doubt you'll convince the vet to do this as it compromises accuracy. It's a bit like splitting a pill only the pill might not contain the same amount of medicine in each half and the dosage is quite specific...

The hatcheries only dose day 1 because they have to ship the chicks the day they hatch. And, the vaccination only works if the chick isn't exposed to the disease-causing pathogen before they develop their antibodies. So, you could, in theory, strictly quarantine new hatches and dose when it's convenient. If you're hatching where there is active illness, then you are rolling the dice even dosing on day 1.

ETA: splitting the vaccine also introduces the risk of contamination. Most folks don't have a sterile lab in their house.

 

[Maddison]

I know there are people who split their vaccine into halves or even quarter it before mixing to save $ but I doubt you'll convince the vet to do this as it compromises accuracy. It's a bit like splitting a pill only the pill might not contain the same amount of medicine in each half and the dosage is quite specific...

The hatcheries only dose day 1 because they have to ship the chicks the day they hatch. And, the vaccination only works if the chick isn't exposed to the disease-causing pathogen before they develop their antibodies. So, you could, in theory, strictly quarantine new hatches and dose when it's convenient. If you're hatching where there is active illness, then you are rolling the dice even dosing on day 1.

ETA: splitting the vaccine also introduces the risk of contamination. Most folks don't have a sterile lab in their house.

if there has previously been mareks in my property, would the chicks be un-exposed if kept in my house?

 

[debid]

if there has previously been mareks in my property, would the chicks be un-exposed if kept in my house?

I couldn't say. I know the disease can lay dormant for months in an empty chicken house and can even spread by dust in the wind from farm to farm. I presume you don't change clothes and shower, sterilize your shoes, etc. after tending the chickens so if it's present outside, it's likely present inside. If, however, the property sat with no hosts for the virus for long enough, then it does eventually die off.

Just to give you more to think about, this article explains very well why I DON'T vax for Marek's. I'm not saying whether you should but the reason people choose not to isn't necessarily a lack of understanding or caring.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous

 

[Maddison]

I couldn't say. I know the disease can lay dormant for months in an empty chicken house and can even spread by dust in the wind from farm to farm. I presume you don't change clothes and shower, sterilize your shoes, etc. after tending the chickens so if it's present outside, it's likely present inside. If, however, the property sat with no hosts for the virus for long enough, then it does eventually die off.

Just to give you more to think about, this article explains very well why I DON'T vax for Marek's. I'm not saying whether you should but the reason people choose not to isn't necessarily a lack of understanding or caring.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous

Oh jeez! well, all of my flock isn't vaccinated, and my flock is far too precious to me to risk it. I hate to say it but I can't vaccinate, I just hope I can spot any symptoms if any before it sheds to every other chook.. just out of curiosity, do you vaccinate for any other disease like infectious bronchitis? Fowl pox etc?