Beware: Tractor Supply Co. chicks are NOT vaccinated--never

[sdm111]

Never buy un-vaccinated chicks from anywhere. Several diseases are endemic to almost all poultry flocks whether you have problems with this or not. Marek's disease in particular is devastating. Salmonella is also pervasive.

Chickens can be carriers without developing physical signs. Young chicks are absolutely susceptible. Vaccination will not necessarily prevent introduced chicks from getting a disease--but, if they do contract one they might survive. Vaccination builds immunity, but is not 100% defensive. Same as for humans.

Marek's is horrible to experience, often with 100% morbidity. And it is almost impossible for the backyard poultry producer to eradicate it. Vaccinating chicks at a day old is our only hope to avoid this disease. Marek's is endemic in this country--even in commercial flocks. It ain't a pretty thing to endure.

Nope ill never vaccinate any of my chickens. I prefer mine to be healthy strong birds capable of fighting off sickness instead of weak birds unable to fight off illness without human intervention.

 

[CreveChris]

As I understand it:
--the vaccine does not directly cause Mareks
--vaccinated birds can still get Mareks
--vaccinated birds who do get Mareks will often live and seem healthy
--those apparently-healthy birds spread Mareks everywhere they go
--vaccinated birds who do not have Mareks will not spread Mareks

The problem with vaccinated birds is that you cannot tell whether they have Mareks or not.

If you have only unvaccinated birds, either they have Mareks or they don't, but there's a good chance that you KNOW which one it is.

"Therefore, to limit MDV outbreaks within a cohort and to reduce the chance of farm persistence of MDV, these results suggest it may be necessary to combine a cohort vaccination with excellent hygiene. These model predictions are consistent with recent studies suggesting that mortality alone is a poor measure of virus load within a barn..."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863959/

 

[Chickenslol]

wait i’m confused. i’ve got five chickens from tractor supply who aren’t vaccinated, and four from koopmans who are. i’ve already mixed them and they’re doing well, but does the presence of vaccinated chickens help unvaccinated birds? or could all of the unvaccinated five get it and be wiped

 

[ladybrasa]

If Marek’s arrives on your property and affects your chickens, the vaccinated ones will likely survive (not guaranteed) and show little to no symptoms. The unvaccinated ones, however, are likely to succumb to symptoms and die (but also not guaranteed). The survivors (which will mostly be vaccinated ones) will then always harbor the virus, which will pass to any new chickens added to the flock. Some people have a mix of vaccinated and some unvaccinated, knowing the vaccinated will survive, but the sickness and death of the unvaccinated will let the owner know that their flock is infected and therefore carriers.


Good info here on the forum:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If Marek’s arrives on your property and affects your chickens, the vaccinated ones will likely survive (not guaranteed) and show little to no symptoms. The unvaccinated ones, however, are likely to succumb to symptoms and die (but also not guaranteed). The survivors (which will mostly be vaccinated ones) will then always harbor the virus, which will pass to any new chickens added to the flock. Some people have a mix of vaccinated and some unvaccinated, knowing the vaccinated will survive, but the sickness and death of the unvaccinated will let the owner know that their flock is infected and therefore carriers.


Good info here on the forum:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Like a canary in a coal mine situation. Sad, but smart

 

[ladybrasa]

Like a canary in a coal mine situation. Sad, but smart

Also good excuse - ehrr theorem - to apply with chicken math when presented with x, y, and z breed chicks at TSC times one to the zero (will)power ...

 

[CreveChris]

If Marek’s arrives on your property and affects your chickens, the vaccinated ones will likely survive (not guaranteed) and show little to no symptoms. The unvaccinated ones, however, are likely to succumb to symptoms and die (but also not guaranteed). The survivors (which will mostly be vaccinated ones) will then always harbor the virus, which will pass to any new chickens added to the flock. Some people have a mix of vaccinated and some unvaccinated, knowing the vaccinated will survive, but the sickness and death of the unvaccinated will let the owner know that their flock is infected and therefore carriers.


Good info here on the forum:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

I think the science has yet to prove any of this. Death is simply not a marker (see previous references).

 

[ladybrasa]

Death is simply not a marker (see previous references).

No, but very generally, Marek’s often results in death. There are some breeds that have some natural resistance like the Fayumi, some strains of Marek’s are not as virulent as others, and sometimes a chicken will survive it. However, generally and simply speaking for the backyard chicken owner who has a small flock for eggs and as kind of pets and such for the family, unvaccinated chickens who get infected with the disease most often get sick and die.

 

[sdm111]

So it would be preferred to have chickens carrying diseases and be asymptomatic than to be symptomatic? To spread disease to others unknowingly. Imo thats terrible husbandry.

 

[CreveChris]

So it would be preferred to have chickens carrying diseases and be asymptomatic than to be symptomatic? To spread disease to others unknowingly. Imo thats terrible husbandry.

This is my point. Unless we test all of our birds, we don't really know what they may be carrying. I test my eggs for salmonella before supplying other chicken tenders, and I vaccinate for Marek's. I prefer hatching eggs to day-old chicks so I can control their exposure and vaccinations.