Chicken Vaccines?

[SpecialHen]

How do you find out which diseases are relevant to your area? Or should I just stick with the Marek's vaccine?

 

[Michael Apple]

How do you find out which diseases are relevant to your area? Or should I just stick with the Marek's vaccine?

To find out which diseases may be prevalent in your area, speak with a doctor at local lab:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/downloads/labs_app.pdf

 

[Sheila in Mexic]

Hellow Everyone ! When I started wirth chickens years and years ago came to you guys for instructions, Thank you so much ! That first batch of 13 chickens were so enjoyed that I wound up with a small ranch with 250 layers ( sold eggs ) and lots of other farm criters. Then the big C got me and had to sell eveything. Now am better and am putting up a small coop and yard for ten layers here at the house - chickens are sooooo addictive !!!
Just to mention my own experiance with and without vaccine. The first batch of layers out at the farm were bought from a "reputible" supplyer who told me they were vaccinated and did not require anything more - - - - - 5 months of loven them and they were just starting to lay and whamo - - - - Merks hit and they all died - - yes, morned them as if they were my childern - heck they were, with names and all. From then on had a aviary vet out there every three months with back ups ( here in Mexico we vacinate for three diff bird flus ) - - so a huge definate YES for vaccination here !
Hugs,
Sheila in Mexico

 

[Sistagold]

I bought a young silkie chicken from a breeder who vaccinated and it died from Mereks it was the only one that had it and never had a problem with mereks since! Knock on wood!! When I buy chickens I put them in a separate pen for a good 3 months before mixing and any sick chickens are removed and put separately in quarantine and I try and treat them with antibiotics, DE, apple cider vinegar, colloidal silver, medicated in food and water! I keep a close eye on my flocks (as I have bantams and Isa Browns who are kept in separate coops! I think if a chicken is weak through breeding or other factors whether you vaccinate or not it won't make a difference it will get sick!! The chicks I've bred I've never vaccinated and they are healthy as, I breed Pekins and pekin x frizzles and none of my 4 lots (3lots are past 6 months) have showed signs of even a sneeze! 2 vets (one is world renowned specializing in birds and the other vet where I work at a wildlife sanctuary) told me mereks will show up once the bird hits 6 months and is a genetic disease a common cold is easily spread Mereks a chicken is born with you can vaccinate against it being a carrier and passing it on to its young!

 

[ta2d]

An issue with Mareks is that it's what's called a leaky vaccine. A vaccinated bird will not be effected, however it carries the strain. It will pass it onto unvaccinated birds, but here's the problem. When it passed it, the strain has altered and will attack the unvaccinated bird ten times fast than if it had simply been exposed naturally. It's a catch 22.. Either you vaccinate all your birds or none and do not expose them to other birds. The other issue from what I understand, is variations in strains can effect vaccinated birds. strain A can attach a bird with Strain B and vice vera's.

 

[mommabirdof4]

Thanks for your well considered opinion and encouragement to people who don't want to vaccinate their birds.

It is concerning to me that (1) vaccinated chickens shouldn't be slaughtered within 21 days of having the vaccine - this means that some component of the vaccine is dangerous for human consumption. People who might purchase a flock of grown birds off of Craigslist, etc. and then decide to give them the vaccination should be aware of this precaution before eating the eggs as well.

Additionally, another drug precaution involves keeping your birds as little exposed to the disease as possible. This is a very strange precaution and makes me wonder how effective the vaccine is overall. If the vaccine is not very effective, and/or if birds who are vaccinated can actually SPREAD the disease (because you are supposed to vaccinate your entire flock at the same time, obviously there is the possibility that an unvaccinated bird can catch the disease from a recently vaccinated bird), and if it is dangerous for humans to consume birds who had the vaccine as recently as 3 weeks beforehand, then I would be VERY cautious before using this vaccine.

 

[TerryO]

There is a chicken version of colera. Most, over half, of chickens that get it survive. They will carry the disease for the rest of their lives and infect all new chicks and purchased hens. There is no way to know if you have bought one of them. Better to vaccinate.

 

[as110]

There has been a lot of discussion about Marek's, but what about fowl cholera?
My flock has been sick since August. I got advice to take them to the vet to know what the cause of their sneezing and coughing is. Now I now for sure, they have all the signs of fowl cholera, and some are sick, some are not. Not all of them have signs but most do. It is a slow disease and that is why it took this long to know without a lab test. No one will do a lab test in this area. I just found a large animal vet for my llamas and other farm animals, and I will ask about chickens. I am not against vet testing and vaccinating if it makes sense.
The issue is this: those birds that survive will have developed immunity. Some might die, but we don't know which ones will eventually be killed by it, only time will tell. Now I have 4 chickens in the house still, and they are healthy. I am considering vaccinating them before they are introduced to the flock. I am not a chicken farmer so separate coops don't make sense, especially because they free range during the day. I managed to separate the roosters from the hens but they are still in the same yard.

Will vaccinating the little ones protect them from fowl cholera? Or infectious bronchitis?

We will just wait until the current hens and roosters die and hopefully we will have a healthy flock. Understand we will have to vaccinate from there on all of the new chickens. Is that correct?

Can we hatch eggs from vaccinated hens?

 

[Swilso3]

Do you vaccinate your chickens? What are the pros and cons? Would you eat eggs from a vaccinated chicken? Thanks!!!

 

[Swilso3]

There is a chicken version of colera. Most, over half, of chickens that get it survive. They will carry the disease for the rest of their lives and infect all new chicks and purchased hens. There is no way to know if you have bought one of them. Better to vaccinate.